A calming 5-minute stretch and meditation to release tension and reset — gentle neck, chest, side, and leg stretches with guided breathing, seated or standing.

Thanks for joining us today to learn more about heart health. We're going to get moving after sitting for a while, so join me in a five-minute stretch and meditation to relax and release any tension you might feel throughout the day. Go ahead and stand up if you can; if not, you're welcome to stretch from the chair. If you're recovering from open-heart surgery or any injury, please avoid any pushing, pulling, or reaching that will cause you pain, and reach out to the Movn staff member in the group session immediately if you need help. Let's start a stretch session on your watch to get your exercise time in, and then we're ready to go. First, let's stand or sit tall, relaxing your shoulders and your knees, and resting your arms by your side or in your lap. Take a deep breath in through your nose — hold: 1, 2, 3 — and exhale through your mouth: 1, 2, 3. We're going to repeat this three times. So, deep breath in through your nose, hold 1, 2, 3, and exhale through your mouth. One more time: deep breath in through your nose, hold 1, 2, 3, and exhale through your mouth, 1, 2, 3. We're going to start with your neck. Tilt your head to the right, ear to shoulder, breathing in deeply and exhaling, releasing any built-up tension. We're going to hold this position for 15 seconds between each stretch. You're welcome to close your eyes and bring your awareness to how your body is feeling. Bring your head back up, and tilt to the left. Keep your head tilted for 15 seconds, and make sure your back is straight. If you feel any tension, you can make the stretch a little bit deeper by adding a little bit of pressure on your head. And sit back up. Moving on to the chest. For the chest, we're going to place our hands either on our shoulders or behind our head, depending on your flexibility. And if you're still recovering from surgery, please leave your hands down by your hips or at your sides. Breathing in, squeeze your shoulder blades together and draw your elbows back. Exhale. If you're feeling stressed today, thank yourself for taking the time to stretch and slow down to take care of yourself. We're going to hold this position for 15 seconds, breathing in deeply. Notice where you feel the stretch. You might notice your elbows pull back even further as you go deeper into the stretch. If you notice any pain, you'll want to ease out of the stretch. Great job. Let's relax our arms.

The chest stretch really helps to improve your posture and relieve upper back pain. Now moving on to our sides and our arms. If you're recovering from surgery, you can leave your arms again by your sides or at your hips. We're going to slowly lean your upper body towards the right side, firmly planting your feet on the ground and holding onto a support if needed. You can add a deeper stretch by bringing your arm either across your body or overhead, pushing your hip out to the side. We're going to hold this for 15 seconds, breathing deeply — in through the nose and out through the mouth. A couple more seconds. Let's sit up slowly. Relax your arm down and move on to the left side.

Bending to the left, extend your arm either overhead or across your body. You can also leave your hands by your hips, holding for 15 seconds. Remind yourself it's okay not to be flexible and to have stiffness — you're working on it, and stretching will help. A couple more seconds here. Breathing in through the nose, out through the mouth. Breathe through the tension.

Let's slowly release the stretch and move on to our legs. So, sitting or standing up nice and tall again, we're going to straighten out your right leg. If you're seated in the chair, you can do this — leave your other leg bent. If you're standing, you're going to stagger your feet, one in front of the other, bending and moving your hips back. Keep that front leg straight. You can point your toes towards the ceiling for an added stretch. We're going to hold for 15 seconds, breathing in deeply as you feel this tension in the back of your leg. Breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth.

Go ahead and release out of the stretch and move on to the other side. So, front leg is straight, back leg is bent. We're going to slowly lean forward with a flat back. You can point your toes towards the ceiling as we hold this for 15 seconds. As you stretch, try to avoid bobbing or moving around. Hold the position and breathe deeply through the tension. Go ahead and slowly stand up, releasing the tension.

We'll do just a couple of deep breaths before we end today. Relax your body with your palms facing upwards. Let's breathe deeply two more times before you return to the rest of your day. Breathing in through your nose, fill your belly with air, and breathe out of your mouth. Release all the tension.

One more time, breathing in through your nose — breathe in peace. Breathe out through your mouth — breathe out stress. You can go ahead and stop your watch for today. And thank you so much for participating in a short stretch and meditation session. I hope you enjoy the rest of your day.