Range of Motion

We all get stiff, focused on our normal daily activites and we forget about our body as a whole. Here are a few exercises to get you limbered up again. I always like just moving your body in all directions to maximize ease of motion. The lease restrictions in your body the less chance of injury. Move like a child or even better try to dance like a child.

Here we go

1)Starting with the hips: Leg swings

Leg swing video front/back + side to side, try and let your leg really relax, only meet your flexibility limit, don't try and over extend yourself, if you swing to the full extent of your range eventually you will increase the movement pattern.

2) Thoracic Range of Motion: rotation

T/S ROM Video I don't understand a word he says but his form is great! go back and forth 60x, bringing your hands higher every 20x. Meet your restriction don't push through and go slowly. 

3) Shoulder movement : Arm swings

Arm circle video Do you remember gym class and moving your arms in all directions??? Start with arm circles then move then up and down and back and forth.

4) Neck movement:

Neck video Siple. side to side, up and down, and rotation again go slow and stay withing your limits.

Get on te ground... 

5) The hips- flopping side to side

 

One leg at a time, slowly moving the knee in and then out.

6) On all 4's cat/cow or angry cat pose

a picture is worth a thousand words, simple. on all 4's arch your back then push it out, trying to curve every vertebrae.

7) Lay flat on your back

on the ground with your arms out to the side and progress to a olled up towel under your back ( then make the towel bigger) 

Attached below is also a range of motion evaluation chart so you can see where you are with your flexibility.

Prevent. Perform. Recover.

Equinox Health Clinic

Also for any number of great number of exercises check out  Body Break with Hal Johnson and Joanne McLeod!!! Great videos :) I had to include this link.