Do your hips hurt? Do you often feel pain in your low back? Sacrum?
Is it difficult to fully straighten up some times when you get up from a chair? These are signs from your body that you haven’t moved enough!
You may think the long bike ride or spin class you do a couple times a week is a good idea, but if you also sit, at a desk or in your car for the bulk of your day, you are pretty much in the same EXACT position ALL DAY.
Sitting on a bike and sitting in a chair both shortening your psoas.
When you see young children then can sit in a squat and play on the floor for hours. As we age we tend to move less and less, loosing our range of motion. Then you may have pain, loss of balance and weakness.
The movement technique I teach is meant to give you ideas on ways you can add more movement into your day. Giving you the tools to effectively reduce your chronic pain and build a stronger more balanced body.
Our ancestors moved more of their bodies more often through the day. ie walking daily, lifting heavy things. In our modern world everything is easier and more convenient.
What if during your work day if you got up from your chair and did a Quad Stretch here, then 20 minutes later a Psoas Lunge there and then after a 10 minute walking break you do a Calf Stretch here. All of this added movement in your day can relieve your low back and hip pain.
If you want to learn more about proper alignment and how to reduce your pain reach out! I’m happy to do a free assessment.
Try these exercises daily:
Quadricep Stretch
Standing on one leg bring one heel towards your hip, make sure your knees are inline with each other and you are not sticking your butt back. Work on tucking your pelvis ( pressing your pubic bone forward) will increase the stretch in your quadriceps and bring your pelvis into neutral.
Psoas Lunge
From a kneeling position step one foot forward and have the front lower leg vertical. You don’t want your heel closer than your knee. Encourage your lower ribs down into your abdomen and press your pubic bone forward. This encourages your pelvis to be neutral (pubic bone and ASIS are vertical). You may feel a deep stretch in the front of the hip and possibly down the whole quadricep. Hold for up to a minute and switch sides. Try to do this multiple times a day.
Calf Stretch
Standing with your feet hip width distance apart step the ball of the left foot on the apex of the dome and plant your heel down. Step the right foot forward slightly if you can. It is ok if the legs are not even or if the non-stretching leg is behind the stretching leg. You want both legs to be straight. Weight evenly between both legs. Work up to holding this for one minute on each side. Repeat as many times as possible throughout the day.