Three Yummy Moves For Neck, Shoulder, & Hand Mobility

Tingly fingers? Achy elbows? Limited range of motion in shoulders? Neck pain? If any of these symptoms apply to you, your nerves need some attention. If not, your nerves still need attention — think prevention.  

Right now, as I type, I am reminded that most of us are at a computer often. Our neck, shoulders, and hands work hard and need care. Discomfort due to pinched nerves is common. And yet, in general, we think a lot more about muscle health than nerve health — toned muscles, strong muscles, flexible muscles, definition, and "cuts" in all the right places. But, without healthy nerves, muscles suffer, weaken, and fatigue. Unlike muscles, nerves do not like to be stretched, they like to be glided and flossed through the muscles.

Incorporate these three yummy upper body "nerve glides" into your daily routine and you are guaranteed to notice the difference in how your neck, shoulders, and hands feel. I've given them each a fun name, so they are easier to remember.

1. The Greta Garbo: start by holding your hand in front of your belly button, palm up, pinky finger turned in. To move, lift your hand to your forehead, flipping it over as you move until your pinky finger touches your forehead. Then reverse the movement to bring your hand back down to where you started. Repeat this 5 to 10 times on the right and left sides and do it several times a day.

2. The Harley Davidson: Hold both your arms out straight out in front of you, palms down. Curl your fingers into your palm and "rev" your imaginary motorcycle by curling and releasing your wrists. Do this 5 to 10 times. Repeat with hands open, pointing fingers toward the ground and then up toward the ceiling like you are placing your hands flat on a wall. Do this several times daily.

3. The Tick Tock: your head will move from side to side for this one, like a pendulum on a clock. Begin with your arm at your side, palm facing your body. Curl your fingers into your hand and curl your wrist. At the same time, bring your head away from the side you are working on, ear toward the opposite shoulder. Then, open your hand and bring your fingers toward the ceiling, flexing at the wrist. At the same time, bring your head toward the side you are working on, ear to shoulder. Repeat this 5 to 10 times, switch sides, and do it several times a day.

Check out my upcoming in-person workshop: FitClinic for a Happy Neck on Thursday, March 9 from 5 to 6:30 PM at Mind the Mat in Del Ray, Alexandria. In this workshop, we will review the techniques above and so much more!  

Plus, stay tuned as our experienced instructors continue to add new mobility classes for every body part on Mind the Mat's FitClinic App. Dr. Megan Brown’s “hips” class and my "neck, shoulders, and hands" class are already up! Become a monthly FitClinic App member and look forward to new mobility content, delivered weekly at your fingertips. Use FitClinic25 at checkout to receive a Stylebook discount of 25% off your monthly FitClinic App membership, for $29.99/month (normally $39.99/month).

Sara VanderGoot

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Co-Owner | Mind the Mat Pilates & Yoga

Sara VanderGoot, CMT, e-RYT 200, RYT 500, is Co-founder of Mind the Mat Pilates and Yoga and Director of Mind the Mat Yoga Alliance certified teacher training program. Sara is an experienced Registered Yoga instructor with Yoga Alliance. She studied Interdisciplinary Yoga with Don and Amba Stapleton in Nosara, Costa Rica and at Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health. Sara is Nationally Certified in Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork, licensed by the Virginia Board of Nursing. Sara has been practicing massage therapy, including specialties Prenatal Massage, Postpartum Massage, Deep Tissue Massage and Thai Yoga Massage, in Del Ray, Alexandria for over 15 years and a yoga instructor for 7 years. At Mind the Mat she specializes in Prenatal Yoga, Postpartum Core Yoga, Mommy and Me Core Yoga, Partners Yoga, and Hot Flow Yoga. Sara frequently acts as a birth companion for many of her clients, doing massage and yoga during labor and delivery to facilitate comfort during both medicated and unmedicated births. Before becoming a massage therapist and yoga instructor, she was a lawyer in the Washington D.C. area and found that the healing practices of massage and yoga brought a balance to her life that she had been searching for.

Mind the Mat Pilates & Yoga was founded in 2008 by Megan Brown, Doctor of Physical Therapy and Polestar Certified Practitioner of Pilates for Rehabilitation and Sara VanderGoot, Nationally Certified Massage Therapist and Registered Yoga Teacher (e-RYT 200, RYT 500). In their private practices as physical therapist and massage therapist respectively Megan and Sara observed that many of their clients were coming in with similar needs: relief for neck and shoulder tension and low back pain as well as a desire for more flexibility in hips and legs, stability in joints, and core strength.

Together Megan and Sara carefully crafted a curriculum of Pilates and yoga classes to address needs for clients who are pregnant, postpartum, have injuries or limitations, who are new to Pilates and yoga, and for those who are advanced students and are looking for an extra challenge.

www.mindthemat.com     

2214 Mount Vernon Avenue

Alexandria, VA 22301

703.683.2228

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