in the february edition of "i've got your back" we talk about how to start getting our bodies ready for a more active season! whether that's hiking, biking, or getting ready to get back to work (tourist season is around the corner!), we can start to train ourselves out of our winter slump and get back in action
:: wall sit ::
with your back against the wall, slide down and sit with your thighs parallel to the ground and your shins straight up and down - your knees are directly over your ankles. check in on the tilt of your pelvis! some of us tend to arch here, but you really want to close the gap between your low back and the wall. (you can check out this previous "i've got your back" on the arch + curl if you need a refresher!)
sit in this wall-supported squat until your legs quiver! take a few more breaths even when you think you're done :) while you're here, you can play with a few little change-ups! without moving your feet, try squeezing your knees together (maybe put a tennis ball between your knees), try pushing your legs out (without moving your knees, like there was a resistance band around your legs), and try pushing your feet forward and away from you. again, all of this is without actually moving your feet! but you'll feel different muscles get activated with each of these movements.
for extra bonus points, while you're in the wall sit, you can put your arms up in a goalpost position, see if you can get your arms and hands to touch the wall behind you!
i love this as a low-body strengthener because it protects your posture, helps you have a long neutral spine even as you're really challenging your muscles and building strength. you can do this little strength snack a couple of times a day! waiting for your coffee to brew, before you sit down at your desk, etc. they're fun to sneak in!
:: bruegger's relief position ::
sit on the edge of your chair, spine up long and tall, and bring your arms into a goalpost position. elbows are straight out from your shoulders, hands up to the sky, palms facing forwards.
reach your heart up to the sky, tug your elbow down in towards your waist (gently) and reach your chin up to the corner where the ceiling meets the wall. lift your gaze, feel a little squeeze between your shoulder blades. this baby back bend is safe and gentle, as long as you're focusing on the lift from the front of your chest, making your collar bones really broad, and just taking a couple of slow easy breaths.
this is a great antidote to the winter slouch and slump! or just the desk / phone / tech curl that so many of us practice regularly. it's worth adding this in when you can! find moments to make this a habit, before you get up from your desk, or before you start playing a game on your phone.
the best part of this is not just what it does for your posture in the long run, but what it can do for your mood! emotions really can work from the outside in, and because of the way our nervous system is designed, this heart-opener gives us a nice little boost of adrenaline and energy! definitely needed at the end of a long strange winter here in cook county.
if you have any questions, about these practices or others, don't hesitate to reach out! my email is drstephvos@gmail.com and i love to chat about bodies :)
listen to the full interview here, and stay tuned the last wednesday of the month for "i've got your back" at 8:20(ish) on wtip.org's north shore morning show!