As you age, it’s crucial to be mindful of the changes happening to your body.
Mobility increases your functionality.
Mobility is a measurement of your quality of life in many ways."
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Cat/Cow
The cat/cow exercise is performed slowly and gently as you focus on your breathing.
It will flex and extend your spine.
Begin by assuming a tabletop position.
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“Sit or stand tall and drop your chin to your chest,” Harris says.
“Relax your shoulder blades down the back.
Gradually work your way through these stretches, taking deep breaths and maintaining relaxed shoulders.
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Try not to cave in your chest.”
This stretch can be completed while seated or standing.
Hold it as a static stretch for a total of 30 to 45 seconds per side.
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Begin sitting or standing tall.
For an added stretch of the neck, turn your head to your left as well.
Repeat on the other side, holding for 30 to 45 seconds each.
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“It also builds strength in the arms and shoulders.”
Start by lying flat on your stomach with your forearms placed beside your chest.
Inhale and press your chest up, making sure your shoulders don’t creep toward your ears.
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Hold cobra pose for 30 to 45 seconds.
Begin seated on the floor and widen your legs as far as you’re comfortably able to.
Engage your quads and feet.
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Breathe in, and as you exhale, reach forward.
Hold the stretch for 45 seconds to a full minute.
Figure Four Stretch
Get ready to fire up your hips and glutes with the figure four stretch.
Begin seated tall with both feet on the floor.
Bring your left foot to meet your right thigh.
Allow your left knee to fall openly.
Hinge your body forward while keeping your back flat to feel a solid stretch in your glutes.
“This stretch can also be performed on your back,” Harris says.
“Bend both knees, planting your feet on the floor.
Cross one foot over the other thigh.
Thread [your] hands through the space between the legs and around the non-stretching leg.
The closer you draw your legs to your chest, the deeper the stretch.”
Hold the figure four stretch for 30 to 45 seconds.
“We must counteract gravity by stretching out our chest.”
Begin sitting or standing tall.
Reach both arms behind you.
Aim to reach your hands together behind your back if you could comfortably.
Hold this stretch for 30 to 45 seconds, all while taking deep breaths.
“It can pull your body out of alignment, affecting the entire kinetic chain.”
That’s where the low lunge comes in clutch.
Begin kneeling and step one foot forward to assume a lunge.
Bring your pelvis down to engage your abs and stretch your front hip.
“If you lift your arms, it will create a bigger challenge by adding a balance component!”
Tree Pose
Tree pose stretches your hips and builds strength in the standing leg.
“Your toes should be facing down, and your knee abducted to the side.
Focus on one spot somewhere nearby that is unmoving.
Breathe slowly and deeply.
If you feel strong and stable, reach your arms overhead like a mighty tree!”
