5 Things Worth Doing More of in the Gym


5 things worth doing more of in the gym:

  1. Hang – We no longer swing from branch to branch, but there is something magical about putting your arms above your head and holding yourself off the ground. One minute is a good standard. Try to get in some brachiating (a fancy word for hang/swing) every workout by doing chin ups, pull ups, monkey bars, traversing, or static holds. Be sure try different grips.
  1. Get upside down! Now this doesn’t mean you have to hang upside down and do handstands or backflips. Yes those are options, but only for the most advanced trainee. To keep it basic – inchworms, downward dog & feet elevated push ups will do the trick. Get you head below your heart. Simple tumbling is great for younger kids to build spacial awareness. For the adult population tumbling can be as simple as egg rolling.
  1. Move Laterally – We live our lives linearly. We spend 99% of our day moving in a straight line in a very small window. We could all benefit from some movement variability (cross-training if you will) in different planes. For lateral movement band walks, lateral squats, simple ladder work, and light skipping & bounding are a great place to start. As you get stronger lateral lunges, shuffling, medial/lateral hops, crossover drills, and slideboard work will change your world.
  1. Cross the Midline – When your hands cross your midline its candy for your brain. Your right and left hemispheres crave it. Reaching single leg work, chops & lifts, rotational medball throws, rolling patterns, crawling, simple ladder drills and crossovers fall into this category. Most @posturalrestorationinst @mjmatc exercises also fit in here as well. Happy brain, happy body.
  1. Move Backwards- Preparing the body by moving backwards will make you a better athlete (deceleration mechanics) and for some it could save your life in the event of a fall. You can start as simply as backwards band walks, backwards crawling, reverse lunges, then advance to backwards ladder drills & back pedaling.

#MovementAsMedicine #CFSC #BodyByBoyle – @CollectMomentsNotThingz