Your daily routine to maintain joint strength and mobility to keep your body moving well. CARs stands for Controlled Articular Rotations. When doing this routine, you want to be pain-free – especially no pinching on the closed-angle side fo the rotation (short side). To get the most out of your CARs, make any part of your body that is not doing the motion rigid and stiff.
Functional Range Conditioning
Elbows Can Be a Pain
Who has a tweaky elbow? One of those twinges or aches that seem to almost go away, and then with one wrong pick-up or swing, the pain is back. For a lot of people, the position of their shoulders is the root cause of their elbow discomfort. Below is a set of 5 exercises, to be done in order and together, to help relieve minor aches or tweaks in the shoulders, elbows, and wrists. Done daily, noticeable changes will happen within 1-2 weeks. Try these out and share with your friends!
Also, check out my Online Platform for the Shoulder Strength Series that can help you incrementally build stronger shoulders fo injury mitigation.
How are your hips?
For the last few months, we have been playing with our hip mobility. A lot of our focus has been on rotation. Why? Because no other movement can be accessed or gained without it.
The hips move in 6 ways – extension (leg moves behind you), flexion (leg drives in from of you), adduction (legs squeeze together), abduction (legs move away from each other), internal rotation (thigh spirals inward), and external rotation (thigh spirals outward).
Below are a few videos that work with hip internal and external rotation. This is a great starting point for anyone looking for more freedom in their hips. Want more? Check out my full hip mobility program featured this week on the Koa Fit Online platform.
May Mobility – Week One
Let’s get moving…better. During this first week of mobility, we are working on our ankles and shoulders. Check out the videos below, give them a try, and let us know what you think.
Hip Mobility Month – Week Four
For our last week, we have 3 new videos for you. Get your hips moving and give your low back and knees a break.
Hip Mobility Month – Week Three
We are working on our hip external rotation this week. If you are stiff in the hip when trying to cross an ankle over the knee (say to tie a shoelace), these are for you. Work on the end-range of motion and strength these muscles for better stability when walking and to help relieve low-back tension.
Hip Mobility Exercises – Week 1
This week we are working on our hip abduction. Hip abduction is when one leg moves towards the side, or away from the center line. The most obvious and common ways we use this movement in our daily lives is when getting in and out of bed, in and out of the car, or side-stepping out of the way.
Weakness in this area can cause the hip to “cave” to the outside which causes the knee to dip inward when walking or going up steps. These 2 motions can lead to hip and knee pain.
Functional Range Conditioning – Week Four
We are working on the rotation or our shoulders this week. Try these rotational hovers to create more workspace in the shoulder to help increase strength and function.
Functional Range Conditioning – Week Three
Continuing the work on the shoulders this week, we are adding in movement for the shoulder girdle, specifically the scapulas (shoulder blades). We will then use that new movement and strengthen and challenge our range in shoulder external rotation to help fortify our shoulders and improve their function.
Functional Range Conditioning – Week Two
This week, we are working on the shoulders. Poor movement in the shoulders can lead to ligament tears in the rotator cuff, neck pain, and elbow pain. It can also severely limit your ability to press and pull. Try these 2 moves to gain more control in those shoulders.
Brenna Backe 