Joint Mobility Exercises
Joint mobility is an important aspect of health.
Regardless of age, a joint mobility exercise routine can have
many benefits.
- improve range of motion
- improve lymph circulation
- prevent injuries
- improve circulation
- lower diabetes and heart disease risk
- improve mood, mental health
- improve coordination
- promote mind/body connection
- increase athletic performance
- reverse degenerative conditions
- improve posture
- ... more?
The following joint mobility routine is suitable 7 days a week for anyone
but can be exceptionally beneficial for older people.
It also makes a great warmup for power-lifting, sprinting and any sport.
Everyone can/should do this entire routine when they wake up!
I'm starting this page to help my mom remember the full routine that I taught
her. I'll add videos for each exercise to demonstrate how each exercise is
performed - especially if the community expresses interest through z2z messages
and donations!
I learned this routine from Pavel Tsatsouline.
If you're serious about longevity and performance, I recommend you
purchase the book from Pavel (or find a free copy online).
Alternatively, you can read this zPage and watch the videos (TODO: videos!) for
free and donate Zcash to me.
Joint Mobility Basics
I like to start from the top and work my way to the floor:
neck, shoulders, arms hips, knees, ankles and feet.
Another popular option, recommended by Pavel is to work from the
extremities towards the core.
Three-plane neck movement +1
- Up and down - tuck chin to look at sky
- Ear to shoulder
- Rotate head like owl
+1 - head circles
Shoulder circles
Circle shoulders - forward and backwards
Fist exercises
Extend the hands and arms then flex.
Wrist rotations and circles
Make circles with your wrists.
Interlace your fingers and move your wrists in all possible directions.
Elbow circles
The Egyptian
Arm Circles
Ankle Circles
Knee Circles
Full Squat
All weight should be on the heels, the knees do not go forward, the shins stay
upright. Hold on to something firm like both doorknobs on an open door. Sit back.
Hip orbit, hula hoop
Move your hips around where they normally go - shoulders stay in place.
Belly dance, 4-point cat/cow hip rotation
Standing, point your pelvis forward, then to the side, then the back, side, forward.
Hips rotate without shoulders moving or displacing.
The Cossack
Knees don't go in or out - they track the feet.
But Pavel's book or find it online ;).
I'll add videos because it's hard to describe in text.
Split Switches
Spine Flexion/Extension - Cat/Cow
This can be done seated or on all fours.
The above concludes the basic joint mobility drills.
Below are further drills for those who get bored with the basics.
Amosov's Daily Complex
Nikolay Amosov was a Ukranian physician, famous for his longevity.
He had a daily routine.
- Lying knees to forehead, legs reasonably straight