Maybe you’re thinking it’s exercise? Or eating right? No, no, I said easy!

One easy thing you can do every morning is rax.

rax [ræks] Scot
vb
1. (tr) to stretch or extend
2. (intr) to reach out
3. (tr) to pass or give (something to a person) with the outstretched hand; reach rax me the salt
4. (tr) to strain or sprain
n
the act of stretching or straining
[Old English raxan] ~thefreedictionary.com

I can came across this word ever so randomly one day and thought of something I heard Dr. Oz say once. He recommended stretching for a few minutes everyday as soon as you get out of bed…and he’s America’s doctor.

Above is a pic of Greece’s goalie Alexandros Tzorvas warming up during a training session at the Nelson Mandela Bay stadium in Port Elizabeth on June 11, 2010 on the opening day of the 2010 World Cup (you know that thing the rest of the world cares about but the US doesn’t). Now that’s a stretch!

Studies have found ones flexibility is related to arterial flexibility so if you’re having problems touching your toes and you’re over 40 it could mean your arteries have lost their elasticity too. If you’re under 40 there’s no time like the present to get into the habit.

Here’s how personal development expert Steve Pavalina [1] does it

My alarm goes off sometime between 4:00 and 5:00am… never later than 5:00am, even on weekends and holidays. I turn off the alarm within a few seconds. My lungs inflate with a deep breath of air, and I stretch my limbs out in all directions for about two seconds.”

You should probably do a bit more than Steve does, especially if you don’t exercise much. Shortly after Steve stretches he hits the gym.

You can slip a bit of yoga into your life in the mornings with a nice Sun Salutation [2]
Hey even Jay-Z knows there’s something to that yoga stuff and it’s not just for white folks.

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