Show Your Joints Some Love With This 10-Minute Movement Sequence

5 years ago

When you’re working from home, it’s fairly easy to sit in the same spot all day long – give or take a few trips to the bathroom and the kitchen for lunch. But it’s that lack of 9-to-5 motion that might be contributing to your joint stiffness come the end of the day.

One solution? Scheduling in a midday stretching break. For that, we turned to Steven Leonard, a yoga and meditation teacher and functional movement specialist at the Kripalu Center For Yoga and Health.

Check out his simple 10-minute sequence ahead.

Deep Breathing

“When you take slow, deep breaths, it signals the nervous system to relax,” Leonard said. “When the nervous system is in a relaxed state, muscles, connective tissue, and joints tend to move in a more smooth and integrated way.”

Practice deep breathing for one minute.

Joint Circles

“Circling the major joints of the body creates lubrication within the joint and also moves the surrounding muscles in a dynamic way,” Leonard noted.

Hip Circles

Stand with feet a little wider than the hips.
Keep your hands relaxed down by your sides, or bring your hands onto your hips.
As you inhale, press your hips to the right and forward.
As you exhale press your hips to the left and back.
Continue to circle and adjust the size of the movement as it feels good for your body.
Circle for one minute in each direction.

Shoulder Circles

Stand with feet hip-width apart.
As you inhale, lift your shoulders up to your ears.
As you exhale, roll them forward and down.
As you inhale again, draw the shoulders back and up toward your ears.
Similar to the hip circles, allow the size of the shoulder circle to increase or decrease according to your body’s needs.
Circle for one minute in each direction.

Knee/Ankle Circles

Stand with your feet together.
Bend your knees deeply and bring your hands onto your thighs.
Begin to circle your knees slowly.
Inhale the knees to the right and forward.
Exhale the knees to the left and back.
You can either keep your feet flat on the ground or allow the inner and outer edges of your feet to lift and lower.
Circle for one minute in each direction.

Dynamic Movements

“Dynamic movements can be done slowly, quickly, in a small range of motion, or large range of motion,” Leonard said. “The benefit of these exercises is to move in a holistic and integrated way – the way we evolved to move.”

Squat Flow

Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
As you inhale, reach your arms overhead and spread your fingers wide.
If it feels OK for your spine, allow a gentle backbend.
As you exhale, bend your knees and send your hips back into a squat.
At the same time, reach your arms forward, down, and then back behind you.
Continue this movement for one minute.

Side Stretch

Stand with your feet a little wider than the hips.
As you inhale, reach both arms overhead.
As you exhale, slide your right hand down your right leg and continue to reach up through your left fingers.
As you inhale, lift your back up to center.
As you exhale, repeat on the other side.
Continue this movement for one minute.

Swinging Twist

Stand with your feet a little wider than the hips.
Take a deep breath in.
As you exhale, touch your right hand to the front of your left shoulder, and your left hand to your low back.
Look over your left shoulder.
As you inhale, return to the beginning position.
As you exhale, touch your left hand to the front of the right shoulder, and your right hand to your low back.
Look over your right shoulder.
This movement can be done slowly or you can speed it up by swinging the arms side to side.
Feel free to let the feet move in any way that helps to shoulders and spine move.
Continue the movement for one minute.

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