Let’s be honest people. We can’t always be as active as we want.

We find it inconvenient and at times impossible to answer the call for natural movement*. It’s hard to run across the grassy plains when we’ve only got a concrete path or it takes a two-hour train ride to get to a wilderness trek up the side of a mountain. And we have to be dedicated in searching out opportunities to squat, throw something, wrestle, dance, run, leap, climb or hang upside down off a branch.

We need to do these things, but when we can’t, you can offer something else to your beautiful body. Something to nourish, so it can flourish! And so comes the concept of 30 ideas to mobilise your body.

WHAT THE HECK ARE MOBILISATIONS?

Mobilisations are like dynamic stretching. They sit somewhere in between rehab and lifting weights. It’s difficult to get any specific research to support this kind of movement but we can draw some conclusions based on evidence supporting early movement after surgery for hip and knee replacement (1) daily movement for acute low back pain rather than bed rest (2) safe movement following a car accident instead of a neck brace (3) and a long history of committed movement in multiple cultures (tai chi, qi gong, ceremonial dancing, prayer and worship).

We might even want to throw it out there that mobilisations might be useful for:

pain relief
early healing
micro breaks
preventing pain
preventing injury (I said maybe!!)

the dip in the couch

We can get attached to not moving. You know the feeling when you’ve succumbed to the dip in the couch or you’ve shaped your body to the back of your ‘ergonomic’ chair. Our bodies sometimes try to get us to move out of desperation before the thinking part of our brain even gets a say. We crack our neck, stretch our back over the back of the chair or twist forcefully to one side. Take charge of your runaway body and acknowledge that alarm bell for what it is.

Convert that animal instinct into something to nourish your cells in all your tissues, including your brain. Pump and stretch those clumping cells and provide them with the nutrition they need via blood supply using the mechanics of your own body. Help juice up your joints, tendons, skin, brain cells, muscles, nerves, ligaments, organs and move those tubes that string them all together.

we've put together 30 great ideas to inspire the modern human to combat physical stagnation.

The rules to follow:

easy and painless
lots of repetitions (i can do it i can do it i can do a little bit more) 25-75 repetitions (1-3) sets/day
joyful, fun, no protocol, no commitment beyond maybe a few days
if you’ve tried to make it easier and it still feels bad (or pointless) then STOP

INSTA VIDEO SERIES

SEATED ROTATIONS

hip and back tightness/pain, neck stiffness, excessive sitting

STIR THE POT

neck stiffness/pain, upper back pain, shoulder pain

FOREARM MOBILISATIONS

arm and shoulder tightness and pain, desk worker

SIDE RAINBOW

side stiffness, hip and back tightness, shoulder pain

HIP RELEASE - KATY BOWMAN STYLE

hip and buttock tightness/pain

STANDING ROTATIONS

stiffness everywhere, excessive sitting

SEATED GLUTE STRETCH

hip pain , low back pain , improve hip mobility

CHEST OPENING AND CLOSING

upper back, chest and shoulder tension

ALPHABET EXERCISE - ARM SWINGS

thoracic and shoulder tension, low back too

BEAR HUGS

more dynamic than chest openings, more arm wrap around, good for shoulder and upper back tension

ASSISTED SQUATS

low back, hips, knees and ankles

ANKLE TWIRLS

stiff ankles, fluid congestion, motion is lotion

CAT AND CAMEL

good for spinal mobility, ask practitioner if this is right for you

THREAD THE NEEDLE

thoracic and shoulder mobility, low back stiffness

THREAD THE NEEDLE (V.2)

thoracic and shoulder tightness, standing at the desk version

CATH A BUTTERFLY

shoulder, hand, forearm and elbow

HIP DROPS

low back hips and pelvis

LOWER LIMB AND GLUTES

glutes, hips, hamstrings and calf

WAG THE DOG

lower back, hips and pelvis

LEG SWINGS

hip stiffness, low back, balance, positional awareness

DO THE SWIM

shoulders, upper back and neck

LEG SWING V.2

hips and low back

THE LAWNMOWER

Upper back, lower back and shoulders

NECK MOBILISATION

write out no. 1-10 with your nose, for general neck stiffness

SHOULDER SWINGS

good for stiff shoulders - who would have thought!?

BOW AND ARROW STANDING

shoulders, upper back and chest

FOOT AND ANKLE MOBILISATION

foot and ankle mobility

CHEST OPENINGS

chest, shoulders and upper back

THE SHOVEL

general back and shoulder - better without a real shovel!

DISCO TIME

looking good ladies - dance your way to better movement!

THAT'S 30! PHEW!

References

(1) Guerra, Mark L., Parminder J. Singh, and Nicholas F. Taylor. "Early mobilization of patients who have had a hip or knee joint replacement reduces length of stay in hospital: a systematic review." Clinical rehabilitation 29.9 (2015): 844-854.

(2) Hagen, Kåre B., et al. "The Cochrane review of bed rest for acute low back pain and sciatica." Spine 25.22 (2000): 2932-2939.

(3) Teasell, Robert W., et al. "A research synthesis of therapeutic interventions for whiplash-associated disorder (WAD): Part 2–interventions for acute WAD." Pain Research and Management 15.5 (2010): 295-304.

(4) Chan, Roxane Raffin, and Janet L. Larson. "Meditation interventions for chronic disease populations: a systematic review." Journal of Holistic Nursing 33.4 (2015): 351-365.

thank you for your inspiration:

How to do Joint mobility drills - Todd Hargrove

Mobilize! Dynamic joint mobility drills are an alternative to stretching - Paul Ingraham

Therapeutic Stretching - Eyal Lederman

Nutritious Movement - Katy Bowman

Daniel Wolpert - TED talk

There are devoted proponents for natural movement who have wonderful websites. Check them out:

Mark Sisson, Katy Bowman, Phillip Beach

Get Your Body Moving - 30 mobilisations for everybody