Move the Hips

May kicked off just as I expected - with color and fresh spring-in-the-mountains air… Whenever the wild flowers start to bloom, my itch for hiking exponentially grows.  I find myself searching for new trails and new hidden mountain lakes to hike to.  I make sure to keep the hike fun and adventurous so that my family will be excited to join me. After all, what fun is it when I am alone?!  Alpine is my dedicated partner but it helps to have others to share the breath taking views and to watch their creativity unfold.   

Critical part of hiking is the movement on uneven surfaces.  It challenges the full body in different ways because hiking is not like walking on the street.  You climb, you duck, you slide, you balance…. Not to mention, the mental exercises - what if a thunderstorm starts, what animal might have created the poop on the trail, where to hide, how to cross a river, etc.

Putting the mental part aside, due to the physical demand on the the body, mobility becomes very important for hiking.  It starts from the hips moves down to the ankles to create a sturdy base for the movement on the uneven surface. Lately, mobility also became the focal point of new generation of exercises. A healthy and “mobile” hip joint helps the muscles both below it and above it to perform at a higher level.

Back in 2013, I had created mini routine for my bootcamp class to open up that hip joint. Since then I made that routine into a flow so that I can do it when I am starting my day or when I am ending it. This is the perfect month to share that routine with you. I hope you will also feel benefits of it as you move through the moves.

Our high five is waiting for you at the end of this flow. :)

Time to cross the river…

In may (or ever), You find snow you play!!