references
British Journal of Sports Medicine: "Successful 10-second one-legged stance performance predicts survival in middle-aged and older individuals"
If you can't bend down to tie your shoes, it may be due to a lack of flexibility, mobility or balance.
Image Credit: Henrik Sorensen/Stone/GettyImages
Image Credit: Henrik Sorensen/Stone/GettyImages
To improve hamstring mobility, Wickham recommends a combination of self-myofascial release (aka foam rolling) and active stretching.
Body Part
Legs
Goal
Improve Flexibility
Sit on the floor and place a foam roller under your right hamstring. Extend your right leg, keeping your left knee bent and left foot on the floor. Lift your hips off the floor so that your weight is resting on the foam roller, the palms of your hands and your left foot. Roll your hamstring back and forth over the foam roller as you slowly rotate your leg. Spend more time on any spots that feel tight or “stuck.” Roll for 2 to 3 minutes before switching sides.
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Body Part
Legs
Goal
Improve Flexibility
Start in a low lunge position with your left foot in front and your right knee on the ground. Lean forward and place both palms on the ground inside your left foot. Push your hips back and extend your left leg. Once you feel a deep stretch in your hamstring, contract your hamstring by digging your left heel into the ground. Hold for 10 to 30 seconds. Repeat 3 to 4 times, resting between reps, before switching sides.
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The segmented cat-camel exercise is “gold” for anyone struggling with a stiff lower back, according to Wickham. Also known as “cat-cow,” this drill mobilizes your spine and activates your core musculature, which allows you to move into and hold a bent-over position.
Body Part
Back
Goal
Improve Flexibility
Start on all fours. Tip your pelvis forward and draw your navel toward your spine to round your back into a “cat” position. Slowly tilt your pelvis back and, one vertebrate at a time, starting with your lower back and ending with your neck, move your spine into an arched “camel” position. Hold for 5 seconds. Flexing your upper back first, gradually round your back one vertebrate at a time until you’ve transitioned back into a cat position. Hold for 5 seconds. That’s one rep. Complete 2 to 3 sets of 5 reps.
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Body Part
Back
Goal
Improve Flexibility
To loosen up your calves and improve their mobility, Wickham recommends doing an active calf stretch.
Stand facing a chair, wall or other stable fixture, your feet about hip-width apart. Place your hands on the chair for stability and step back with your left leg. Bend your right knee and straighten your left leg, driving your left heel into the ground. Once you feel a stretch in the lower leg, contract the calf muscle. (Imagine you’re pushing down on a gas pedal.) Hold for 10 seconds, then release the contraction but stay in the stretch. Next, contract the muscles on the front of your ankle. (Think about pulling your foot off a gas pedal.) Hold for 20 seconds, then release the contraction and the stretch. That’s one rep. Complete 3 reps before switching sides.
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The 3-way toe tap exercise can be scaled according to your ability, Wickham explains. If you’re feeling wobbly, start slow and tap close to your standing foot. As your balance improves, you can begin to reach farther with each tap.
Body Part
Legs
Goal
Improve Balance
Stand with your feet hip-width apart, hands clasped in front of your chest. Shift your weight to your right foot and lift your left foot so it’s hovering above the ground. Bend your right knee slightly. This is the starting position. Tap your right toes about 6 inches (less if you’re a beginner, more if you’re advanced) directly in front of you and return to the starting position. Without resting your foot on the ground, tap your toes to the right, then return to the starting position. Tap your toes directly behind you, then return to the starting position. Perform the full circuit 10 times before switching sides. Complete 2 sets on each leg.
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Body Part
Legs
Goal
Improve Balance
Work on getting into that cross-legged position with an active glute and piriformis stretch. Taking it to the floor allows you to make modifications and gradually amp up the intensity of the stretch.
Body Part
Butt
Goal
Improve Flexibility
Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Lift your right foot and rest your right ankle on your left knee. (To lessen the intensity of the stretch, decrease the bend in your left knee by moving your left foot further away from your hips.) Draw your left knee toward your chest and reach for your left thigh with both hands. Place your hands on the back of your thigh just above your knee and pull your leg toward your chest, stretching your right hip. (If you’re unable to hold your leg, loop a strap or towel around your thigh and pull on either end.) Once you feel a deep stretch in your right hip, contract your hip external rotators by pushing your ankle into your thigh. Hold for 20 seconds, then release the contraction. Hold the stretch, repeating the muscle contraction for a total of 3 reps before switching sides.
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Body Part
Butt
Goal
Improve Flexibility
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British Journal of Sports Medicine: "Successful 10-second one-legged stance performance predicts survival in middle-aged and older individuals"
