-Hip & T-Spine Mobility All In One!-
Here’s a great dynamic movement that will improve mobility in both your hips and thoracic spine. I call it the “Lateral Lunge with Contralateral Reach.” It’s a relatively easy movement that you can add to your routine as a warm-up drill. You can also add a dumbbell on the reaching side to make it a more challenging movement, or perform it with a pair of light dumbbells.
To perform the Lateral Lunge with Contralateral Reach:
- Take a big step to your left.
- Plant the foot (keeping it straight ahead), and bend the knee slightly as you hinge forward from the hips.
- Keep your back flat, reach towards your foot with your right arm, and extend your leftt arm to the ceiling (sky, in my case).
- Exhale as you stand up, and repeat the movement to the right.
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Thanks Sarah, I will have to try these out. What kind of frequency are we looking at for these?
March 4, 2009 at 4:12 pm
Hola Paul!
You’re welcome! I would throw them in as part of a dynamic warm-up circuit. I typically have clients do 5-10 reps per side, depending on what other exercises we’re using in the warm-up. A great little bodyweight “lunge/squat matrix” could be: 5-10 prisoner split squats (hands behind head) per side, 5-10 lateral lunges w/contra reach per side, and 5-10 reverse lunges with rotation (in direction of stationary leg)!
March 4, 2009 at 4:24 pm
Thanks Sarah. Your second picture reminds me of a speed skater and helps me remember the form. Lunges and squats really work for me!
March 4, 2009 at 7:08 pm
You’re more than welcome, Debbie! 🙂
That’s a great analogy! What I love most about this movement is that it really focuses on the hip and the upper body stretch feels so good! It opens up the chest/shoulders! There are sooooo many squat/lunge variations! I am posting more tomorrow, so you’ll be happy!
March 4, 2009 at 7:25 pm