If you have 12 minutes spare, you have enough time for this 10-minute mobility routine, and according to one coach, it should make you feel 10 years younger.
To do it, all you need to do is grab an exercise mat and read on — no extra equipment needed. Created by Yoga with Katherine, this short session is designed to open up your body, mobilize your joints and relieve tension. Unlike many of the yoga-inspired mobility routines I see, this one has a timer and runs without talking, almost like a workout, so you’ll need access to a screen to follow along.
Watch: Katherine’s 10-minute mobility routine
Despite the short amount of time, your instructor packs a lot in. That means you get to work most of your body, including your hips, hamstrings, adductors (inner thighs), spine, upper back and waist. You’re guaranteed to leave your mat feeling taller, more open and less stiff afterward.
There’s still an ongoing debate about stretching vs mobility and which is better for you. Although there are some benefits to stretching for flexibility, mobility exercises combine strength, control and motion to increase the range of motion available to your joints, which has been shown to reduce injury and better prepare the body for exercise.
After all, how fast can you run with stiff hips or tight hamstrings?
After all, how fast can you run with stiff hips or tight hamstrings?
Combined, though, both muscle flexibility and joint range of motion will help you stay functional as you age, allowing you to continue with your daily activities with less pain and limitation. This routine largely focuses on controlled and active motion, so don’t expect many deep releases or openers like you might with a yin yoga class or stretching session.
That said, you will finish on an exercise Katharine calls a “posterior chain nerve release,” which she says is “uncomfortable but effective.” To do it, sit with your legs extended in front of you, then release your chest toward your thighs and hold. Most people feel a deep stretch in the mid to upper back, which occurs when you allow your spine to round rather than keep it straight.
This can be quite intense, so try to continue breathing as deeply and expansively as possible rather than limiting it to your chest. I find it helpful to tuck my chin to my chest as if trying to crush an egg; this should allow you to stretch out the muscles surrounding your spine, including the back of your neck, known as the cervical spine.
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