The Daily Practice
The Daily Practice is a 15-minute routine designed to naturally and safely open your body. For best results, we suggest performing the Daily Practice every day to restore your body's natural capabilities.
Directions: Perform each movement for the number of repetitions specified. When given a rep range, such as "8 to 10," start at the lower end and gradually increase your reps over time. We recommend doing the routine for 1-2 rounds.
1. Hip Rotations
This movement is designed to train hip rotation. When sitting in chairs, our hips are generally stuck in a neutral position. If we’re not careful we can gradually lose our ability to rotate our hip joints which is important for hip stability and hip health in general. This movement nourishes the internal and external rotation in an active fashion which often gets neglected.
Reps: 5-10 reps (in and out) on each leg separately + 5 reps moving both legs together (from start, to other side, back to start = 1 rep)
2. Wall Downward Dog Spine Opener
In this movement, we will be aiming to stretch the back and chest muscles to “open” the upper spine. This can be a great stretch to counteract rolled-forward shoulders and slumping from sitting and computer work.
Reps: 8 to 10 reps + 10 to 20 sec hold on last rep (in stretched position)
3. Wall Hip Flexor and Quad Stretch
In this movement, we will aim to stretch the front of the thigh, including the hip flexors and quads. This is often the number one place that becomes stiff in people who sit a lot, but also those who are highly active in explosive or endurance sports.
Reps: 30-60 seconds on each side (choosing variation or combination for your current level)
4. Seiza and Optional Camel Pose
Sitting in the seiza position puts the knees and ankles into a fully flexed position. It’s a position used all over the world for sitting on the ground naturally. And the camel pose allows us to stretch the hips and spine into extension, reversing the tightness caused by sitting.
Reps: 5 to 10 reps + 10 to 20 sec hold on last rep (plus camel pose if it suits you)
5. Lounge Chair & Crab Press
The lounge chair moves the arms behind your body to open the front of the shoulders and chest. This is a range of motion we seldom use intentionally and is great for stretching shoulder muscles that tend to become tight.
Reps: 5 to 10 reps + 10 to 20 sec hold on last rep (plus camel pose if it suits you)
6. Straight Leg Hinge
The straight leg hinge works by hinging your torso forward with straight knees to put the back side of your body onto stretch. This stretches your calves, hamstrings, and glutes. The “hinge” means we prioritize extension in the lower back, as opposed to the forward fold.
Reps: 8 to 10 reps + 10 to 20 sec hold on last rep (in stretched position)
7. Windshield Wiper & Back Fold
The windshield wiper rotates the spine, placing a stretch through the shoulders, back, and hip muscles.
Reps: 3 to 5 reps each side (hold in stretched position each rep for 3 to 5 seconds; optional longer hold on your last rep)
8. Squat Pike
The squat pike moves between a squat and forward fold position. Using the two together allows us easier access into each position. The squat compresses the ankles, knees, and hips, allowing the joints to bend fully. The pike position folds the body at the hips and spine, stretching the hamstrings, lats, traps and other back muscles.
Reps: 5 to 10 reps + 10 to 20 sec hold on last rep (in both squat and pike position)
9. Crawl
Crawling combines strength and coordination. It connects the upper and lower body through the core and offers a unique type of “reactive strength“ that we learn from a young age but often lose.
Reps: 10 steps forward + small break + 10 steps forward (turn around and crawl back)
10. Horse Stance Rotations
The horse stance trains a wide athletic stance that’s great for the hips while also asking us to rotate our spine and open our shoulders.
Reps: 3 to 5 reaches both sides
Follow-along routines
Below you’ll find a playlist of more follow-along routines to try out for free. We have a wide range of different routines, but all of them involve a holistic approach. None of them are designed solely to sweat and breathe hard. All of them target movement quality, getting the body to work better, and being present in your body.
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