Flexibility 2: Practices to Improve Mobility

In my last article, I highlighted the importance of flexibility and body awareness for flying. I also discussed how flexibility can sometimes present a challenge to performance.

In this article, I offer a few practices to cultivate body awareness and help with flexibility issues I find common among men and women…

Cultivating Flexibility and Body Awareness In Flying.

How then can we start to build flexibility and body awareness? The most obvious route to a flexible body is through deep stretching, yoga and mobility classes. If you’re unfamiliar with practicing yoga, it can be somewhat intimidating. I’d recommend a few Youtube channels that have a good selection of beginner yoga and mobility to get you started. You can also read more about training the mind and body here. Below I’ll share a few practices that you could easily adopt into your morning routine.

Mountain Pose

Starting your day and going through a standing recruitment of core muscle groups is a good way to get into the body before any activity. In yoga, we have a pose called Mountain Pose. This is a great one to fire up your body and really build that awareness from the ground up.

Stand with feet hip width apart. Plant the feet on the ground and spread your toes. Really feel yourself push into the ground with your feet. Slowly engage your quads by lifting your kneecaps, engage your hamstrings. Roll your tailbone under, engage your obliques and abs. Slightly lift your sternum, bring your shoulders forward, up and back. Engage the arms next to your hips, open the fingers and have palms facing forward. Slightly tuck your chin. Hold this position for 30 seconds. Work your way back down, softening the body as you go. Do this 3-5 times to isolate and fire up your body. 

Opening Up Tight Hips

There are lots of practices that can help to improve the flexibility and body awareness of our hips. Here are three practices I would like to share.

90/90 Switch

This move targets both the internal and external rotators of the hip. This is a good one to add daily to your routine for overall hip health and mobility. 

Sit on the floor with your right leg in front of you, bent at a 90 degree angle. Position your left leg behind you, also at a 90 degree angle. Your right thigh should be perpendicular to your right shin, and your left thigh should be perpendicular to your left shin. Both legs should be in 90 degrees, thus the name “90/90s.”
Sit up tall, with your spine straight. Ensure both sit bones are as grounded on the floor as possible.

Keeping your feet on the ground, rotate your legs to the opposite side by lifting both knees and transitioning them over. Keep your upper boddy staight, and allow the hips to open as you move through the switch. Your opposite leg will be in the front 90-degree position, and the back leg behind you. Continue rotating your legs from side to side in a smooth, controlled motion.

For added stability and a core challenge, you can perform the switches with your arms at your chest. Another alternative is adding a forward hinge/fold of the upper body across the front leg in between rotations.

Pigeon pose with alternative

This is a static yoga pose that is excellent for opening the hips and stretching the hip flexors and glutes.

• Start in a downward-facing dog position.
• Bring your right knee forward and place it behind your right wrist.
• Lay your right shin on the floor, with your right foot in front of your left hip.
• Extend your left leg straight back behind you, keeping the top of the foot on the floor.
• Square your hips to the front and fold forward over your front leg.
• Hold for 1 minute (or longer) per side.

Alternative: Thread the needle

• Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
• Place your right ankle over your left thigh, forming a figure-four shape. Keep your right foot flexed to protect your knee.
• Reach your right hand through your legs and clasp your hands behind your left thigh.
• Gently pull your left thigh toward your chest to deepen the stretch in your right hip and glutes.
• Keep your head, shoulders, and lower back relaxed and grounded.
• Hold for a minute
• Lower your left foot, uncross your legs, and repeat on the other side.

DEEP SQUAT

Deep squats improve lower body strength, mobility, and flexibility. They also enhance your muscle activation in the quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves. It’s a great move for functional movement and joint health.

• Stand with your feet slightly wider than hip width apart.
• Turn your toes out slightly if you need to.
• Bend your knees and lower your hips down into a deep squat.
• Keep your heels on the floor. If your heels are lifted, you can walk your feet out wider or put a blanket underneath the feet for support. 
• Bring your palms together in front of your chest in a prayer position.
• Press your elbows against the inside of your knees to help open your hips wider. Try to relax your glutes here.
• Lengthen your spine by lifting your chest and keeping your back straight.
• Hold the pose for 30 seconds to a minute. Focus on lengthening the spine, opening the hips and keeping the crown of the head pointed up, tailbone down. 

Add In Mobility

Put your hands on top of your feet. Lift your hips up, letting your head come down into a forward fold. Then bring your tailbone down and head up, back into the squat pose. Do this several times. 

SHOULDERS

I see a lot of tights shoulders in the tunnel and in the sky. Having limited range in the shoulers or just poor shoulder mobility and health can be a limiting factor in your flying. Whether they’re tight from lifting, a desk job, or lack of movement and good posture, including some shoulder movements can help free more range for you.

Thread The Needle

• Start on all fours in a tabletop position, with your wrists under your shoulders and knees under your hips.
• Slide your right arm underneath your left arm, palm facing up, until your right shoulder and temple rest on the floor.
• Extend your left arm forward, or keep it bent with your hand resting on the floor for support.
• Hold the stretch for 20-30 seconds, feeling the stretch in your right shoulder and upper back.
• Return to the starting position and repeat on the other side.

Shoulder Circles

• Raise your arms out to the sides to shoulder height, forming a T-shape with your body.
• Keep your arms straight but not locked.
• Begin by making small circles with your arms, moving them forward.
• Start with small circles and slowly increase the size. Repeat for 30 seconds and then switch direction. 

Puppy Pose

• Begin on all fours in a tabletop position, with your wrists under your shoulders and your knees under your hips.
• Slowly walk your hands forward, extending your arms in front of you.
• Keep your hips directly above your knees as you lower your chest towards the floor.
• Allow your chest to sink down towards the mat.
• Rest your forehead on the floor or, for a deeper stretch, rest your chin on the floor (be gentle with your neck in this position).
• Keep your arms straight and extend them fully with your palms facing down.
• Press your palms into the floor to help deepen the stretch in your shoulders and upper back. 
• Hold the pose for 20-30 seconds, or longer if comfortable.

BREATHING TECHNIQUES

Related, which I find useful for certain days of flying, are two breathwork practices. Add these to your visualization or just before exit to calm the mind and refocus before performing. 

Box breathing / Square Breathing

This technique involves four equal phases of breathing: inhaling, holding, exhaling, and holding the breath again.

• Slowly inhale through your nose for a count of 4. Focus on filling your lungs completely, allowing your abdomen to expand.
• Hold your breath for a count of 4. Try to keep your body relaxed during this phase.
• Slowly exhale through your mouth for a count of 4. Focus on emptying your lungs completely, letting your abdomen contract.
• Hold your breath again for a count of 4. Maintain a relaxed posture and try not to tense up.
• Aim to complete at least 5 cycles or continue for as long as you feel comfortable.

Physiological Sigh

This can be done as needed to quickly reduce stress, refocus and help calm you. This breathing pattern can help to lower levels of carbon dioxide in the blood and increase oxygen, which helps create a sense of calm and relaxation.

• Take a deep, slow inhale through your nose, filling your lungs as much as possible.
• Just before you reach the peak of your first inhale, take a second, shorter inhale through your nose. This helps to fully inflate the alveoli (air sacs) in your lungs.
• Exhale slowly and fully through your mouth, taking longer to exhale than you did to inhale. Let the exhale be controlled and steady.
• Perform 2-3 cycles of the physiological sigh. This can be done as needed to quickly reduce stress, refocus and help calm you. Useful before jumps. 

There are so many roads to flexibility, mobility and body awareness. The best one for you is the one that you’ll actually take. Men, don’t be intimidated by mobility and yoga – it’s mostly men I see who need it the most. Women, don’t practice yoga without also picking up heavy things. Flexibility without the strength isn’t balanced.

If you found any of this interesting and want to dive deeper, you can find me on Instagram!