Help, I'm So Sore This Morning!

written by Mary Ellen Coffey
 
When you exercise regularly, or are new to exercise you'll have days when you wake up feeling pretty darn sore. It may be an overall soreness, or could be specific to certain areas, but it's during these times in particular that it's important to motivate yourself to move and release that soreness.
 
By warming up your joints and muscles with these simple mobility, body weight, and resistance band movements you'll ease away that stiffness, release the tension it's causing within your body, and feel your soreness fade away.
                                                              
Ten simple drills you can do to ease away that soreness:

1. Leg Swings: stand tall, sideways to a wall with your right hand placed on the wall for balance. Swing your left leg forward and back being careful not to arch your back on the back swing. Let your glutes do the work. 10 reps each side  
2. Side Leg Swings: stand tall facing a wall with arms straight and both hands placed on the wall. Keeping your left leg planted swing your right leg across your front towards your left side and  immediately to your right side keeping your toes pointing up. Let your hips rotate with your leg. 10 reps each side
3. Hip Circles: place your hands on your hips and circle your hips around as if practicing the hula hoop. Make sure the movement comes from the hips and not lower back. 10 circles each way  
4. Knee Hugs: as you step forward hug one knee to your chest and squeeze, repeat with the other knee as you continue to move forward. 10 each leg  
5. Butt Kicks: moving forward with your hands behind you over your buttocks, and palms facing out, bend your knee and kick your right heel towards your right palm, walking forward kick your left heel towards your left palm. You should feel a stretch in front of your leg. 10 each leg  
6. Squats: holding on to a sturdy object squat down as far as is comfortable for you, keeping your spine straight and chest proud. 5 times  
7. Inverted Hamstring: stand tall, right hand on wall for balance (if need be), balance on right leg, and as you bring your left leg back drop your torso forward by bending at the hips while keeping your spine straight. Get as straight as you can from head to toe, and stand back up. 10 each side
8. Lateral band walks: place a band around your ankles and move laterally to the right. Slight bend in knees being careful to not let knees cave in, knees stay over ankles. 5 times right 5 times left
9. Band one arm chest press: anchor band behind you, set up in lunge position, grab band and punch forward. 10 times each side
10. Band hip hinge: anchor band in front of you, grab handle, move back so there's resistance on the band, legs hip width apart, shoulders down, arms straight, and pull band to body, hip hinge, spine straight, and allow hands to pass through legs high in groin area. Back up to starting position and repeat 10 times. With band behind you this time, grab band between legs, walk out until you feel the band resistance, legs hip width apart, keeping arms planted to front of body, hip hinge with spine straight, and allow band to pull your hands through, go into a deep hip hinge and then push hips forward keeping arms planted on front of body. 10 times