Simple Routine for Improving ‘Mind’ ‘Body’ Connection
So it’s been a little while since you’ve worked out. It happens to everyone… your first workout back however you didn’t feel as coordinated as you might have remembered being. Whatever the quality you had before, there was less of that this time around.
Will some of this come back simply over time of getting back into a rhythm or routine? Yes. If you however want specific improvements then you need specific interventions.
If you’re not feeling very coordinated or feel less comfortable as before, having joints that move better may help you a ton. When I say joint I mean better articular movement.
When it comes to articular movement, it’s monitored by the deepest stuff inside of that joint. The joint capsule. That’s the main job of the joint capsule. So if there is a limitation or some poor movement quality in a joint, there is going to be a lot of ‘communication’ happening directly to that joint capsule.
So what are we going to do? Move each joint through a full range of motion to challenge the deepest structures in our joints to ‘learn’ and ‘explore’ what our end ranges feel like. What we feel comfortable with, or what feels limiting. You’ll notice differences between Right and Left, Flexion and Extension, etc. It’s not ‘bad’ or ‘good’ but it’s a start.
Full Body CARs Routine:
Recommended: move each joint through full pain free range of motion 2x in each direction
- Neck, T-Spine, Glenohumeral Joint, Scapula, Elbow, Wrist
- Spine (in quadruped position)
- Hips, Knees, Tibia, Ankle, Toes
Add this anywhere in your day; morning routine, pre-during or post-workout, at night.
The more pain-free communication you can have with your body the more it will help you explore your body awareness and control. Is this the only thing you should be doing? No. Will this help you learn a ton about your body, how it moves and ranges of motion you can improve? Yes, absolutely.
This routine is also super versatile. If you’re feeling pain during a rotation, simply ‘bypass’ the spot where you feel the pain and express movement in your pain-free ranges. You can also experiment with tempos, but I would recommended slower ones and avoiding momentum (most of the time).