It’s All Connected

The thigh bone’s connected to the hip bone
The hip bone’s connected to the back bone
The back bone’s connected to the neck bone

The lyrics of this song say it all.

The body is all interconnected. Limited flexibility in one area will have consequences for the rest of the body.

As examples:

• Reduced ankle mobility will affect the ability to extend the hip, use the strong glut muscles and hence protect the lower back
• Reduced mobility in the thoracic spine (mid back) can contribute to shoulder impingements, hence maintaining movement in all areas of the body is crucial for overall physical well-being.

There are 2 key areas however that are common for many individuals and they are the thoracic spine (mid back between the shoulder blades) and the hip joints.

As mentioned in previous posts, a sedentary lifestyle and long periods of sitting are key culprits for this.

The following videos will outline an exercise for each area.

As always when doing exercises, stop if you experience any discomfort and ease into the exercises gradually.

Flat foot squat: hip joints (as well as other parts of the body)

Sitting rotation: thoracic spine