Off Day Mobility

I only go the gym 4 times a week, so that means I'm left with 3 days to do....nothing? Well, not exactly. Yes, there are days when I do do just that-nothing. However, I think it's important to be as active as you can, even outside of the gym, and to move your body in some way every day. Our bodies weren't made to sit and do nothing.

 

When it's not -9 degrees outside like today, I like to go on a 10-30 minute walk with my dog on my days off from the gym. This isn't for cardio, or to burn calories, but just to get outside and MOVE. Going for a walk always refreshes me and gives me an instant energy boost.

 

Especially in the winter when it's too cold out for a walk(which for me is when it's under 20 degrees!), I like to get in a quick glute activation and mobility circuit. From years of lifting and just being genetically tight and stiff, it's really important for me to work on my mobility. This is something I have only done recently but can tell a big difference.

 

These are the exercises that I try to do on my off days, and many of them are included in my warmups before a workout as well. This should only take about 10 minutes to go through. I also practice handstands and/or forearm stands on off days.

 

8-12 reps each:

Fire hydrant circles

Quadruped hip extensions

Bird-dogs

Side lying clams

Spiderman step to downward dog

Glute bridge

Cat camel

Side to side knee drops

Scapular pushups

Thoracic rotations

Wall slides

Band dislocations

Deep squat hold

Walkouts

Hip hinge

Squat to stands

Squats

Bear crawls forward/back

Pigeon Pose stretch

Quad stretch

Hip flexor stretch

 

And with that, I'm off to go through this right now!