Most of you know that I live in Bloomington, Indiana. What you may not know is that Bloomington is a hub for yoga gurus, the kings and queens of flexibility, endurance, strength, and STRETCHING.

Today I want you to take a minute and do some stretches. I’m not pushing you to exercise and this isn’t about losing weight or changing your body! Stretching increases blood flow to your muscles. Doing it as soon as you wake up in the morning can help jump start your mind and body. Doing it regularly can reduce stress, improve focus and flexibility, and make you stronger all around. 

The benefits of daily stretching will do wonders for your body, but the effects it can have on your mind are in a league of their own. Moving your body in any way warms up your muscles, which in turn ignites dopamine in your brain–the happy hormone. When your body is being stimulated, your brain thanks you for it girl, which makes you happier as a whole.

Plus, stretching just feels good, especially after a long day at the office, craning your neck over a keyboard or burning your eyes from staring at a computer screen all day. Your body wasn’t designed to be dormant forever, girl. So let’s move it together. 

While I don’t have a yoga membership personally, the girls in the studio are bonafide yogis. They’re always stretching between shoots, and I can tell the difference in my body and muscles when I jump in and copy them. Today, I want to encourage you to join in the stretching fun. 

Start small. Here are five easy stretches to start your day, no yoga membership required. If you’d like to try yoga at home, following along with a video is super helpful. (I love Adriene! She has yoga videos for everyone! So if this one for beginners doesn’t work for you, check out the others.) Or follow the advice of our SPARK partner, Lauren Volpp, and incorporate micro stretches into your day. Two minutes in the car or at your desk to check in with your body and re-set.