Be Flexible. A mobility routine to try!

It is vital to be flexible in both mind and body. Just as we need strength, we need flexibility to ensure balance and equilibrium and we need to nurture it . Visualise a tree, it needs a solid foundation but to be flexible to the elements. Just as our bodies and minds need to flex and adapt to what life throws our way!

For those of you who don’t know me, I am Gabby, a mum of twins and ever expanding household of pets including our dog, some chickens, some fish and the cutest two kittens! I have always loved movement and have been part of the fitness and wellness industry for over twenty years. I have a degree in Sports Science and am a qualified Yoga and Pilates teacher.

I have put together a quick full body mobilisation for you to try, let me know how you get on!

Firstly check your posture. Stand tall with your feet hip width apart. Soften your knees, lightly engage your pelvic floor and abdominal muscles, relax your shoulders and lengthen your neck.

To mobilise, gently roll the neck from side to side, looking left to right a few times. If comfortable, do the same but this time lower your chin in the middle each time as if you are drawing a semi circle. Now softly lower the right ear towards the right shoulder and then repeat to the left. It is normal to feel and hear a bit of tension or cracking!

Roll your shoulders forwards and then backwards a few times to loosen any tension and then try a few shoulder shrugs, bring the shoulders high and then depressing them low.

Clasp your hands together in front of you and push them forwards as if you are hugging someone and feel the muscles in the upper back stretch.

In the opposite way now, sweep your hands behind you and reach the hands towards each other or hold them together to feel a chest stretch. If your shoulders feel good, you could circle one arm back at a time here for a few each side.

Standing tall, roll your pelvis forwards and back a few times, tucking your tail bone under and then rolling it out. Now find the neutral or centre position between these two points. From this neutral position, with your arms by your sides take some side body stretches by tracing your finger tips down the side seam of your trousers towards the outside of the knee. Try to keep your chest and shoulders facing forwards so that you are not bending forwards or back whilst you do this. If this feels tight in your back, tuck your tail bone under as you do it to create space in the lumbar or lower back. Some may like to try this stretching one arm up and over to the side with the other hand still tracing downwards towards the knee.

If your back feels good, try some half roll downs, flexing your spine forwards one vertebra at a time from the head, neck, upper, mid and lower back. Use your hands as a guide as they slide down your legs towards your knees or further and then slide yourself back up again. Some may take this roll down further and feel a stretch in the hamstrings at the back of the legs too. If your back feels tight, replace this move with a gentle bow from the hips rather than a roll of the spine.

Circle your hips a few times in one direction and then the other and then keep the hips facing forwards whilst you gently twist your upper body from side to side.

Balance on one leg, hold on to a chair if you like and circle one ankle in either direction a number of times and then change legs, notice your range of movement and try to create larger, more smooth circles. Now wiggle your toes, trying to lift the big toe whilst lowering the little toes and vice versa. Do the same with your hands to keep the fingers and wrists mobile.

Now do some knee raises as if you are marching, you can swing your arms or keep holding on to the chair. Follow that with some heel kicks, bringing your heel towards your buttocks. These moves mobilise your thighs and hamstrings and you could opt for a gentle quad stretch afterwards by bringing your heel towards your buttock and holding it there for a count of ten each side. Likewise you could stretch your hamstrings by softening the knees, taking one heel forwards and leaning forwards over the leg for a count of ten each side.