Whether you have tight hips, a stiff neck, or strain on your lower back, focusing on your mobility is all about slow, effective movements intended to increase your range of motion at various joints. And on today’s episode of Trainer of the Month, Nike Trainer Tara Nicolas is here to do exactly that. With only a yoga mat and an (optional!) block, Nicolas walks you through a series of exercises intended to ease your body into deeper, dynamic stretches.
Because increasing your mobility involves two things—flexibility and strength of all the muscles surrounding the various joints in your body, you’ll focus mainly on your neck, shoulders, wrists, and hips. Nicholas starts off with a simple round of shoulder circles to wake up your upper-arm joint. From there, you’ll work your way down your arms to your wrists, even getting into some finger curls, before slowly stretching the neck with supported head circles that’ll have you really feeling that release down into the shoulders and arms.
Soon you’ll find yourself flowing through a series of side lunges to help open up tight hips, which can be a side effect of sitting often, before Nicholas ends the workout with some seated hip mobility movements and a supported cool down lying on your back and breathing mindfully to thank your body for all its work.
