Did you ever get up from a chair or reach for a dropped object and think, "Damn, I'm moving like my grandmother?" Yeah. Me too. My joint mobility is actually pretty good. (Ignore the ice pack on my knee. Really. It's just and old ski injury that flares up on occasion.) My real battle is with posterior chain muscle tension. It shows up most in my hamstrings, glutes, and lower back. This is particularly noticeable after a long or fast run, or when I increase the weight on my back squats or deadlifts. Unfortunately, I have a tendency to ignore it until it gets quite bad. Why do I do that? I explored that question as I was doing Stacy Westfall's 5 Steps to Blow Your Own Mind exercise (podcast episode 159). One of the steps is to list the reasons you haven't achieved a particular result before now.
#4 is, admittedly, more of a time commitment. Yoga makes a massive difference in how well I feel, not to mention how well I ride. 25 minutes is shorter than most of my runs, so it takes my running slot on non-running days and I still come out ahead. (Also, goodness no, I don't have time to drive to a yoga studio! I use the Down Dog app.) One more thing: I'm making a point of getting to my chiropractor/soft tissue guy at least monthly. Not only is the regular maintenance good for injury prevention, but it helps keep those old twinges (ahem, knee, ahem) under control. That's it! Habit formation is underway, and I plan to end this year feeling better than when I started. How about you? Resources: Dr. Aaron Horschig of Squat University demonstrates his quick shoulder warmup Movement Enhanced demonstrates a deep squat with thoracic rotation exercise Adam Schafer of Mind Pump explains how to perform a 90/90 hip stretch Free Printable Quick Mobility Flow and Muscle Activation Warmup Sheets
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WelcomeThanks for dropping by! I'm an endurance rider in the northwest region of the United States. This blog is about distance riding, training, and the practice of being my best self for my horse. I hope you'll come along for the ride. Read More
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