Absolute Beginner Stretching Series as a Mindful movement during morning

[Phil5011993]

Hi

I am Phil. I am a 25 year old, I am not an absolute beginner, but someone unfortunately blessed with some restricted shoulder and hip movement. I was working on my front splits in the morning, but I found the stretching to be too intense, particularly for the morning when I am tighter. I have decided to make a conscious effort to improve my flexibility for a while now, I have not seen any major leaps or bounds just yet. I feel more comfortable in the splits and other poses like the cossack squat and deep squat. 

Since I have found big stretches in the morning to not feel good for my body, I have decided to focus on them later in the day. Really I just want consistency in the morning and not anything to scary for my nervous system. So I have chosen to focus on this absolute beginner series, mainly just to explore my body and deficiencies. I am finding it very enjoyable so far and I am looking forward to getting up and doing it.

So my question to you guys is, what type of stretches or movements do you like to do in the morning and  do you find it is normal for someone to be able to do stretching sessions in a day? At the moment my body feels better with less intense stretching in the morning and then following it up with an evening session.

 

Thanks

 

 

[Pat (pogo69)]

Hi Phil,

I also generally prefer not to stretch, or even significantly limber, in the morning.  On the rare occasion that I do either, it is usually later in the day, or more often, in the early evening.

As for morning movement, I really like the elephant walk:

Most of the Daily Five, done really gently, to help "wake up my spine".

Spending time in a squat doing something like Ido's squat routines.

I like hanging, too.  Actually, any scapular mobilisation.  We have a co-sleeping 3yo, so anything that can mobilise my spine and hips, is gold.  But this may not apply to you.

[Phil5011993]

I enjoy the elephant walk in the morning. I am probably going to experiment with the GMB focused flexibility in the morning and also some of kit’s master the squat stretches. 

I have been thinking of using the Steven Lowe and Jarlo Llano book overcoming poor posture for some morning routines, as well. 

I generally find I don’t try to avoid stretching in the morning, if the stretches are not intense.

[Kit_L]

@Phil5011993: what you are doing is perfect.

On 5/24/2018 at 4:12 PM, Phil5011993 said:

At the moment my body feels better with less intense stretching in the morning and then following it up with an evening session.

This is how most people's bodies work, until you are intermediate–advanced—so go with what feels right. By all means get Master the Squat, but from what you have described, ABSS programs are the perfect way to go. Traditionally, strong stretch works best in afternoon–evening.

Personally, I have a 6–8 minute routine I do daily (while coffee #2 is steeping!). I will shoot these one day; every day is different, though there are three I always do (relaxed lunge HF, Elephant walk, and bent-leg Cossack). In flexibility work, and unlike strength or aerobic work, progress is slowest in the beginning. Bent-leg front spits is the choice in the morning, as well as wide-leg elephant walk. The common element of all of these is bent-to-straight leg work: perfect for the morning, because infinitely scalable.

[Cherie Seeto]

I agree with Kit “bent-to-straight leg work: perfect for the morning, because infinitely scalable.“

Personally I start with rolling a ball under my soles, a simple calf stretch, a lunging hip flexor, a squat, a Cossack squat and a Pancake. Just 1-2 reps. A lot of the time that’s all I do. If the day has a lot of teaching ST classes I get to demo and partner more intense stretches. 

Recently the Elephant Walk in all its glorious variations, has been a staple in class.

I prefer to do little versus a lot. Too much has a destabilizing affect on this Temple Dancer’s body.