Welcome to this six-week series brought to you exclusively by Whole Life Challenge in partnership with HERO Movement. Each week, Luke Jones will take you through a brand-new video. These practices are optional and are simply one of the many ways you can accomplish your ten daily minutes of mobility.
HERO Movement Mindful Mobility Week 1: The Neck and Shoulders
Welcome to the first session of our Mindful Mobility series. The model we’ll be working with as we move through the body over the next six session looks something like this:
- Attention: Checking in and bringing attention to the area we’re going to be working with to see how it feels right now.
- Mobilize: Creating space, taking that area through existing movement patterns, and introducing new ones to shake things up and add to your movement vocabulary.
- Strengthen: Using simple strengthening exercises to switch on key movers and encourage a healthy, stable resting position.
- Habits: Looking at one or two simple habits you can carry into your everyday life to solidify new patterns and positions.
In our first session, we’re going to start from the top.
The neck and shoulders are two interconnected areas that tend to hold tension. Well, that’s a bit of an understatement, right? So, in this lesson, we’ll go through a gentle, nourishing routine to create space and bring motion to your cervical vertebrae and shoulder joints. And, by adding a dusting of mindfulness to our practice, we may uncover some hidden restrictions and habitual patterns (that may or may not be holding us back).
Please note: while most movements in this series are low impact and can be adjusted for more suitable variations, remember to listen to your body and pause if something doesn’t feel right.
Exercises:
- Simple head nod and shake x 8-10
- Mindful head nod and shake x 8-10
- Lateral head shift x 8-10
- Sagittal head shift x 8-10
- Circular head pattern x 8-10
- Shoulder rolls x 8-10
- External/internal rotations x 8-10
- Wall slides strengthener x 8-10
Healthy Habit Homework:
A simple one to start with: just bringing attention to where your shoulders and neck are sitting during everyday life. When you’re stuck in traffic or standing in line, check in with your body and do a little posture reset if you notice things are starting to slump. Remember: neck long, shoulders relaxed back and down, and you’re good to go!
Join the Movement: Get free access to the HERO Movement Academy, a growing collection of movement and mobility programs, nutrition plans, and habits guides (plus a 50% early bird discount for our upcoming online course, Mindful Movement). Click here to get free access today.
Through articles, videos, courses, and online coaching, his big goal is to help people discover freedom of movement and create lives filled with well-being and adventure.
As a long-time martial arts practitioner, qualified nutritionist, and personal trainer, Luke explores and shares a unique blend of functional mobility, mindfulness, breathwork, and healthy habit forming (finished with a dusting of wanderlust).
When he’s not working with clients or creating content, you’ll find Luke clambering by the coast, spending time with loved ones, or exploring the world with his partner.
