10 Movements Your Joints Will Love

29 Oct 10 Movements Your Joints Will Love

Posted at 20:09h in Articles by

biomechanics

If you don’t move it, you’ll lose it! And you don’t want to lose it!  To maintain or increase joint mobility, create some space for blood, nutrients, and energy to flow through, and find a greater sense of ease in your body, begin each morning with these 10 movements, and your joints will LOVE you!

Begin Standing Up

1.  Ankle circles. Hands on hips, extend your right leg out to the side and point your toe, roll your ankle in circles clockwise, then counter-clockwise about 5x each direction.  Repeat with left ankle.

2.  Knee Pumps.  With knees together, bend your knees and place your hands on your knees.  Roll your knees 5x to the right, 5x to the left.

3.   Pelvic Rolls – Feet hips width, hands on hips. Move hips around in big circles (like hula hooping).  5x to the right, 5x to the left.

4.  Trunk Twists – Feet a bit wider than hips width apart, knees slightly bent. Twist your torso as you swing your arms side to side.

5.  Wrist Rolls – Interlace fingers, elbows together at heart height. Make figure 8s going one direction a few times, then switch direction of rotation.

6.  Shoulder Rolls – arms relaxed by sides, roll shoulders in a circle: up, forward then down 3x.  Switch, roll shoulders up back and down a few times.

7.  Neck Circles – Roll neck around in circles clockwise 5x, counterclockwise 5x.

8.  Head Realign/Shoulderblade Stretch – place fingertips on outer ears, elbows out wide. Touch elbows together (or as close as you can get them) keeping head in line with shoulders, then draw elbows out again. 5x

9.  Spinal Roll. Legs a bit wider than hips width apart in Open Horse Stance, knees bent over ankles, toes slightly angled outwards (make sure that your knee and big toe are facing the same direction for safety). Place hands on knees, undulate your spine in a wavelike motion, beginning with your tailbone and extending up the spine. 5x

10.  Uddiyana Bandha –  Remain in Open Horse Stance with hands on knees. Inhale through your nose, exhale through your nose. Contract your abdominal muscles to press out as much air as possible, then relax your abdominals.  Draw your chin to your chest and take a “mock inhale” -expand your ribs as if you’re going to inhale, but instead of actually inhaling, suck your abdominal muscles up, underneath your ribcage, hollowing out your belly. Attempt to hold for 15 seconds, then inhale slowly. Take a few regular breaths between each Uddiyana Bandha, repeat 3x. (This energy lock helps draw your pelvis away from your hip joint, creating space there).

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