Tips for waking up and getting energized

Here's a FitList sure to appeal to those of us who can't seem to crawl out of bed without that morning haze about us. I don't know about you, but especially around this time of year it takes me forever to finally climb out from under the sheets. But there are a few exercises available which help wake up the body and get you more energized.

The aptly named Bed Pretzel technique is similar to a runner's stretch in bed. Here's how they describe it: "Lie flat on your back in bed, bend one knee and draw it close to your chest. Then slowly bring the entire bent leg across the body to the opposite side, gently twisting the spine." This will help wake up your spinal cord.

Everyone is familiar with the Bend and Reach. As pictured, all you have to do is get out of bed (the hardest part) and reach one arm over your head while stretching out your side. Be wary though: if you haven't ever done something like this then it could be easy to overdo it and hurt yourself. Otherwise these wake-up calls could energize your mornings better than that double shot espresso! Read here for more tips.