posted on July 13, 2023
If movement is medicine, then mobility is the WD40 for our body!
Many times, we skip over our warmups because they aren’t as spicy as our main exercises. Well today, I’m going to give you that level 10 Sichuan peppercorn spice. The kind of heat that makes your tongue numb and your backbone sweat, but it’s so invigorating you can’t stop this freaky five mobility.
1) The Tall Reaching Inchworm. Standing tall, reach your hands high to the sky, even getting up on those tippy toes. From there exhale and fold down to the floor, using your hands to walk out into a top push-up position. Take a deep breath and drop under the fence to an up dog, exhaling next into a down dog space. From there walk your hands back to your feet, inhale, stand tall and repeat.
2) Squat to Stretch with T-Spine Rotation. From a standing position, fold over to grab your ankles or feet. From there pull your butt down into the bottom of a squat while you drive your chest up and back proudly. Hold this position for a breath leaning side to side and making sure your feet are planted flat on the ground. From here leave one hand on your ankle/foot and let the other rotate to the side and up to the sky, letting your eyes follow. Repeat on the other side then drop your head down and your tushy up to get a mighty nice stretch from your calves through your hammies and even up to your lower back. Pull yourself back to the starting spot and go again.
3) Lateral Squat to Windmill Rotation. Starting with your feet wider than your shoulders preform a lateral squat. As you do so, take your inside hand (opposite hand of the direction you’re squatting) and reach to that sides foot, while the same side hand is rotating up and away to the sky. Then flow back to center and repeat on your other side. Take your time to increase your depth and range of motion.
4) 90/90 with Rotation and Reach. Start seated with your front leg at a right angle along with your back leg behind you in a right angle, hence the 90/90. If your right knee is in front take your left hand and reach over and across that knee as far as you can, bringing your chest to that knee or close to the spot. Now imagine your feet are stapled to the ground and you take your knees using your hips and fold to the other side (you can use your hands for assistance). Once you get to the other side, repeat the reach step and make sure you’re using quality breath at each stop.
5) Glute Bridge with Reach Across. Start this mobility on your back with your feet planted in the start of a glute bridge position on the floor. Now using your bum and hammies, squeeze your hip up into a top glute bridge position. Now using your upper back and head to pivot, reach your arm up and across your body, turning your hip and stretching your lats, do this on both sides and then return to the bottom of your glute bridge.
These are my go-to spicy more bang for your buck mobility exercises that help keep me mobile, springy and of course bumpy. I’d recommend doing these exercises every day or every other day for 2-3 sets of 5-10 reps and slowly increasing your range of motion on each repetition. Psssttt I’ll give you one more of my favorite mobility exercises and that is the wonderful Spider-Man with rotation.
Come hop in powerful class or meet up with me to get these magical freaky five +1 mobility exercises rocking. Always remember, moss don’t grow on a rolling stone.
Cheers,
CEJ
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