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Exercises for Mobility and Functional Strength

Simple Movements To Keep Your Shoulders Healthy

This is a look at how to use a suspension system training kit or gym rings to restore lost shoulder mobility and to keep your shoulders healthy at any age. Read more

 

How to Reverse Rounded Shoulders Caused By Excessive Sitting

This is a simple routine to reverse the effects that prolonged sitting has on shoulder mobility. Read more

 

Protect Your Lower Back By Strengthening Your Obliques

One key to avoiding back pain and injury is to keep your obliques strong - these are the muscles that line the sides of your abdominal wall. Read more

 

2 Exercises to Condition Soft Tissues Around Ankles For Improved Balance and Agility

This routine is helpful in conditioning the soft tissues that surround your ankle joints, which is necessary for experiencing optimal balance and agility. Read more

 

Kick-Through Core Exercise

This is an intermediate to advanced conditioning exercise for the core.

Begin on all fours, pivot on one arm, and kick the same side leg through to the other side while keeping your core contracted. You can bring your opposite side arm up with each kick-through to help you maintain balance and also to help you keep your core engaged. Read more

 

How to Improve Balance and Proprioception

After posting a clip of a simple game that can be used to improve joint position sense and balance, I received a number of messages from readers asking for ways to work on proprioception when one doesn't have a partner to work with. Read more

 

Rotational Movement For Healthier Shoulders

One of the most common reasons for having pain while using arms overhead is having limited rotation through the glenohumeral (shoulder) joints.

Having a healthy range of internal and external rotation through your shoulder joints will help ensure that you can use your arms overhead without unnecessary restrictions. Read more

 

7 Mobility Exercises for Better Posture

This is a routine of mobility exercises that can help address chronic shoulder and upper back pain and stiffness. You can find more details on doing each of the exercises described below by searching for them in our Mobility Exercises Archive.

Start with Cow-Cat, alternating between full flexion and extension of the spine while on all fours. Read more

 

Gentle Rolling and Deck Squats to Improve Spinal Mobility, Core Strength, and Balance

If your circumstances are such that tumbling on foam flooring isn't possible, I would suggest making use of a mattress or even a stack of gym mats that gives you about 6 to 8 inches of stable cushioning. Read more

 

Indian Club Exercises for Improved Shoulder and Spinal Mobility

Indian clubs are incredibly useful for improving shoulder and spinal mobility. They come in a variety of materials and weights. When first starting with them, whether you have limitations or not, it's generally wise to begin with the lightest clubs you can find. I suggest starting with 1-pound clubs and gradually working up to 2 or 3 pound clubs only if you feel that your shoulders can use more weight. The maximum weight that I find I need for an excellent shoulder workout is 5 pounds. In this video, I am using 3-pound wooden clubs. Read more

 

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