Mobility Starter Guide
If you feel tight everywhere... start here
Most people think they need long, complicated routines to feel mobile again.
But for 90% of people dealing with stiffness, pain, or years of sitting…
just need to keep it simple.
This simple 3-movement routine will:
Loosen your spine
Open your hips
Wake up your whole body
And give you a mobility foundation you can build on to start reducing that stiffness that causes us to feel old and tight.
Below are the exact 3 drills I start with almost all beginners, and even many of my clients with back pain.
Try everything for time.
Start with 30 seconds and once you've done each stretch repeat that circuit 3 more times.
As you start loosening up more, try extending the amount of time you do each stretch especially the ones you feel the most benefit from.
Remember to move slowly through each stretch. These are mindful movements that should not be rushed.
Cat-Cow
A safe and simple yet effective way to wake up your spine and start restoring flexion and extension.
Start on all fours and exhale slowly as you start rounding your upper back trying to move vertebrae by vertebrae from your tailbone to your neck. Take a deep breath and now start arching your back once again focusing on each segment of your spine. This can seem like a very simple exercise but with proper focus and control it can help you unlock movement and control you didn't know you were capable of.
World's Greatest Stretch
It honestly is the worlds greatest stretch and if you had to do only one stretch for the rest of your life, this would probably be the best one.
Start in a long lunge with your back leg full extended. Drop your hips into the ground and support yourself with the arm opposite to the leg that is in front. Slowly try to bring you elbow into the ground while trying the keep your back leg extended and your hips down. Then slowly rotate up and try to open up your chest as you reach up towards the ceiling. This stretch is a great one stop shop as you'll feel your hips, back, chest, and everything above and below stretching and opening.
Quadruped Hip C.A.R.s
Finally open up and teach your hips to actually move instead of letting your lower back compensate and get tight.
Start on all fours and brace your core and spine so you don't twist or sway, we need full concentration and control so you only move throughout the working hip. Slowly move one knee back and up towards the ceiling behind you. Keeping your knee lifted, slowly rotate your thigh outward leading with your ankle and draw as big of a circle as you can without compensating with your low back or shifting your hips side to side. Complete the circle by bringing your knee back under your hip and repeat again in the opposite direction.
