Adductors Archives | Page 3 of 22

Upper Back & Wrists: February 5

Fri-Yay let’s go! You are back to give your body the maintenance that it needs and we are here to deliver another effective action packed routine. As always we have a plethora of different active stretches and muscle activation techniques. The word “active” is the key here. Movement involves being active. In order to improve your movement, and mobility for the long term, you need to be able to actively control each of your joints through the greatest range of motion possible. Being flexible is cool for instagram, but being flexible, mobile, and stable is what keeps your joints healthy and keeps you performing at your best.

Equipment needed: 1. Foam Roller. 2. Padded Mat (optional). Today we are working on the flexibility, mobility, and stability of your t-spine aka your upper back, and wrists. We are starting out with a joint mobilization and muscle activation to improve your upper back rotation. Focus on trying to keep both sides of the middle of your spine in contact with the foam roller the entire time while rotating. Next, we are working on a very effective stretch and activation for your upper back and core muscles. Focus on rotating as far as possible in each direction. Really put that extra effort in to this one. Next, we are working on moving your wrist through your absolute full range of motion. Try to move through every available pain free millimeter of range of motion that you have. We are finishing up with an end-range stretch isometric technique to stretch out and activate your wrist muscles. Make sure to stretch out your wrists as much as possible before activating your wrist muscles. It is important that you don’t have a pinching or wrist pain in the front of your wrists. If you do, don’t stretch your wrist out as much.

Flow: February 4

Does anyone know what time it is? Yep! It’s time for a Movement Vault Thursday Flow day. This is how Thursdays should flow. We are working on many different positions and ranges of motion in today’s routine.

You are doing amazing. Keep your train on the track and cruising with consistency. You are incredible. Keep it up!

Equipment needed: 1. Padded mat. Today is a flow day!

Hips & Ankles: February 3

You are back for another day of giving your body exactly what it needs. Awesome job!!! Wouldn’t it be amazing if we never had to: change the oil in our car, clean our apartment/house, do yard work, walk the dog, brush our teeth. It would be amazing until it wasn’t amazing. The point I am making here is that almost everything in this world needs maintenance of some kind. Sure we can skip the maintenance until we can’t. And when we can’t, it’s too late and things break down. The same goes for the muscles, fascia, and joints in your body. Hopefully you value your body more than anything I listed above, as the maintenance you provide it is crucial for living a healthy, pain-free, performance filled life. Movement Vault = Your Body Maintenance.

The bamboo that bends is harder to break than the oak that resists. It’s time to get mobile and strong.

Equipment needed: 1. If you struggle with getting in to the position shown above you will need a stretch strap, long band, towel, or belt to help you reach your back leg. 2. Padded Mat. Today we are working on the flexibility, mobility, and stability of your hips and ankles.

We are starting off with a stretch and activation technique called end-range stretch isometrics. As mentioned above, this can be a difficult position to get into, but no worries. Wrap a long band, stretch strap, belt, or towel around the front of your back ankle. Try to stretch out your hip flexors and quads as much as possible before contracting these muscles. Next we are working on improving your activation in the muscles on the back of your upper leg, specifically your glutes and hamstrings. Focus on contracting and squeezing these muscles as much as possible. Don’t fear the cramp. Cramps just mean that you need to work on that specific muscle. We are finishing up with an ankle stretch and activation movement to improve your ankle dorsiflexion. Again, try to stretch out these muscles as much as possible before contracting your muscles.

Shoulders & Hips: February 2

Welcome back, your body loves you for it! A Movement Vault routine a day keeps the doctor away. The back of your shoulders, specifically your rotator cuffs can be problem areas for a lot people. Their job is to keep your shoulders nice and stable and to keep the ball of your shoulder joint securely in the socket of your shoulder joint. These muscles can be tight, tender, painful for numerous reasons. One of the main culprits is due to lack of mobility and stability in the shoulder itself as well as other areas such as your upper back and even core. We have a great routine for you today!

Equipment needed: 1. Mobility ball or lacrosse ball. 2. Padded Mat (optional). We’ve got some great rotator cuff action for you today! Today we are working on the flexibility, mobility, and stability of your shoulders and hips.

We are starting off with a muscle/fascia release for your posterior rotator cuff muscles, specifically your teres minor and infraspinatus muscles. These muscles are found underneath the spiny part of your shoulder blade. Next we are working on a stretch and activation movement for these same muscle, in addition to your lateral shoulder muscles aka your lateral deltoid. Focus on maintaining your muscle contraction as you slowly bring your chest down to the ground. We are finishing up with an activation movement for your hip adductor and abductor muscles. The key is to bring your leg out to the side as far as possible and then back to the middle, crossing over your other leg. Ensure that you are keeping your core engaged the entire time. You want to minimize any low back rotation and low back movement.

I see a LOT of rotator cuff injuries in my physical therapy clinic. Most of these injuries could have been avoided by doing exactly what you are doing here at Movement Vault. Your body loves you for the preventative care.

Hips: February 1

Month two of 2021, here we go! February is a short month, but an all so important month. If you can keep up the amazing habit that you have already been curating for the past 31 days, and continue through the end of February, you will be very close to hitting the magical number 66. It takes 66 days on average to create a new habit. You are doing amazing at this point and you can and will succeed!

Today is all about your Adductor muscles, which are your inner thigh and groin muscles. These muscles can be very tight in some people and can be very flexible, but unstable in others. This is also a muscle group that is commonly an issue for those that have/had low back pain.

Equipment needed: 1. Foam Roller. 2. Padded Mat. Today we are working on the flexibility, mobility, and stability of your hips. We are starting off with a muscle/fascia release for your inner thigh muscles. Next we are stretching out these muscles and activating them using an active stretch technique called end-range stretch isometrics. Focus on getting as deep into the stretch as possible and then contract these muscles by squeezing them, trying to bring your knees together. If you have any pinching in your hip in this stretch, don’t push your hips as far back while in the stretch. We are finishing up with an end-range of motion activation movement for your glutes including your gluteus medius.

Make a mental note how good your hips feel after this routine. This will help you stay consistent with the program which will continue to help you move and feel your best.

Flow: January 31

Day 31, let’s go! You’ve completed a full month of Movement Vault to start out 2021. Yes! You are on a roll. There are two main keys with anything, especially when trying to improve the way you move / mobility : 1) Effectiveness/ Doing the correct things 2) Consistency. We have figured out number 1 for you through years and years of looking at the research, researching ourselves, and experimentation. All you have to do is number 2 and you are doing an amazing job!

Equipment needed: 1. Padded mat. Today is a flow day! We are working on just about everything today.

Full Body (70 min.): January 30

We’re coming into day 30 hot! Day 30 of 2021! Your fire is burning strong. So strong, I thought it would be a great time for a long format routine. What is your Movement Vault streak? Have you been keeping track? Sound us a dm on instagram or a message on the website chat. Spoiler alert: we have some very cool new features in store that will be launching very soon!

We’ve got a long form Movement Vault routine for you today! This routine starts off with 3 different muscle/fascia release techniques and then moves on to 4 active stretch techniques, and then finishes up with a flow. This routine has a lot in it, and if you don’t have time for the entire routine, no worries. Do a portion of it now and save for the rest for later. It’s like a buffet of all of the most effective mobility techniques. Feast up!

Here is what we are getting in to:
1. TFL muscle/fascia release
2. Side lying rotator cuff muscle/ fascia release
3. Ankle gastrocnemius + soleus muscle/fascia release
4. 1/2 kneeling hip flexor and hamstring end-range stretch isometrics
5. Hip adductor end-range stretch isometrics
6. Sleeper stretch rotator cuff end-range stretch isometrics
7. Ankle dorsiflexion end-range stretch isometrics
8. Flow

Feet, Ankles & Shoulders: January 29

Friday Feet Day! Day 29 coming at your with some pillar active stretching and activation foot work. 29 days into 2021, wow! You are incredible. Your body truly loves you for the time you are dedicating to it in order to move, feel, and perform at your best. Today is all about the two things that bring your from point A to point B, and literally hold all of your body weight, day in and day out. Let’s get into some feet care!

Equipment needed: 1. Padded Mat. Don’t skip feet day! This is a saying that we say a lot here at Movement Vault. This is because your entire body’s movement is built on top of your foot mobility. Today we are working on the flexibility, mobility, and stability of your feet, ankles, and shoulders.

We are starting off with a muscle/fascia release for the top or your foot aka the dorsal area. These muscles can get tight and have activation issues in part due to the tight, restricting shoes most people wear on a daily basis. Pro Tip: Spend some time everyday barefoot. We are then moving on to big toe end-range stretch isometrics. Focus on stretching out your big toe as far as possible and then activate your toe muscles. This is a very important stretch! We are then working on an ankle and core stretch and activation movement. Focus on keeping the front of your ankle stretched out while kicking into the ground. We are finishing up with a great shoulder blade/ scapular activation movement. Focus on keeping your arms and hands as high as possible in each position.

Your body is only as strong as it’s weakest joint. After today, that joint will not be the big toe!

Flow: January 28

Whats better than Day 27 of 2021? Day 28! You are truly crushing it. Take a second right now to check in with yourself and reflect on how much better your body feels than on day 1 of 2021. How much better are moving overall? How much better are each of your joints moving? Do you have less pain in a specific or many areas? Are you seeing and feeling your range of motion increases and muscle activation improvement? All of this is important.

Equipment needed: 1. Padded mat. Today is a flow day! We are exploring, actively stretching, and activating many different areas of your body today.

Shoulders & Hips: January 27

You are straight up crushing it! Amazing job! Day 27 of 2021 starts right now. 27 days is no joke so give your self a lot of credit. Keep up the consistency as I always say “Movement Vault gives you the bricks, you build the house.”

Equipment needed: 1. Mobility ball or lacrosse ball. 2. Padded Mat (optional). Today’s routine is going to open open the front of your shoulders, specifically your pec muscles and activate your hips! We are working on the flexibility, mobility, and stability of your shoulders and hips. We are starting off with a muscle/fascia release technique for your pectoralis muscles, which are the muscles located on the front of your chest. We are then stretching out and activating this same area with an end-range stretch isometric technique. Try to get as deep into the stretch as possible before activating your muscles by pushing into the ground and then pulling away the ground. We are finishing up with an effective hip activation and range of motion movement. If it is difficult for you to perform with a straight leg, try to perform it with a bent knee. Make sure to keep your abs engaged, which will minimize the movement in your low back. Also, try to bring your leg as far out to the side as possible. Have fun!

Upper Back & Wrists: January 26

Coming into Day 26 of 2021 like Boom!!! I can’t say it enough, you are doing amazing and your body loves you for it!!! Keep your streak up.

With all of the technology most of us spend hours on everyday, wrist health is very important. This is another area that is often forgotten and neglected until it is too late, and then Bam!, carpal tunnel syndrome or another wrists issue develops. Today we are going to stretch, and work on activating all of the muscles around your wrists and upper back.

Hips & Back: January 25

You’ve got quite a bit of momentum going at this point. Day 25 of 2021! The more momentum you build with a new habit, the more likely you are to stick with that habit for the long term. Studies show that on average it takes 66 days to form a new habit. You are almost half away to that 66! It’s go time.

Equipment needed: 1. Padded Mat. We’ve got a lot of good hip internal and external rotation stretch and activation, along with spine range of motion and activation today. We are working on the flexibility, mobility, and stability of the hips and back. We are starting off with a 3-piece 90/90 position movement that includes 3 different types of contractions. This movement is all about getting as deep as you can into the stretch and then activating all of the muscles around your hip. We are then finishing up with full range of motion spinal circles. Your goal with this movement is to move your back in as many ranges of motion as possible while activating all of the muscles that surround and protect your back aka your core muscles. If you have pain anywhere in the “circle”, don’t push into the pain and just utilize the pain free range of motion. This is a very effective 1-2 combo today!