I did this five-minute stretching routine every morning for a week and it was one of the best things I've done for my physical and mental health

I regularly deal with aches and pains during work hours, whether it's tight hips when I'm sitting at my desk or a knot in my shoulder that just won't go away.

I know that I should be stretching more to offset the effects of my desk job, but I struggle to find the time.

However, one of my favourite yoga instructors, Mara Cimatoribus, recently shared a super simple morning stretching routine that only takes five minutes.

I decided to give it a go for a week to see if it could help my body feel better.

How to do Mara Cimatoribus' morning stretching routine

The routine features five poses. I held each pose for 30 seconds on each side, or one minute when the move incorporated both sides.

What happened when I stretched for five minutes every morning for a week

I often wake up with stiffness but tend to ignore it, diving straight into my day.

However, I discovered that taking the time to do Cimatoribus' stretching routine from my bed provided immediate relief to my muscles and joints.

The seated side stretch and twist soothed my upper back and shoulders, where I hold the most tension.

The forward fold was also incredibly satisfying for my lower body. I was feeling pretty inflexible when I woke—likely from being horizontal for eight hours—but my leg muscles relaxed deeply into this stretch after just a few seconds.

Stretching as soon as I woke up also meant that I had five minutes for myself before the day started, which helped me feel less stressed.

Although some general stiffness did return throughout the day, the discomfort in my upper body was significantly reduced.

It's definitely a habit I'm going to stick with, as the mental and physical benefits were well worth the time, and practicing it from bed meant it was easy to fit into my morning routine.