Mobility, foam rolling and stretching
I love a good mobility session down at the beach where I can tune out from the world, do a few breathing exercises and clear my mind at the same time.
Mobility
Here are some of my favourite mobility exercises to work through
Downward dog
Glute bridge
Thoracic rotation with foam roller
Hip flexor
Hamstring and Adductor
Hip thrust
Cat / camel
Hip hydrants
Look after you body and your body will look after you. I’m a big fan of prevention is better than cure and by including some mobility sessions into your lifestyle you are much more likely to avoid the risk of injury later on.
Mobility is moving your joints through their full range of motion via your muscles.
The great thing about a mobility session is it can be done anywhere. I love a good mobility session down at the beach where I can tune out from the world, do a few breathing exercises and clear my mind at the same time.
Foam rolling
I always start off one of my training sessions with 10 minutes on the foam roller. It’s a great way to release any knots or tension you might have. The great thing about the roller is it’s a cheap way to look after your body and can be done anywhere.
Think of your muscles like a hose pipe, the crossed lines on the outside of the hose pipe represent tight muscles, rolling the these tight muscles will iron out the lines and increase blood flow to that area.
There has been some controversy around foam rolling and whether or not it actually benefits you. Some people swear by it others think it’s a waste of time. My advice is if it helps you and you can feel the difference then you should pursue it.
I work through these short exercise before a workout without fail as I know it has positive effects on my body:
T- spine
Lat release
Thoracic rotation
Glute
Adductors
Stretching
Here are some of my favourites:
Hamstring
Hip flexor
Glutes
Back
Remember to contract, relax and breathe!
Stretching is a great way to loosen tight or I should say ‘short muscles’. There are different types of stretching. A few include ballistic, static and dynamic. Each type has their benefits depending on what you are trying to achieve.
The key to a good stretch is being able to hold it for a longer duration of time with low intensity and really focus on your breathing.
