Mobilizing Mat

Hello. I'm Sally, and we are going to do a mobilizing network class. So looking at getting our joints nice and mobile, releasing tissue, working into some range of movement, and I have Andrew joining me to help demonstrate. We're going to start on the foam roller and use the foam roller a little bit intermittently during the class. So grab your foam roller, pop it on the mat a little bit towards the back, and sit yourself on there just sitting bones on top of the sideways roller, starting with some t rib movers. So this is arms out. Nice and tall through the body, take a deep breath in growing taller, let that breath go and just turn one palm up.

Yeah? So from here, you're just going to rotate the arms, spiraling them using the arm bones to just move the shoulders, move the upper ribs, You can let everything just kind of spiral a little bit more and get moving. So we're facing forwards at the moment as you spiral the arms, And then we're going to look to the palm that's up, up. So keep going, moving the neck, the shoulders, the ribs of the upper torso, and just keep giving me that gentle, but pacey spiral. Now we're going to add a lift of the shoulders and look. Lift look. As you look, reach the arms, lift and reach. And if it starts to move the shoulders a little more, that's great to us getting them moving, thinking about lifting ribs, softening them. Keep going for another 6, 5, 4, 3 2, one come back just to the sender, just to the first variation where we just spiral and get a little faster.

Just give me is 654321. Hold. Good. Bring the arms in and just drop the elbows down. So this is quite a loose movement. Palms facing in, and we're going to move the elbows around the rib cage so that the palms end up forward and come back. Now the purpose of this is more for scapular gliding for me, so I'm not really wanting a big arm movement yet. I just want you to feel like you can get scapular gliding on the rib cage. So don't be too precise or too perfect with it.

Just think of those. So I'm just gonna demonstrate the scapula, think of them ro just rolling or gliding around as you go. So another 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1 come back to the start. We're going to add Glide them around a little slower to begin with. As the arms come up overhead, think of the scapula going up with them. And then drop back down back to the center.

Glide brewing the scaps up and around down and in. Another eight Good. And now I just want all your focus on those scapular moving, and the rest will take care of itself. Could keep a little ab connection just to keep the spine tall and inhale would be my preference, but just keep breathing. Last 2. And last one, And good. Give your arms a little shake out before we take them side. Again, now speaking of side, we're going to do a little side shift.

So palms are just down. Arms are reaching And I want the side reach to the side shift to come from low in the ribs, try and take 12th rib, and then a little higher as you go back to center. So take the very lowest ribs across and back to center. We've got 2 more each side. Once you're getting across with the lowest ribs try and take the next ones, next ones, next ones, next ones, and center to the left.

Good. And one more each side, go across as far as you can, then reach the shoulders a little further. And center one more from the lowest ribs all the way up to shoulder reach and come back. Good. Drop the arms. Give them a shake. We're going to put the roller aside for the moment. So just sitting off that we wanted again, though.

So just keep it next to your mat for the moment. We're going into a bridging sequence. So set yourself up with knees bent, lying on your back, and we will start with just one bridge as you would normally do it. So breathing in, think of breathing down into the pelvis, Then exhale, articulate the tailbone up, roll up into your bridge position, take a breath in, and then just sink through the sternum, allow the spine to articulate down as you draw the pelvis towards your heels. Alright. We're going to add on the next one.

We're adding with the arms. Start with the eggs. How curling up. Come to the bridge, hold. Now reach the arms overhead, taking the shoulders with them, bring them back, and then sink the sternum broaden the shoulders, roll the spine back into the mat.

We have 4 more breathing in. Ex, health scoop, and curl. It's got over as you inhale and return. Exhale back down. 3 more. Now press the balls of the feet and the heels in.

Exhale, press through the feet to take you up into your shoulder stand. Arms go inhale all the way and then exhale coming down. 2 more just the same. There we go with the deep breath. One last one. Exhale roll, send those knees over the toes, loosen the shoulders, let the ribs, clavicles move, and then uncurl back down.

Now we're staying here for a single leg leading bridge. Let's start with the right leg first. The right knee is going to reach over the foot and drag that right side up till it brings the left side with it to the center and exhale back down. Left side. Left side knee goes over the foot drags the right side with it, center, and uncurled down, 2 more each side alternating.

So think about that right side going as far as it can, opening up the front of the hip be 4, it drags the left side back into the center and, curl back down. I would like inhale as you go all the way up into that single side lift back to the center and then exhale down. One more each side. Right side leads. And uncurled down, and left side leads.

And stern them through, uncurl down. Now staying right where you are with the legs. I want them with the part or even a fraction wider. We might even sneak an inch out. I want to roll knees side to side.

Go to the left with both knees, as you inhale, exhale back to center, inhale to the right, and then center hold, now a single leg, right leg's going to rotate in, back to center, left leg in, Back to center both legs again. So it's a little combination. Both legs go across, drawing them back. Legs across. Drawing them back singles rotating. You can pivot on the port the ball of the foot, or the big toe joint, just pivot that internal rotation to touch the knee across both legs go side.

Center. Side. And singles, pivot it, touch the other knee center, if you can, just working that internal rotation back to the doubles, roll it across. Ads draw you back. Roll it. Let the feet roll. Center.

Singles. Internal center in and one last set. Roll ex held back. Roll exhale back, rotate in, and center, and in, and center nicely done, I'm sure. Alright. Rolling up, we're going to go well, you roll onto your sides.

Andrew and I are just going to flip around so that we are facing you. I want you lying side underneath arm long for now, knees into a 90 degree lift into the hips at the front and 90 degree knees or thereabouts, just bring the knees up in front. So then top hand comes down to stabilize you. Top leg will lift just a hip height Now we're doing little circles for about 10 or 12, and I want it to be nice and loose in the hip joint. We'll go 1, 2, 3 doesn't matter which way you go first.

5. Now think about keeping the kneecap drawing like a little bread and butter plate sized circle. Last three, two, one, and pause back together whichever way you went, reverse it. So lift the knee and go around. We'll do 12. 98 7, 6, 5, 4, and I think we've got the last ones, and bring them back together nicely done. Now let's extend the top leg.

The foot can just rest on the floor. I want that quite passive length and out. Hands will come behind your head, for a sideline rotation. So from here, x, he'll take the ribs around, take the chest around, try and bring the scapula to the floor, and then return. We've got 4 ball.

And I'll have x house scoop the belly, roll the ribs, take the scapula, take the elbow, look to that back elbow, and return. Good. And Keep the leg reaching forward, but just gently, don't force it forward. Just allow it to be a weight forward. And coming back 2 more, and exhale as you go into the opening, keep looking towards that back elbow as you get open and then return one more. And curl it back.

Stay there. Now release the hand that's in the open position. Make sure your role is not in your road. So that arm is just going to rest or hang into the shoulder joint there and reach up overhead and bring the elbow back. So we're just in a very open pec stretch position, And I want 5 little peck glides there. So, Eric, howl reached the arm overhead and let the weight hang into gravity.

2 more, exhal as you go, inhale return, and 1 more ex hal reach, in how return, tuck that hand back in behind your head, return to center, and bend the knee in, we're changing to the other side. So We will turn over. I'm going to have my back to you for a minute because I want you to see the pet glide from that direction. So lying on your side there, bend the knees up, starting with our hip circles, top hand down, lift the top knee, which is bent up in front of you, and going for 12 circles first direction, 2. 3, 4, and 5.

Keep just keep it the size of a bread and butter plate with the kneecap here. 9, 10, last 2, 1, and pause. Now reversing your direction, lift it, and circle 2. So not be keeping a little pace in it. It'll be we take gravity out of that top hip a little and give it a chance to circulate and hydrate in the joint. Last 6543 to one end together, and gives you nice little bit of work around those muscles there too. Alright.

So hands come behind your head, We're going into our rotations, top leg forward, drop the weight of that leg into the floor, and then exhale rotate ribs first, all the way out with the exhale, inhale return. The first ones are finding your range, then progressively try and give it a little bit more air I'll get the scap to the floor, in how bring it back, and wrap the ribs, let their leg be heavy, take the scab now look to that back elbow. 2 more. And exhale rotate, roll it elbow and return, and we've got our last one and hold for pet lights. So bring it all the way out as far as you can. Release the hand. Now give that an exhale as you reach overhead letting it hang into gravity.

As you go, keep thinking of the rib scapula just dropping to the floor, exhale into gravity as you reach in how return. And wherever your position is is fine and as big or as small as your body feels best. Not everyone needs to have the same range here, let alone having the same range. So work for your own body. We'll do one more.

Good. Bring it back, tuck the hand behind your head, and we're bringing that all the way back, and the knee comes in. And we'll sit up, and we'll take the roller again now. So bringing your roller in, I'll swing around so I'm with you, and we're going across the mat again and shoulder blades on top of that roller. So we're going into some abs and, you know, a few little variations. So put the shoulder blades onto the roller.

I'll just dress myself again for you and hands behind your head here just to start with a chest lift. So what I'd like is that you are a little kind of rounded, not force rounded, but just heavy into a bit of a scoop in the low back, and then the upper back will extend over the roller. Think of the sternum going over the roller. And glide that backup sinking of ribs to pelvis. So inhale to go back over, exhale coming back up. If you wanna move to different ribs on the roll of go for it, find spots where you need your extension.

And then in house sternum goes over the roller head, hangs. Keep the elbows in a little if you can just stay out of the shoulder over stretch. And all the way back in hell, exhale one more. Alright. Now we're just going to let that weight of the head drop the shoulders back into probably won't look neutral, but a fairly flat or neutral position for a side bend. So think about being as lengthened in the upper body as you can with the head in the hand and side bend right elbow to the roller. Back to center.

Left elbow to the roller. Now feel like you glide in your connected position on the roller. So wherever you feel the roller under you, allow that just to glide It'll be nice on the tissue, and it allows you just to move side to side. So right elbow in, Left elbow in. 2 more.

Right elbow in. Last one. Left elbow in. Back to the center. Now we might wanna come about another inch up onto the roller so you have a little bit more head shoulders over the back of the roller to rotate. So from that lengthened position, I want you to rotate the right elbow down to the floor over the mat, back to center.

Left elbow over onto the mat, back to center. So keep going. Think about keeping the legs as stable as possible without locking them down, allow it to go with you a little if it needs to. And over. Did I get out of time with Andrew there? Nicely done. Over center and over Good hold center for me.

I want you to go into a little more extension now and then do the rotation. Right elbow only as far as you can go, we've got 4 left elbow, little more extension, let it be heavy, right, And last one. Good. And stay back. Now we're doing a hula. Bringing the chest lift up and floating one leg into a puppy pole position as you rotate towards it with the chest.

And back down all the way over the roller, coming up with the chest lift rotating puppy port to the other side. And 2 more each side. Exhale to float so the puppy pore hinges the hip and lengthen. And puppy poor rotation, and one more each side. Exhale up, inhale back, exhale to rotate, and inhale back stay there.

Just let the head hang, bring the elbows all the way in, and let the head really weight you back. Neck stretches, as well as the upper back, and then bring that back up just to your long neutral position again. We're going to lift the hips and roll the back. So let your head upper body just be supported and roll a little higher into the upper ribs, then roll back through the rib cage. Just using the legs to roll the roller.

I'll probably end up getting all caught up here, but if we can keep our tops under control, then you just roll through. Now what I like here is that you let the weight of the body really drop into the roller. And we've got 2 more. Keep the head back keep the weight of the body all the way through the rib cage heavy on the roller. One more.

Using the legs, getting hip extents, just working underneath you there, and then come back to finding the roller. Under the shoulder blades and lower the hips just for a moment, bring the feet in where they're in a comfortably drawn in position for bridging. So here we are. We're going to bridge up into our shoulder stand on the roller. Now from here, I want you to lower hips and chest around the roller.

So it's a little extension work. Into gravity and then bring it back up. So lower the hips, lower the chest around the roller, really find your extension, and then return. We have 4 more and lengthen that tailbone over get that sense of a caterpillar with the sacrum and up. So you're thinking about letting the extension happen all the way down the spine, all the way up the spine, and center. We've got 2 more. Over you go and hinge the hips, so I really wanna feel that the hip joint is really let go as you go into that extension, lengthen away and over, and hold.

Alright. Place the hips back down and sitting up. We are going to change the roller around. So now I want it lengthwise, but I don't want you lying full length on the roller. We're going to put just the top few ribs onto that edge of the roller. So it really does give you a little point of kind of pressure and, a hinge point. So make sure that hinge point is in a good position for you.

So I like the upper ribs, think about like the upper 4321 ribs, and then lay your body on top of that. Good. Making sure your role is nice and straight. There. Good. So should be again a little scooped extended in the upper body, arms to the ceiling, and think about protraction retraction here. So we protract up, try and touch the ceiling, and just allow the arms to drop down into retraction around the roller. In how going up, and exhale drop. So let the weight of gravity take that back down, rub the new faucet up, and drop 3 more in how to reach, exhale to drop.

Inhale up. Keep finding that wrap around the roller when you come down. Last one and hold it wrapped around that roll. And now we're going into switches in how it goes as far as you can with the top arm and exhale center. Inhale, exhale center. And I'm not really going to cue you to draw ribs back down and in. I want you think of length more than really forcing anything back into control, length in a way, and just settle it back to center.

Reach away and center one more each side and hold inhale and hold. Now turn the palms for circles. I'll have 3 each way Inhale takes you overhead just in your range. If you can reach to the floor, great draw a big circle all the way around to your hips, and then bring them back 2 more. Let the shoulders go.

Allow them to lift and go as wide as possible and back up one more. Inhale, exhale all the way around and reversed. Now press down. Now turn the palms up for me as you come around. And let the scapula come up and around like we did in the start with our scap glides and center 2 more of these down to the floor. Big circle palms up as you let the scapula direct the arms up around overhead take that time and return one more, take as much time as the top at the top as we can to really stretch that, really let the shoulders go. And back to center and drop the arms back down. Good.

Sitting up, we are going to change the roller one more time. Just draw it in behind you. So we're going back over the roller legs in the air, so supine with the roller under our pelvis. Bring one foot in and let yourself roll onto it if you're staying on the mat, and then we've got legs up into the air. That's a nice easy way to get onto it. Or you could be in a bridge position and slide the roller under, but we are here.

So with legs reaching into the air, supported by the roller, hands resting on the roller. We're going into scissors. So inhale, go to full range that you can, exhale back to the center. And keep connected in the log dominoes here so that you're not dropping it and center. 2 more like this.

Inhaled to open, exhaled to close. Now I want to open on the same in the same movement. Now I want the low leg, try to reach the toes to the floor, bring it back to center, top leg reach the heel. So flex that foot reach the heel back, center, and home, other side. Start with the scissor.

Lower leg reaches toes try to reach to the floor. Heel tries to reach back overhead, bring it back to center. 2 more each side. So open, toes reach, heel reaches, back to center. Open. Over back and center, last set, open, over, heal back and up.

Last one open, toes, heel, and up. Now turning the legs out. So get a little external rotation wrap of the thighs and open out to the side. Find your range. Ex, he'll bring it back up.

In how to open, exhale to close. We've got 6 more. Think about keeping the weight of the femurs on the roller or toward the op oversight of the roller for you. So I want that really kind of lengthened position through the pelvis. I'll have 4 more and inhale to open, exhale up. Inhale open exhale initiate abs as you use that exhale to come back up.

Last two. Now we're going to open the legs and leave them there. Stay. Let them hang. Give them a little encouragement if you wish to. I just want them to be in full range here.

Do a little few little ankle circles just to make sure you're releasing into that full range. And then hold. Alright. We're going to draw tiny little circles in this full range. So it gives you a little bit of ad action to bring it up, but small. And we're up to 4.

You've got 4 more, 4, 3, 2, 1 and reverse. So small circles, I want you right in end range as you work these 3. 4. You've got 4 more. And think about least possible quads working there for you. But just let everything happen.

Draw that circle with your toes. Last two and hold. Alright. Don't come up from there. We're going into part of a helicopter. So this is our start position for the next exercise.

Good to exhale rotate, take the right leg away from you, rotate into your range reaching away in how bring it back to the sides. Think about the thigh bones rotating in the hip joint as you go around, bring them back. So really think fema's rose hate and back. We've got 3 more and rose hate all the way. And back. Last set, get into your parallel position on neutral when you get around then back to a side in turnout. Last one.

And whole bear Ex, I'll draw the legs up to the ceiling and turn parallel ready for a bicycle. I only want the 1st direction of bicycles. But I'll have 16. You're going to reach over to the mat too. So try and take a straight leg over then draw it in grazing the mat. 5, 6, 7, 8.

Now we're counting down 6 5, 4, 3, 2, last one legs back up. Excellent. We've got a couple of hip stretches to do, I'm sure you'll be happy about. Bend the left leg into you, take the right leg down to the mat, and just hang there. So let that right leg really just go loose, check-in with yourself. Does the is the foot gripping try to let it go.

Let the hip go and holding onto your top leg, pull it in to create that split. If you're not happy with hands on the knee, just pop them under. The shin onto the thigh, but otherwise pull in with that knee. Now I wanna do 3 sets of really actively reaching the heal along the mat on that bottom leg and then relax release. So pull in the top leg, reach the right heel along the mat as hard as you can.

And release. Give me a little abs to anchor here, reach it away, and relax. Change sides. So draw the right knee in. Hold onto it. Left leg away.

Let it hang first. Check-in with that foot's not gripping. Let the leg just be free and easy, and then we'll do our 3 reaches. So the heel reaches away stretching and relax and reach it. Exhale is good on that reach, but either way will work.

Draw the knee into you as you send the left leg away and relax. Good draw the left leg in. Now we're going to cross the left ankle across the right knee and take hold of the right ankle. So that should be enough for you to start feeling a little piriformis or back of the hip stretch. Just find a position pulling in where you can feel a stretch through that left hip if you're if you've got left leg over the top, right leg under, I'm looking for the left side stretching and just breathe.

They're breathing to wherever you feel it. I'm really pleased we've got a side position too because It could be a very nice angle. 2 more breaths. And then we're going to change sides. So right ankle in front of the left knee, holding the left ankle and then draw that into wherever you're able to hold it and feel the stretch down the right hip or right you may even get a little lateral right thigh down into the hip, but I am looking for down deeper into round the hip capsule, round the hip joint.

So you can pull it in and even move it side to side if you need to get a particular spot that is a strong stretch. That would be good. Breathe into that stretch. 2 more breaths breathing in. And one last breath.

And then release the legs, place your feet back down onto the floor with the hip still lifted on the roller, And just knees drifting side to side gently taking the hips with it should feel a little lengthening across the front of the hip into the side of the hip just allowing that to move and mobilize. Last two 1 and hold it back to center. We're gonna lift the hips, roll the roller out, come up to sitting And I hope you are mobile and have enjoyed that class. Thank you.