Mondays usually call for team meetings and strategic planning. That means that you might be sitting in your office chair for hours, slumped forward putting a ton of pressure on your neck and hips. Prolonged sitting can cause a bunch of problems and it is our job here at Hudson River Fitness to mitigate those issues by providing a fitness program for you 7 days a week. Yes, you are reading it correctly, we have just added a Yoga class on Sundays at 12pm for the next couple weeks. But if you can’t wait until Sunday to get some self care in, then take a look at the following three stretches to help out with your hips and neck.
Side Lunge Hip Rocker- This simple yet very powerful mobility technique will not only get your hip flexors, but also your inner thighs (aka your adductors). Get onto one knee, and take the other leg and have it stretched out to the side with the knee straight, inner edge of your foot touching the floor. Place your hands in front of you so that they are located right underneath your shoulders. Pull your belly button towards the floor so to lock your pelvis in place and shift your hips backward until you feel a stretch in the hip of the outstretched leg. Pulse back and forth for about 15 pulses (forward and back so 30 total) and then switch. You should feel a huge relief of tension once you stand up.
The following stretches should be completed in order.
The “sexy double chin”- Keeping your eyes and nose even with the horizon, make a double chin by tucking your chin and sliding your head backwards. You should feel the muscles in the front of your neck tense up, which is perfectly ok, and the back muscles of your neck feel a very nice stretch. Release the tension and do that gain for about 10 times. This is one of the most powerful stretches for the neck that I provide to my patients with neck pain.
The “self makeout mobilization”- Let’s take this double chin a step further. Once you have reached the end range, keep the chin tucked and then look into the ceiling, while you grab your upper back like you are “making out with yourself”. It should feel tense up in the upper back but it should not increase your pain. Return back to the resting position. You can complete this 10x a few times per day.
So try those out if you are having trouble with your hips and your neck. Every session we run, whether it be private or class training, we will add some mobility work in to get you ready to move. If you haven’t been implementing a regular mobility sequence to your day, we highly recommend it. A great start would be with these stretches above. Stay tuned for more, every Monday.
Videos of these stretches will be posted on Instagram this afternoon. Perfect timing for you to do them at home.
Can’t wait for that? Book your free no sweat intro with a coach today. We will sit down with you and learn about your goals and challenges. From there we will create an actionable plan for you that will give you the best results. Click here to book.
Ashley
PS- Our 28 day nutrition challenge is just around the corner! Are you looking to clean up your eating before the holiday season? Afraid of the extra pounds you will gain from all the parties and crazy eating? Are you tired of having to jump from diet plan to diet plan? Then this program is for you. Starting November 1st and leading up to Thanksgiving, this principle based program will help you dial in on an eating routine that works best for you that will yield the best results. Expect fat loss, improved energy, reduced stress, and less anxiety when approaching the holiday season. It is $149 to enter, with a possibility of winning back $25. Ready to enroll? Email “I’m in” to amber@hudsonriverfitness.net.
**The owner will not be liable for any errors or omissions in the information provided nor will the owner be liable for any accidents, injuries or other damage, howsoever occurring to any person or property arising out of or in any way connected to the use or application of information obtained from this message.
