a full body mobility workout
In our efforts to get in a good workout, we often think only about that sweat equity. How hard am I working? How much am I sweating? We often forget one of the most crucial parts of taking care of our bodies: mobility and stretching. In an effort to incorporate these practices more fully into our weekly routines, we reached out to Cameron Yuen, a Physical Therapist and Strength and Conditioning coach at Bespoke Treatments. He's put together a full-body mobility workout that takes only 5-10 minutes. So before you start your workout, let's get our stretch on.
Here is a quick (10-15 min) mobility routine for your whole body. This can be performed as a warmup as part of a workout, or as a stand-alone mobility session.
Bear Sit Rotations
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Start off sitting in what we call a bear position, where your torso is upright with a tall spine, hips are open, and knees bent to roughly 90 degrees. Try not to let your spine round forward in this position.
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Place your hands behind your back for support, and rock your legs side to side taking your hips and low back through some rotation. Your knees should stay bent to roughly 90 degrees. Aim for 10 reps per side.
90 90 Glute and QL Stretch
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For the next sequence, pause in the 90 90 position. If this position feels like too much of a pinch of stretch, bend your knees more. This will reduce the amount of rotation at the hips.
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For the glute stretch, make sure that you are reaching forward rather than down. Your spine should stay long throughout. Aim for 5-10 per side.
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For the QL stretch, try not to let your spine round forward. You want to reach completely up and to the side rather than forward. Aim for 5-10 per side.
Shoulder Hovers
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Come back to the bear sit with a tall spine for some shoulder mobility.
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For the shoulder hovers, try to keep the arms directly out to the side, and do your best not to compensate by shooting your chin forward or rounding your upper back. Aim for 15-20 shoulder hovers.
To see more from Cameron, follow him on Instagram: @cameronyuen @bespoketreatments