Rise and Shine: 10 Minutes of In-bed Exercise for Healthy Eyes, Relieving Constipation, and Alleviating Tinnitus

Set your alarm just 10 minutes early for these easy in-bed exercises.

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Is your morning time too crunched for crunches? What if you could exercise before your feet even hit the ground?

Mornings are an optimum time to invigorate vitality for the day ahead, but we don’t always have the time for a full routine before the tasks of the day. Let me share with you a unique and brief morning routine to set you on a strong and healthy path to the day ahead.

10 Minutes of Morning Exercise

1. Awaken the Eyes

• Upon waking sit up with the back straight and the legs crossed, (if this doesn’t work for you extend the legs out straight) With the eyes closed, rotate them 14 times clockwise and 14 times counterclockwise, then blink hard for 5 seconds, and then open your eyes as normal.

This eye movement is optimum when done first thing in the morning. According to the traditional Chinese medicine literature, daily practice will keep the eyes healthy.

2. Mid-Body Twist

This exercise can relax the muscles, ligaments, and spine around the waist. It can also promote intestinal peristalsis. Cartography by The Epoch Times

• Lie on the bed with your legs bent until your calves are perpendicular to the bed. Turn both legs together to the left side of the bed, then turn them to the right side of the bed. Repeat 20 times.
• Keep the body relaxed and the movements slow and steady.

This exercise can relax the muscles, ligaments, and spine in the waist area. People with herniated discs, sciatica, and lumbar muscle strain should do more as feels appropriate.

Bonus: This twisting exercise stimulates the large and small intestines, activating peristalsis for healthy movement of the bowels, and relieving constipation.

3. Activate Energy Flow

The flexion, extension, and rotation of the ankle joints can help the six meridians running through the legs, including the Liver and Kidney meridians, to flow smoothly. Cartography by The Epoch Times

• Lie on the bed with the legs out straight. Press and stretch the feet as far forward as possible, and then pull them back as far as possible. Repeat 20 times.
• Rotate the ankle joints 20 times clockwise and then counterclockwise.

Through the flexion, extension, and rotation of the ankle joint, the qi and blood of the six meridians, liver, gallbladder, spleen, stomach, kidneys, and bladders can be unblocked, and the internal organs can be invigorated.

4. Ear Massage 

This ear massage exercise is extremely helpful for improving tinnitus and deafness. Cartography by The Epoch Times

• Place your middle and index fingers in front of and behind your ears and rub your ears in one direction from bottom to top 20 times.
• With the palms of both hands facing the ears, rub the ears backward and then forward by folding the ears, repeatedly 20 times.
• With the palms facing the ear canal holes, place both hands on the back of the head in the occipital area, stack the index fingers on top of the middle fingers, and slide the index fingers forward to tap on the back of the head in the occipital area. Repeat 20 times. You will be able to hear the sound of drums in both ears. This technique is called “Ming Tian Drum.”
• After finishing the “Ming Tian Drum,” squeeze the palms of both hands toward the ear hole, and then pull the palms of both hands outward for a moment. You'll hear a “puff” sound in the ears. Repeat this 20 times. This maneuver balances the pressure inside and outside the eardrum.

This ear massage exercise is beneficial for the prevention and improvement of tinnitus and deafness—however, it needs to be done persistently to achieve the best effect.

Running late? You can do these four exercises any time of day—such as during an afternoon break—or even before going to bed, as they are also helpful for improving sleep and relaxing the body and mind.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Epoch Health welcomes professional discussion and friendly debate. To submit an opinion piece, please follow these guidelines and submit through our form here.