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Spinal Mobility Exercises

How to Gently Break Up Adhesions in a Frozen Shoulder

The definitive cause of frozen shoulder, also called adhesive capsulitis, is unknown. Some believe it is a self protective mechanism to prevent damaged tendons from becoming further damaged. Others point to an autoimmune mechanism that creates inflammation. Read more

 

How to Improve Your Posture and Counter Effects of Slouching

This is another mobility exercise that you can do daily to improve your posture and reverse negative effects of slouching.

Taking your arms through slow half circles along your sides while you are lying back on an exercise ball is helpful for improving extension through your spine and flexion through your shoulders. Read more

 

Improve Upper Spinal Rotation

Maintaining healthy extension and rotation through the spine is essential to preventing osteoporosis as we age.

This is a stretch that improves rotation through the thoracic and cervico-thoracic regions. It also lengthens shortened traps and rhomboids.

For related mobility exercises, please feel free to visit our YouTube video library here: Read more

 

To Overcome Chronic Back Issues, Improve Spinal Mobility and Core Strength

For those looking to overcome chronic back pain and stiffness, it's helpful to alternate between core-strengthening and spinal mobility exercises. This video provides examples of how to alternate between variations of these two types of exercises.

For more ideas on core-strengthening exercises, please see:

Core-Strengthening Exercises Read more

 

How to Use a Yoga Swing to Stretch Your Spinal Column, Hips, and Surrounding Tissues

Please turn your volume up to enable accompanying audio for this video.

A yoga swing is a wonderfully diverse tool for improving mobility. They are readily available at online yoga supply stores, as well as retailers like Amazon. I purchased mine here:

Yoga Swing Read more

 

A Simple Spinal Mobility Routine

This is a simple spinal mobility routine that is effective for warming up all of the tissues in and around your spine. I would suggest following this or a similar routine before doing any other type of exercise to reduce risk of sprains and strains throughout the back. Read more

 

Lat and Hamstring Stretch Using Stall Bars

Begin with your heels on the ground and the balls of your feet against the lowest rung of your stall bars, or if you don't have stall bars but have a secure object to anchor your hands to, you can have the balls of your feet pressed up against the wall with your heels on the ground. Read more

 

Lumbar Mobility Exercise

This is a highly effective mobility exercise to improve rotation through the lumbar and lower thoracic spinal regions.

Begin face down on a comfortable surface. Raise your right leg behind you and try to touch the ground to your left with your right foot - you can use your arms for balance and support as you do this. Repeat with your left foot, then alternate for several repetitions. Read more

 

Unilateral Modified Bridge to Improve Spinal Extension

This is an excellent exercise for improving extension through the spine. Insufficient extension is a common root issue for those who experience chronic back stiffness and recurrent pulls throughout the back.

Start on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the ground. Read more

 

Around the World

Often used in gymnastics, Around the World is an effective way of improving spinal mobility and hamstring flexibility.

Each time you bend down to your side or straight forward, when you reach the end of your natural range, gently bounce two or three times to induce a little more downward movement. Read more

 

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