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I had a great follow-up request to my recent newsletter on “.What is enough fitness?.” 🧐
And I thought it might help too.
“… in the email, you recommended a daily 5-minute flexibility check-in to check how your body feels, and you mentioned a few exercises. Can you talk more about that?
Don’t worry, I got you! 🙌 But first, let’s establish a couple of ground rules.
- This is not an exhaustive list for mobility or flexibility. And depending on your specific needs, you may need a more customized program or some additional flexibility work. (For example, the recreational golfers they work with often need a lot more internal hip rotation, while nursing moms need help with thoracic spine mobility, etc.)
- There is no “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 out of balance one day that it didn’t the day before, you can be more aware of it as you go through your workout, etc.
- If something feels sketchy, it is sketchy. Since I am not here in your body right now, please know that I give this advice to ALL of my clients. If something doesn’t feel right or causes pain, stop. Trust your instincts about what feels right for you. You may need another 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-up video going through these in detail. I found watching an exercise to be much easier than reading about how to do one. 😅 (Although I’ve left notes on each one for easy reference too!)
Exercise #1: Shoulder rotations
Perform 5 to 10 repetitions.
Performance Points:
- Reach into the biggest circle you can, keeping your ribcage anchored
- Bring your arms as high as you can in front of you, palms facing up.
- When you can’t go any higher, turn your palms to the side and sweep them in a wide circle behind you.
- Reverse and go back in the other direction.
- If you feel limited or any “pinching” in the shoulder, start with a smaller range of motion and build over time.
Exercise #2: Cat / Camel
Perform 10 to 20 repetitions.
Performance Points:
- Stand with your knees under your hips, hands under your shoulders
- Slowly, creating a little tension in your core, round your back in a big rainbow.
- So, arch your back.
- Go back and forth slowly, in whatever range of motion feels good.
- If this bothers your knees, you can try doing it from a standing position with your arms placed on a desk or sturdy bench for support.
Exercise #3: T-Spine Extension and Rotations
Perform 10 to 20 repetitions on each side
Performance Points:
- Stand with your knees under your hips, hands under your shoulders
- Grab your opposite ribcage to help assist the movement.
- Point the front of the shoulder towards your opposite hip (flexing + rotating at the same time).
- Then, reverse the movement and reach the back of the shoulder to your opposite back pocket (stretch + rotation at the same time).
Exercise #4: Rockbacks
Perform 20 to 40 repetitions
Performance Points:
- Stand with your knees under your hips, hands under your shoulders
- Eyes on the horizon in front of you
- Slowly lower your hips toward your heels
- Then, reverse the movement and lean forward, transferring your weight into your hands
Exercise #5: Lateral Hip Rotations
Perform 5 to 10 repetitions on each side
Performance Points:
- Lie on your side with your head down
- Reach your bottom arm forward, and grab it with the opposite hand. Brace against yourself to create some tension and stability.
- Raise your top knee to your chest.
- Open your hip to the side until you “hit a wall” and can’t move anymore.
- Turn your ankle to the side (you’ll find this opens your hip).
- Sweep the knee back in the biggest circle you can.
- Reverse the direction and repeat.
—
And there you go! In these 5 quick moves, we cover:
- Shoulder extension, flexion and rotation
- Spinal flexion, extension and rotation
- Hip flexion, extension and rotation
- Gentle warming of the wrist and ankle
It’s pretty cool if I do say so myself! 🔥
But, we can do even better.
So I filmed .two bonus moves. to help my desk warriors here fight sitting in a chair all day too. 😃
A final thought: don’t discount the impact of 5 minutes of daily movement. Too often, I see people say something to the effect of, “But I was only able to do XYZ.” Not alone. You did the thing. Every action adds up.
I hope this helps give you some ideas and get you moving! 🙌
– Coach Matt
PS Looking for a more personalized mobility and flexibility program written by one of our Nerd Fitness Coaches around the world? .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 REALLY works for you!
