Daily Mobility Routine

Dr. Brittany Boehnke, PT, DPT

Different Types of Stretching

• Static Stretching
• Active Stretching
• Dynamic Stretching
• Ballistic Stretching

Always follow up passive stretching with an active movement focusing on your new range of motion

Movements to focus on daily:

• Cervical Mobility
• Shoulder/Pec mobility and mid back rotation
• Low back rotation
• Hip Mobility
• Hamstring mobility

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• If any of these exercises are painful and the pain doesn’t improve with repetitions – talk to a physiotherapist or your physician for an evaluation.
• Never start a new routine without a doctor’s clearance.

Cervical Range of Motion

• Start in a tall posture with your chin in a neutral position
• Make sure you aren’t in a forward head position

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• Look up/down 5 times
• Look side to side 5 times leaning with your chin

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• If you have pain, go to just the spot where it starts, do not force past it, and perform a few repetitions. If it improves, keep going. If it worsens, discontinue and talk with a physiotherapist

Open Books

• Lie on your side, bend your knees to your chest and put your hands directly in front of you with your arms straight.
• Lift your top arm up and back towards the floor, keeping your nose and thumb in line.
• Return to start position and repeat.
• Perform on both sides

Lower Trunk Rotation

• On your back, with your knees bent, slowly rock your knees side to side.
• If you feel pain, decrease speed and range of motion and slowly increase as it feels good.

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• Wider your knees are, the more the stretch is in the hips.
• The more narrow your knees are, the more the stretch is in the low back.

Hip Internal Rotation

• With both feet wider than your hips, first drop one knee down towards the floor (inward). Hold the stretch. Return to neutral and then do the same with the other side.
• You also can put both feet wider than your hips, then drop both knees in so the knees touch.
• Go to a comfortable position.

Active Hamstring Stretch/Sciatic Nerve Glide

• On your back with both hands behind your leg, actively straighten your leg, then bend it. As you straighten it, bring your toes up towards your nose. Then, relax your foot/point your toes down as you bend your knee.
• Hold 3 seconds or to tolerance. Repeat 10 times.

Postural Cues

• Seated position:
• Position of your chin
• Ischial Tuberosity/Sits bone
• Standing position
• Ear, Shoulder, Greater Trochanter and Lateral Malleolus all in a line to achieve good standing posture

Questions?