Quickly check your emails, down a coffee, take your child to school – and then drag yourself through the day tired? This is how the morning begins for many. Doctors and studies have been showing for years: whoever wakes up in the morning takes a few minutes – for movement, breathing, light and a clear thought – not only benefits in the short term. It can even be beneficial for long-term health.

According to American longevity expert Kien Vuu, “Business Insider“convinces: just ten minutes in the morning can change your life.

This is how a day at Kien Vuu starts

The doctor specializes in longevity and explains how a simple routine reduces stress, improves concentration and may even extend lifespan. The important thing is that it’s not the effort that counts, but the regularity – and that the day starts consciously.

1. Before picking up the smartphone, Kien drinks Vuu big glass of water – about 250 to 500 milliliters. He often gives in a few squeezes of lemon and add a pinch of salt, preferably Himalayan or sea salt. These contain additional minerals such as magnesium or calcium, which stimulate circulation and help with rehydration. Because the body not only loses fluid overnight, but also important electrolytes.
2. Then it says: out into the light. A few minutes of real sunlight on your skin and face – that’s enough. In the morning, sunlight has a particularly strong effect on the sleep-wake rhythm and promotes the release of activating hormones. Those who soak up daylight in the morning usually fall asleep better in the evening.

Movement provides energy

After that follows Movement. But not with dumbbells or on the mat, but with a short mixture of Qigong and burpees:

• Qigong hops: Raise your shoulders, then let them fall loosely so that your whole body rocks slightly.
• Qigong twists: Loosely twisting the upper body with swinging arms that gently tap the chest or thighs.
• 10-15 Burpees: This quick full-body exercise immediately gets your circulation going.

“Just five minutes is enough to build energy,” says Vuu. The goal is not muscle growth, but activation – physically and mentally. Studies show: Even short activity in the morning can increase the ability to concentrate and reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Breathing reduces stress

The movement is followed by one conscious breathing exercise. Vuu uses a multi-step technique that only takes two to three minutes:

1. First, breathe deeply into your stomach.
2. Without exhaling, breathe in again through your nose into your chest.
3. Then breathe out forcefully through your mouth.
4. Repeat this ten times, later at double speed.
5. Vuu then holds his breath for about 10 to 15 seconds, with active body tension – and then lets go completely. During a short break of 30 seconds, he consciously thinks of a key word that should accompany him throughout the day: focus, joy or connection, for example.

Such breathing techniques help calm the nervous system and reduce stress hormones. At the same time, they improve the oxygen supply in the body – a simple way to start the day more awake and calm at the same time.

The key is gratitude

At the end of the routine there is a short moment of silence. Not a long meditation sit, but a simple, quiet thought: What am I grateful for today? Kien Vuu asks himself this question every day. “I never used to pay attention to gratitude – I thought I needed more success to feel worthwhile,” he says. His attitude has now changed.

Gratitude, even if consciously felt for just a minute, can have measurable physical effects. It stimulates the release of oxytocin, a hormone that helps regulate blood pressure and heart rate – and at the same time strengthens emotional resilience.

10-minute routine for every day

The routine is simple but effective. According to Vuu, it covers all five pillars that are crucial for health and a long life: physical, mental, emotional, social and meaning-oriented. Anyone who invests a few minutes in these areas every day can benefit in the long term.

Core components of the routine:

• Water with salt or lemon
• Short stay in sunlight
• 5 minutes of gentle exercise (Qigong + Burpees)
• 2-3 minutes breathing exercise
• 1 minute of gratitude

According to Vuu, that’s all you need – just some consistency. Because: “Every day is a new chance to start differently.”