I got a great follow-up question to my recent newsletter about “What does enough fitness look like?” 🧐 And I thought it may help you, too.
“…in the email, you recommended a 5-minute daily flexibility check-in to check-in with how your body is feeling, and you mentioned a few exercises. Could you speak on that more?”
Don’t worry, I got you! 🙌 Let’s lay a couple of quick ground rules:
1) This isn’t an exhaustive list for mobility or flexibility. And depending on your specifics needs, you may need a more personalized program or some additional flexibility work. (For example, recreational golfers I work with often need a LOT more internal hip rotation, whereas nursing moms need help with thoracic spine mobility, etc.)
2) There isn’t a “magic” formula. These exercises DO, however, cover a lot of ground in 5 minutes. This small daily habit can help you catch problems before they turn into bigger ones. If you know your hip feels wonky one day when it didn’t the day before, you can be more aware of that as you go through your workout, etc.
3) If something feels sketchy, it is sketchy. Since I’m not there in your body right now, please know that I give this advice to ALL my clients. If something doesn’t feel right or produces pain, stop. Trust your instincts on what feels good to you. You may need a different set of exercises, or some additional help. ❤️ With that out of the way, let’s dig into the exercises themselves! Oh, and I shot a follow-along video going through these in detail. I’ve found watching an exercise to be way easier than reading about how to do one. 😅 (Though I’ve left notes on each one for easy reference as well!)
Exercise #1: Shoulder Rotations
Perform 5 to 10 repetitions.
Points of performance:
- Reach in the biggest circle you can, while keeping your ribcage anchored down
- Bring your arms up as high as you can in front of you, palms up.
- When you can’t lift higher, rotate your palms to the side an sweep in a wide circle back behind you.
- Reverse and come back the other direction.
- If you feel limited or any “pinching” in the shoulder, start with a smaller range of motion and build up over time.
Exercise #2: Cat/Camel
Perform 10 to 20 repetitions.
Points of performance:
- Set up with your knees under hips, hands under shoulders
- Slowly, creating a little bit of tension in your core, round your back up into a big rainbow.
- Then, arch your back down.
- Move back and forth slowly, within whatever range of motion feels good to you.
- If this bothers your knees, you can try doing it from a standing position with your arms places on a desk or sturdy countertop for support.
Exercise #3: T-Spine Extension and Rotations
Perform 10 to 20 repetitions each side
Points of performance:
- Set up with your knees under hips, hands under shoulders
- Grab your opposite rib cage to help assist the movement.
- Aim the front your shoulder down towards your opposite hip (flexing + rotating at the same time).
- Then, reverse the motion and reach the back of your shoulder to your opposite back pocket (extending + rotating at the same time.)
Exercise #4: Rockbacks
Perform 20 to 40 repetitions
Points of performance:
- Set up with your knees under hips, hands under shoulders
- Eyes on the horizon in front of you
- Slowly sit your hips back towards your heels
- Then, reverse the motion and lean forward, shifting your weight into your hands
Exercise #5: Side-Lying Hip Rotations
Perform 5 to 10 repetitions each side
Points of performance:
- Lie on your side with your head supported
- Reach your bottom arm forward, and grab it with your opposite hand. Brace against yourself to create a little bit of tension and stability.
- Lift your top knee to your chest.
- Open up your hip to the side until you “hit a wall” and can’t move further.
- Rotate your ankle out to the side (you’ll find this opens up your hip).
- Sweep your knee back in the biggest circle you can.
- Reverse direction and repeat.
—
And there you have it! In these quick 5 movements, we cover:
- Shoulder extension, flexion and rotation
- Spinal flexion, extension and rotation
- Hip flexion, extension, and rotation
- Gentle wrist and ankle warm up
That’s pretty darn good if I say so myself! 🔥
But, we can do even better.
So I filmed two bonus movements to help my desk warriors out there combat sitting in a chair all day as well. 😃
One final thought: don’t discount the impact of 5 minutes of daily movement. All too often, I see people saying something to the effect of: “But I was ONLY able to do XYZ.” Not only. You did the thing. Every action adds up.
Hope this helps give you some ideas and get you moving! 🙌
– Coach Matt
P.S. Looking for a more personalized mobility and flexibility program written by one of our world-class Nerd Fitness Coaches? Book a call this week and mention “Rebellion” for $50 off your first month of coaching. We have no contracts, no hidden fees, and you can cancel at any time. We only want you to stay if it’s ACTUALLY working for you!
