Improve your stiff back with these 5 exercises recommended by a movement specialist to enhance mobility and flexibility
Vanessa Michielon, a renowned expert in Pilates, yoga, and dance, and the founder of the Transformative Movement Method, has created a 10-minute mobility workout that boosts mobility and flexibility in five easy steps. Although specific details of her workout are not widely available, we can outline a general routine inspired by her method and other movement and yoga disciplines.
The Routine
- Cat-cow: Start in tabletop position on hands and knees. Alternate between lifting your head and tailbone (cow pose) and tucking your chin toward your chest and rounding your spine (cat pose), coordinating with your breath. This exercise encourages movement in the pelvis and lumbar spine and is more accessible for people with sensitive wrists or knees.
- Rolling cat-cow (introduced in the routine): Begin in child's pose, roll forward onto hands and knees, and repeat the rolling sequence smoothly. This exercise introduces a spinal wave to build intersegmental mobility between vertebrae and encourages better coordination.
- Soft cobra (not explicitly specified in the provided text, but a similar exercise): Lie on your stomach with your forearms on the ground, extend your arms, and lift your chest. Shift your weight from side to side for a gentle, dynamic stretch through the spine and abdomen.
- Forward fold to squat (not explicitly specified in the provided text, but a similar exercise): Stand with your feet hip-width apart, fold forward, bend your knees, and push your hips back to squat. Straighten your legs and lift your hips to return to the forward fold. This exercise is a way to stretch the entire back and build mobility in the hips and knees.
- Side bends and twists (not explicitly specified in the provided text, but a common exercise): Incorporate these movements to increase lateral and rotational mobility.
- Breath-focused stretches (not explicitly specified in the provided text, but a common practice): These stretches help enhance mobility while relaxing musculature.
- Core engagement exercises (not explicitly specified in the provided text, but beneficial for spinal health): Incorporate these exercises to support your spinal health.
Since no exact sequence or exercise list from Vanessa Michielon’s workout is available in the search results, it's recommended to check her official channels or platforms that feature her transformative movement method directly for precise instruction.
For those interested, Vanessa Michielon is also trained in pre/postnatal coaching, L3 Pilates, pre/postnatal Pilates, pre/postnatal yoga, advanced yoga psychology, and yoga therapy for anxiety, and holds an MA in dance performance. She is a yoga and dance lecturer at degree and master's level, and the founder of the Transformative Movement Method.
- Incorporate yoga exercises like the 'cat-cow' into your mobility workouts for a gentle movement in your pelvis and lumbar spine.
- To build intersegmental mobility between vertebrae and encourage better coordination, try the 'rolling cat-cow' exercise, a combination of cat-cow and rolling movements.
- The 'soft cobra' exercise, which involves lying on your stomach with forearms on the ground and lifting your chest, can provide a dynamic stretch through the spine and abdomen for improved health and wellness.
