Easing a Stiff Back: Five Mobility and Flexibility Enhancing Exercises Recommended by a Movement Specialist
Vanessa Michielon, a renowned yoga and dance lecturer, and the founder of the Transformative Movement Method, has created a 10-minute mobility workout that focuses on improving flexibility and mobility in the hips. This routine, which can be found on her Instagram reels, is designed to feel both supportive and liberating.
The core intention of the workout is to prepare the hips, a key area for mobility and overall body ease, through targeted movements that activate, lengthen, and mobilize. The exact five exercises in the routine are not explicitly detailed, but similar mobility sequences for hip flexibility often include dynamic hip openers, strengthening movements, softening and releasing stretches, controlled lunges, and movement flow sequences.
Let's dive into some of the exercises in this routine:
- The Cat-cow stretch: This exercise encourages movement in the pelvis and lumbar spine and is more accessible for people with sensitive wrists or knees. To do the Cat-cow stretch, start in tabletop position on your hands and knees, with your wrists directly under your shoulders and knees directly under your hips. Alternate between cow pose (lifting your head and tailbone and lowering your belly) and cat pose (tucking your chin toward your chest, lowering your tailbone and rounding your spine) while coordinating with your breath.
- The Rolling cat-cow: This exercise introduces a spinal wave, which helps build intersegmental mobility between the vertebrae and encourages better coordination. To do the Rolling cat-cow, begin in child's pose, sit back on your heels with your knees wide, your arms extended forward, and your forehead on the mat. Roll forward onto your hands and knees, focusing on lifting each vertebra one at a time, starting from your tailbone.
- The soft cobra: This movement creates a gentle, dynamic stretch through the spine and abdomen by introducing a gentle back-bend. To do the soft cobra, lie on your stomach with your forearms on the ground in a wide sphinx pose, lift your chest into a soft cobra, and shift your weight from side to side to create small waves of movement along your torso.
- Forward fold to squat: This exercise builds mobility in the hips and knees, and flexibility in the hamstrings. To do the forward fold to squat, stand with your feet hip-width apart, fold forwards from your hips, reach your arms towards the floor, bend your knees and push your hips back to lower into a squat position, straighten your legs and lift your hips to return to the forward fold.
By incorporating these exercises into your daily routine, you can enjoy the benefits of improved hip mobility and overall body ease in just 10 minutes. For the precise exercises in Vanessa Michielon's routine, we recommend following her Instagram reels or transformational movement method posts where she personally demonstrates and explains these exercises.
- The Yoga routine designed by Vanessa Michielon, which fosters flexibility and mobility in the hips, includes the Cat-cow stretch, a movement that encourages pelvis and lumbar spine mobility, making it suitable for individuals with sensitive wrists or knees.
- For those seeking wellness and fitness-and-exercise, the Rolling cat-cow could be a beneficial addition to their routine, as it not only enhances the mobility between the vertebrae but also improves coordination.
- Adopting a health-and-wellness lifestyle by regularly practicing exercises like the soft cobra or forward fold to squat, as featured in Vanessa Michielon's mobility workout, can lead to improved hip mobility and overall body ease.
