Focus:
Focus on breathing, moving gently, and paying attention to your body. Do not force any positions or push into discomfort. Muscle tension is neurological. Flexibility is a skill, and more about control than forcing it.
Instructions:
3 rounds of the below:
90/90 – hold 30 seconds / 5 deep breaths each way. Emphasize the spinal twist.
Cat/Cow – 5-10 each way, breathing deep in & out with movement
J-Curl – 3 slow reps. Articulate at each joint of the spine. Start grasping a broom, etc. and graduate to light weights. Stand on a step or yoga blocks to fold deeper if needed
Squat-twist – 3-5 each way, taking a deep breath at the top
Combination:
The mixed flexibility sessions are more like strength training than stretching. I recommend doing these at the end of training days rather than on rest days. Be aware that combining similar movements (like doing a hip flexibility mixed session after deadlifting) may be extra fatiguing.
90/90: press both knees into ground slightly during stretch. Try to turn the upper back with the legs, so in the below picture I would be looking as far left as I can. Breath deeply.
Cat/cow: Breathe with the movement, look for “sticking points” in your back that don’t move as well. Focus on opening up through these points over time.
J-curl (Jefferson curl): Keep your knees ever so slightly bent, and stabilize the core by breathing in. Curl down one bit at a time through your spine. You can do this with an object like a book or broom at first, then graduate to small weights.
Elevate the feet if you can easily reach the floor. Use some yoga blocks like I am here, or the bottom step of a staircase.
Squat & twist: Squat down as low as you can. Position outside of the arms inside your legs. Turn to the side, pressing one hand into the floor, and reaching skyward with the other hand. Hold and take a deep breath, then switch sides.