Pain often comes on insidiously. You may think it’s no certain cause, but a lot of it can come down to self-care habits. I often tell patients that pain is usually stars aligning with a lot of variables that all added up to finally having the tissue “give out” and sending off a painful signal(s) to the brain: physical inactivity, lack of quality nutrition, constant strain or posture, poor sleep habits, insufficient water intake, etc. This isn’t always the case of course, but a combination of these can definitely be main factors of why you’re in the state you’re in.
One of the variables I will try and address is giving your joints and tissue some TLC. The majority of you reading this most likely 1. Sit at a desk job all day and 2. Don’t walk 10k steps; a well-known bench mark for numerous of health benefits. The reality is, human beings were never made for this. We were made to move, explore, fight, feed and breed. We are also miraculous organisms; our nervous system is constantly compensating and reacting to the input we give it. So, instead of engaging in the above, we are stuck behind a desk staring a Excel spreadsheets (or for me…your chart notes). Our bodies adapt accordingly…and unfortunately usually the repercussion to this can end up in pain. To combat the static nature of the 21st century, I wanted to give my favorite mobility exercises I have regularly given clients I train or trained or patients in clinic.
First, for those that don’t know, let’s discuss mobility. True mobility is a marriage of motion and stability. It is the active motion you can control at a joint space without pain. It is not sloppy movement (hence the stability), but also is not limited in motion as there is generally thought of a certain baseline we want to achieve bilaterally between each side. This naturally decreases over time if we don’t stimulate our body’s and nervous system. Lack of mobility and restrictions in a fluid motion can most definitely then cause pain or even decreased performance in athletics/sports; especially if we try to go into movements we don’t train and activate regularly after periods of inactivity.
So, without further adieu, here are my favorite things to do for general prevention of pain due to mobility issues. These 5 exercises should globally make you feel better, move better, improve mobility and overall feel a less sensation of being “tight.” There is no certain time or amount you should do, as all cases vary, but in general, I would say doing these periodically throughout the week for as little as two minutes per exercise could definitely lead to benefits.
Please watch the video embedded for full instructions.
- Couch stretch
- Elevated pigeon pose
- Self-MFR on foot
- Side-lying thoracic rotation
- Cobra pose
As a disclaimer, if you’re already in pain, these may not be appropriate for you and a further evaluation may be needed.
Please contact us if you’re in pain, want to improve your performance or simply want more mobility exercises after watching! We also have a West Wichita location to better cater to you and the population.
There is no reason to live with pain any longer