By Miguel J. Ortiz
Movement is essential in our lives, bringing us various levels of experiences and challenges along the way. It helps us become the person we truly want to be. However, as we age with distractions all around us, finding time to get in quality movement can be difficult. So, regardless of how difficult your goals may be, one thing that is vital to your success is your ability to at least be prepared to move.
Time gets away from us and the most random things can throw you off your game. We can’t let that get in the way of our movement. So, no matter where you are in your fitness journey – or even if you’re just getting started – these three daily moves will have you ready to take on the day.
The first exercise is commonly seen in yoga practices. It’s called the pigeon pose. This movement is phenomenal for the hips, legs and core. It can help lessen any back pain. If assistance is needed, it can be performed on an elevated surface. The goal is to be able to do this well on the ground. The rotation and single leg focus really helps balance out the body especially considering that we do a lot of things with one side. Although the muscular structure is symmetrical, our bodies don’t always behave evenly. It’s nice to be able to isolate one side more if it needs a little extra.
The second movement is another great hip and back reliever – half kneeling assisted quad stretch. Because we sit so much throughout the day, our hip flexors tend to stay in a shorted position and get tight. This can have a negative effect on one’s back and posture. Opening up the hips by doing this stretch will alleviate tension one may have been carrying in the lower body. It can even help one sit more upright.
The third dynamic stretch is mainly for the upper body and shoulders. You’ll really feel this down your lats and possibly in your lower back depending on how tight you are. It isthe quadruped lat shoulder stretch. This exercise mainly targets the lats, but you might also feel it in your chest because of the angle taken when performing it. Nonetheless, it’s a great exercise to loosen up tension in the shoulders, neck and lats. It will naturally help with bettering one’s posture.
All three of these dynamic movements indirectly help the core and posture in some fashion. They cover the largest muscle groups in the body and that is essential for quality of life. So, even if you can only do each movement for 3 minutes a day, still do it. Stay as consistently active as you can with these three exercises and watch how your quality of life and movement changes for the better.
