Sustainable Fitness: invest in yourself with mobility
What’s up everyone, welcome back to Sustainable Fitness. This post will focus on the importance of mobility. We will also implement a second healthy habit into our daily routines. But first, let’s reflect on the first three weeks of our cycle.
Ask yourself the following questions:
- What worked well?
- What did I find challenging?
- What is something I need to improve upon over the next two weeks?
Self-reflection always helps me maintain discipline because it provides perspective. If you have any suggestions that you think would improve everyone’s cycle routine, please comment below and let us know!
Now, let’s talk about mobility.
Personally, I know a lot of people who are bored by stretching. They exercise frequently and strenuously but rarely devote time to mobility. Being flexible has many benefits, six of which you can find here. Among them are a decreased chance of injury during exercise and reduced pain and soreness as you recover.
As I mentioned in my previous post, I encourage all of you to use Platform Athletics’ app and complete their 20-minute “Mastering Mobility” sessions. Here are two of my favorite movements that I learned from these sessions.
1. Spiderman and reach
This is my favorite stretch for a couple of reasons. In my opinion, it opens up your total-body range of motion more than any other stretch. Spiderman and reach targets your hamstrings, glutes, hips, back and shoulders. It is a dynamic movement, which means there is (relatively) constant movement. I usually perform this stretch for two minutes, alternating legs after each repetition.
Click here for a demo video.
Note: I recommend holding your forearm to the floor for three seconds before raising your arm, and then keeping your arm perpendicular to the floor for another three seconds.
2. Pigeon
The pigeon is a tough stretch, especially for those who do not usually stretch their hips. I found it difficult to perform when I began doing it on a regular basis, but having fluid and flexible hips make almost every exercise you do easier. It is worth it!
Click here for a demo video.
Now, let’s introduce our second healthy habit: sleep!
As simple as it may sound, getting at least seven hours of sleep per night on a (somewhat) consistent basis is really important.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends seven to eight hours of sleep per night for adults and provides a list of health benefits. While this may not be a realistic goal to meet EVERY night, you’ll have a better chance of staying disciplined in your everyday routines if you meet it frequently.
Routine for the next two weeks.
- Five core routines of your choosing
- Four bodyweight circuits — 10 push-ups and 10 lunges on the minute for 12 rounds
- Two runs — one 2.0 mile, one 3.0 mile
- Two mobility sessions of your choosing — ideally around 20 minutes each
Stay DISCIPLINED, stay MOTIVATED and I’ll see you in two weeks!
