Stiff, Cranky Hips? Use This Daily Mobility Routine

Stiff, tight hips are no fun. They can limit you in all sorts of activities, from running to climbing, to martial arts, or just plain moving around doing daily activities.My hips took a beating from years of sitting at a 9 to 5 desk job, and they're still recovering. But with daily practice and self-care they've come a long way and I'm inching closer to the splits every day.So wherever you're at, be patient with the process and know that with a little love and attention, they will get better over time.

Use this beginner-friendly hip mobility routine to start feeling better in your body immediately:

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Here's a breakdown of the movements:

• Leg Raises. Keep the leg straight and make sure the tailbone/butt doesn't lift off the ground as your foot lifts. Perform 10 repetitions on each leg.
• Hip Circles. With one leg bent and the other straight, perform a circle with your leg, aiming to draw a big, smooth circle with your foot on the ceiling. Make sure the opposite hip stays planted on the ground and doesn't lift. Perform 5 repetitions and then switch directions.
• Butterfly Stretch. Bring the soles of the feet together and place as close to your butt as is comfortable for you. Allow the knees to slowly relax down to the ground. Remember to breathe! Hold for about 30-60 seconds.
• Lower Spine Twist. Keeping one leg straight, bring the knee across your body until it reaches toward the floor. The same side arm can be bent at 90° or straight, depending on where you want to target the stretch. On every exhale, relax deeper into the stretch. Hold for 60 seconds on each side.
• Frog Stretch. Hold the knees in your hands and pull your legs close to your chest without lifting your lower back off the ground. Rock side to side gently and find where you need the stretch the most. Explore with rocking on your back up into a squat. Hold for 60 seconds.
• Quadruped Hip Circles. Begin in a hands and knees position, with your shoulders stacked directly over your wrists, and your hips over your knees. Bring one knee toward your chest, then out to the side, and finally back behind you, aiming to draw a smooth, big circle with your knee. Go slowly and smooth out any parts that are rough or sticky. Perform three repetitions in each direction on both sides.
• Walking the Dog. From hands and knees press your butt up high into the "down dog" position. With one leg bent, straighten the other leg and press the heel down. Move your hips to the side to find a good stretch through your glutes and side of the leg. Repeat this on both sides for 5-10 repetitions.
• Assisted Squat. From down dog, walk your hands back and your butt down into a deep squat. Hold for 30 seconds or however long you are able.
• Deep Frogger. Planting the hands down on the ground, bring the knees down and bent at about a 90° angle. Play with rocking the hips forward and back, side to side. Only bring the legs as wide as is comfortable for you. Breathe into the stretch and hold for 60 seconds.
• 90/90 Sit. Sit tall by pressing your hand behind you and get your knees into a 90° position. Drop one knee down and let the other follow until you're in a 90/90 position. If you need to bend the knees more, go for it. Listen to your body and honor where you are. To deepen the stretch reach your belly button over your front shin. Breathe and hold for 60 seconds and repeat on the other side.
• Pancake (or Straddle). Splaying the legs wide as is comfortable for you, press your hands behind you to sit taller in the position. If your lower back is still rounded, use a bolster to elevate your butt (a yoga block or cushion works great). Reach forward with your belly button to deepen the stretch. Explore moving side-to-side and find where you need the stretch most. Hold for 60 seconds.

Remember, chronic stiffness and nagging pains are not normal

The more you move every day and take care of your body, the better you will feel. You don't have to accept a slow decline or believe that "this is just the way it is" now.Try this simple routine for a week and see how your body feels.Let us know if the Movement Lifestyle group.If you know someone that needs more buttery smooth hips, make sure to share this with them. :)

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Stiff From Too Much Sitting? Here's the Cure

Stretching and getting up to take breaks is great, but we all know it's a temporary fix. If you want to get at the root and cure your sitting stiffness, watch this video and follow the steps I recommend:

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If you want to make a big transformation in your body like the students in my video, I can help. Schedule a free 1-on-1 chat with me in the next week.

Why Gym Routines Don't Work For You (and a better approach)

When I look around I see too many people trying to force themselves through workouts they don't care about to win the approval of people that don't really matter.Screw that.What I suggest is an approach that places who you are at the center.When you build fitness from the inside out, you no longer have to force or guilt yourself to stay in shape.This short video explains what I mean.

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How do you build your fitness from the inside-out?

Well first, you're going to need to stop a few things. Namely...

• Stop comparing yourself to others. Seriously, it's not worth it. You're running your own race. We all are.
• Stop basing your self worth on a number. It's not about how many times you worked out, how far you ran, or how much weight you lifted. Your worth can never be quantified by living up to some fitness ideal. Don't let anyone sell you otherwise.
• Stop forcing yourself through routines that don't feel meaningful to you. You have permission to define what fitness means to you, based on your lifestyle and what you want to do with your body.

Once you've done that, it's time to figure out what you need to thrive.

Know and honor your DNA > Standardized fitness routines

So, who are you? Well, the way I see it there are two levels of who you are:

1. First, you're a homo sapien. In other words, you're a mammal that requires a certain environment and needs to be met to thrive (clean air, sunshine, whole foods, nourishing movement, etc.)
2. Second, you're a unique individual. You are also a person that has certain strengths, weaknesses, patterns, limitations and a set of beliefs about your body based on the story you have and life experiences you've accumulated.

The shame in our world is that we are all trying to pretend we're not animals, we think we're "higher beings" or something that are beyond basic needs. But the truth is we need good food, movement, sun, air, water and loving support just like all other apes. Take any of those things away, and you can be sure that our health and fitness will suffer.Getting back to a thriving body means we need to honor our "apeness" by taking control of our own environments, and building better habits.

• Does your work and career support the health of your body, or does it make you stiff and tired?
• Is there open floor to roll around on or is it all filled with furniture used to stare into screens?
• Is your fridge packed with fresh, organic veggies and meat, or processed junk?
• How about something to hang from to open your shoulders like an ape might need?

It might sound bizarre, but consider what kind of zoo you'd build if you wanted humans to thrive in their health and fitness. Model your own environment around that to the best of your abilities.Your environment shapes who you are most, if you don't take control of it, you're fighting a losing battle.

How can you honor what you most deeply need?

The second piece is to look at what you uniquely need. Maybe that's to be more disciplined, to have more social support, to take on a new identity about what you're really capable of.If you can become aware of what you (not anyone else) most deeply need to thrive, then it's a matter of honoring what you need, rather than forcing, shaming and guilting yourself to go to the gym.Of course, that requires that you slow down, check in with yourself, and listen to the signals your body is sending you. Perhaps you need to stretch more, to go outside more, to let go of trying to live up to some ridiculous expectations.Whatever it is, know that it is a continual practice. Your best self is revealed in every day that you show up and honor who you are, where you are, and what you need.Becoming the fittest, most badass version of yourself can really be as simple as that.P.S. Need some help getting more flexible and moving more consistently? Book a free strategy session with me and I'll help you create a roadmap to a body you love to wake up and live in.

The Whole Story: How I Rehabbed a Stiff, Broken Body with Natural Movement

Until this point, I haven't shared the whole story about how I've healed my body from years of neglect.For too long I've been trying to make a logical argument about why mainstream fitness is broken and how we got to this strange, disconnected place.And I've recently realized what a giant mistake that's been.Because the reality is that understanding why things are the way they are doesn't change much (if anything).

So it's time I share with you exactly how I've transformed my body

I'm including all the messy parts because I think those are often much more valuable than the well-groomed, before-and-after picture stories with perfect lighting.And believe me, my journey to rebuilding my body from a hunched-over, fragile desk worker to the adaptable, resilient strength I enjoy now is far from a nice and neat overnight success story.My hope is that it will inspire you to create and build a new story with your body.If it does, please share with myself and the rest of the tribe. I'll give you some details on that at the end.Before I jump into things, I want to be clear: I didn't always have the outlook on fitness and movement that I do now.

In the beginning, I just wanted to impress people and look good naked

My journey didn't start with wanting to be resilient and injury free. In the beginning, I just wanted to look good with my shirt off, and be able to perform cool tricks with my body.But for a long time, I ignored my body completely. The thought of exercise and going to the gym just felt boring to me. Watching Netflix, going to the bar after work, and playing video games was much more appealing because of the instant gratification it offered.It wasn't until years of neglect working at a desk for 8-9 hours, not eating well and generally wrecking body that something changed for me.I got inspired by Bruce Lee, and I was instantly drawn to learning the martial art he had synthesized from a decade of study, Jeet Kune Do.So I sought out a teacher. And once I found one, I was hooked on training.Nhan introduced me to things like barefoot running and practicing martial arts outside, not just in a sweaty gym. He also introduced me to what would later become my nemesis: training with gymnastic rings.All of a sudden fitness was fun to me again, and it was all I wanted to do.

But all my enthusiasm mostly lead to overtraining and injury

Look, I was excited, okay? I had high aspirations for myself and set my standard of achievement against the likes of Bruce Lee and Olympic gymnasts.Looking back, my naivete was kind of charming.I was raised to believe you could "be whatever you want," so that's what I aimed for.I wanted to be able to kick someone in the head and do an iron cross. The problem was that I had no idea what I was doing and had very little body awareness. So mostly, I just ended up injuring myself.That didn't stop me, though. I dedicated myself to corrective exercise, working on my posture, and spending hours a day doing mobility exercises.But the sad truth was that despite spending hours daily in the gym, I hurt all the time.Something as simple as reaching to pick something off the floor could create a spasm in my neck or back. A basic movement like a pull-up could send my shoulder into pain that would take weeks to undo.I woke up feeling like an old man in a 24-year-old body and couldn't figure out why, or how to fix it.

Wherever I looked, I found something wrong

It seemed like no matter what I did, there was always something going on with my body. I would stretch my neck and find some relief, then my shoulder would start bothering me. I'd do some yoga, then find my ankle or hip yelling out in pain.I wanted to be able to run, climb, do cool parkour movements and have fun moving my body, but it felt like no matter what I did to try to fix myself, nothing seemed to give me lasting results.There were a lot of days where I felt hopeless, and honestly, like giving up.And while I'm ashamed to admit it, some days I found some guilty pleasure hearing about others injuring themselves or dealing with chronic pain. It helped me feel like I wasn't the only one that was broken.Those were the worst days, the days where I felt depressed and like giving up.But luckily, I'm a pretty damn stubborn person, so I kept searching.

I spent thousands of dollars on treatments, coaches, and body-mind therapies

It wasn't just Youtube videos, online courses, and coaches that I worked with to try to fix my body.I worked with countless massage therapists, chiropractors, physical therapists, and even mystical energy healers.There were the times I tried aligning my chakras, doing daily qigong barefoot at sunrise, and of course, working endlessly on my posture. The nutritional side didn't go unexplored either. I guzzled bone broth, ate paleo, downed turmeric, inhaled probiotics and sipped mysterious mixtures of Chinese herbs.Some of it gave me relief, but the pain and dysfunction always found a way to creep back in.I know now that one of the biggest mistakes I made was healing then jumping straight back into challenging movements gymnastics and martial arts training too quickly.But because I didn't really know my body, I wasn't aware of the damage and counter-productiveness of what I was doing.And most of the experts didn't seem to think that healing from chronic, long-term injuries was possible.

"This is just something you'll have to deal with"

The most maddening thing was when I would ask body workers how to permanently heal from the pains I was facing, and most just smiled, nodded and said:"Your shoulder is probably just like that, sorry."And you know what, for a while I believed them. I thought maybe that healing from injury and the imbalances I've ingrained in my body through years of desk work were just too much to undo.Maybe I was just "like this," and needed to accept a sub-optimal, broken body.Maybe having the body I truly wanted wasn't possible, and it would be easier if I just accepted that this is just "the way things are."But that was a conclusion too depressing for me to accept for very long.One thing I've learned about myself is that I refuse to settle. There was a voice within me that kept saying "Healing, total healing is possible."And then I was led to a strange, unexpected breakthrough...

How the floor became my teacher

When I read the headlines that sent shockwaves through the internet, "Sitting is the New Smoking," it sparked something for me.A big reaction to those headlines was the explosion of standing desks. If sitting is killing you, then we should obviously be standing instead, right?The problem with that, I realized, is that we just end up replacing one static posture for another.It's not actually sitting that's the problem. It's doing the same thing, all the time. It's living a life divorced from the way we're meant to move in nature that's the real problem.So, I started sitting on the floor. I started squatting, kneeling and sitting in all sorts of positions while I worked.I was looking for ways to emulate what I would have been doing as a wild human at work, at home, and in the park.Which led to my biggest breakthrough of all...

Movement started to become the end (not just a means to an end)

Most people don't want to hear that they need to address and look at their whole life. It's uncomfortable, it requires change. You might need to look like a weirdo sitting on the floor or standing while everyone else destroys their posture hunched over at the desk.I didn't want to hear that either. I was looking for the Two Movements That Build Healthy Shoulders! and The Five Keys to Fixing My Posture Once and For All.I wanted to feel better so I could do the things without injuring myself, so I could look good and impress people.But a funny thing ended up happening. I stopped obsessing over all those things because I found when I focused on the process, things got better a lot more quickly. I felt better when I was staying present and mindfully moving through life.Things hurt less and I didn't have all this pressure on myself that I needed to perform X number of sets and reps for every single part of my body to create the ultimate, unbreakable self.Movement became the thing itself. I fell in love with movement as a journey, as a process, not just a way to gain aesthetics, impress others, or get out of pain.Am I saying I'm above those things now? Certainly not. But they aren't the main focus for me now.What lights me up is learning more about my body, and what it's capable of. What excites me is feeling the pleasure of movement, of exploring a new place to move, or a new challenging skill to master.I love being able to have freedom and control in my body and confidence that it's going to be there when I need to work in the garden, go for a hike or climb a tree.But I also understand that it didn't start there for me, and it doesn't for everyone.Which is why I want to help you with one of the biggest transformations I made:

How I reintegrated the missing key primal movements back into my life

These are movements you won't find in a gym routine, a CrossFit workout, or a yoga practice (not that there's anything wrong with those things).These are the missing movements you need to learn to reclaim your naturally resilient, strong body.At first, I did these as an isolated practice, which at first can actually be a good thing because dedicating time to relearn and get acquainted with your body is always a good thing. But over time, I found that it was easier for me to actually do them if I integrated them into my life.These days I know longer wake up in pain. I have confidence in hiking, climbing, practicing martial arts and rolling around on the ground. Because I know myself and my body, I rarely fear I'm going to injure myself. I know my edges and I'm able to continually push them safely to expand my possibilities for play.The best part is that movement for me is now automatic. It's not something where I have to force myself to get off the couch and go to the gym because I feel guilty.I move because it's a habit that takes little effort to maintain. Movement has become a joy for me because it's no longer all about training. It's about exploring what my body is capable of.

What's the new story you want to create with your body?

In the next post, I'm going to show you how you can integrate these missing primal movements back into your life.The best part is that it doesn't take any extra time.In the meantime, I would love if you share with me a little about your story and how you feel natural movement can help you.Click here to share with the tribe in the private online group.And if you know someone that has given up or is struggling with their body, please take a moment to share this with them.

What is Animal Flow and Who Is it For? Here's the Breakdown

When I first discovered Animal Flow I was intrigued, but I'll admit, I rolled my eyes a bit at first.No, there's no "accessing your inner tiger" or weird growling noises involved.It is a bit weird, though. Good thing I happen to like weird.As you might know by now, I'm a big fan of natural movement. (No big shocker there.) I also know that crawling around and moving on the ground is a big piece of primal movement most of us aren't getting enough of.As I said, at first, I was a bit skeptical. The animal style movement thing clearly resonates with people tired of doing boring, gym-style workouts. But the way it's presented can often be a little cheesy or over the top.I mean, scorpions, crabs and beasts put into a yoga-like flow? That can easily veer into gimmick territory.But, since I was curious, I decided to put aside my biases and try it out. I started with the online training program they offer, which is great for doing at home, or in a park. I started by going through all of the movements one-by-one.Some of them were familiar, like the quadruped crawl or crab crawl, which Animal Flow refers to as the "traveling beast" and "traveling crab." Some were new to me, like the scorpion reach which is a 360° movement, and the beast wave, a really great spinal movement.Novelty is one of the big things I'm always talking about that we need more of. So this scored some points for me. Bonus points for lots of spinal movement, which we almost never do, except for hunching over at the computer, which as you know, isn't the best.I also like that it includes a good amount of deep squatting, another foundational movement I think everyone could use more of.

The flow in Animal Flow

The novelty of the movements, and the ability to put them into flows I found to be the coolest part. While I was used to a good amount of the movements, but I hadn't thought about stringing them together into fluid movements where one links into another.Check out this video of the founder, Mike Fitch doing some of the movements. I have to admit, it's pretty epic and gets you excited about mastering the movements.

What's inside the Animal Flow program

First, let's talk about what exactly it is.Animal Flow is a structured series of animal-style movements that can be linked together to form flows (similar to yoga). It's good for building mobility, strength and developing motor control (something many programs are missing).The way I like to think about it is similar to learning chords or riffs on a guitar. Once you learn enough of the notes (movements), so you can string them together and play fun, interesting songs (or flows with your body).Let's look at the components that lead you into being able to flow.The Animal Flow system is broken down into a few distinct categories:

• Wrist Mobility Drills. These are movements that help strengthen the wrists and prepare you for moving on the ground. Since most folks aren't used to crawling on the ground and putting weight on their wrists these help a lot with preparing your body for the movements ahead.
• Form Specific Stretches. These are mobility drills that help you own the positions you'll be using in the flows. They're great for stretching out tight areas, like the front of the body, and strengthening weak areas, which is typically the back of the body for most people.
• Traveling Forms. This is where the movements start getting put into motion. They consist of the traveling Ape, Beast and Crab, which make up the "ABCs" of Animal Flow. I have to admit, the ABC thing is pretty clever. It certainly make it easier to learn the basic movements when you might be overwhelmed by all that you're getting into.
• Switches and Transitions. These are the movements that help you transition from one position to another, and begin to create a flow. Without the switches, you'd just end up with a bunch of isolated movement patterns. This is where Animal Flow really shines over other bodyweight training programs.
• Flows. These are pre-made flows that combine the Ape, Beast, Crab and other movements, like the Scorpion and Side Kickthrough. A ton of pre-built flows are included in the online training program, but the goal is to eventually get creative and starting making your own flows.

Side note: For those of you not familiar with the "beast," this is pretty much a bear crawl. I'm not sure why they decided to rename it to beast, since it kind of confuses people, and it wouldn't break the "ABC" structure. The "ape" is essentially a deep, flat-footed squat. 

What makes Animal Flow really shine

The thing I found most unique about the Animal Flow system is that it encourages flow and creativity. The goal isn't to do the movements as fast as possible and simply tire yourself out. While that's not a bad thing necessarily, you want to own each of the positions before you try to speed them up.At the teacher training workshop I attended our instructor Clif kept telling us "slow and own" before you try to speed them up.I like this approach a lot, and it's something I teach in my own classes. I want my students to be able to do something very slowly, to totally own the position before they try adding speed or changing tempo.This also makes the program very accessible to beginners. If you are having trouble with the moves, you can always try to do them slower and with more control to find the edge you need to work at.

My favorite part? The crawling patterns

Personally, I love the crawling/traveling movements most in Animal Flow. These are basic developmental positions that we learn as babies to develop motor control and the ability to coordinate our bodies in a fluid way.Going back to these movements is a great way to heal your body and correct imbalances you might have developed over the years (which we all get!).I've spent a lot of time in quadruped positions (beast and crab as they call them in AF) to help me rehab my shoulder and hip injuries, after years of trying to do crazy gymnastics moves I wasn't ready for.Let's just be honest, if you don't have enough stability to control your body on the ground without tipping over, you probably have no business doing muscle-ups and planches. Not that I would know anything about that... ;)Bottom line: the focus on developing motor control and full-body joint stability is what makes Animal Flow different than a lot of bodyweight programs out there.

An Animal Flow inspired routine for beginners

I created this routine to show you a bit of what you can expect with Animal Flow, and the types of movements you'll find in it.This is a good routine to do as a movement break during work. If you're willing to look a little weird in the conference room, that is. Remember, the ones not moving are the weirdos.

Who is Animal Flow for?

I think Animal Flow is a good fit for anyone looking to have spice up their training and create more control in their movements.It's also very scalable for all fitness levels. So whether you're just getting back into training, or have been moving for a long time, you'll find something interesting in it for you.Once you get past the silliness of the names, the system is really quite great. You can tell by the way it's structured that a lot of time and thought went into developing the program. I mean, why not aim for something more than just being able to do harder variations of pushups?My final call: I recommend Animal Flow for anyone wanting to have more fun and creativity in their training.Check out Animal Flow here and see if it's right for youFull disclosure: If you click on the link above and purchase Animal Flow, I will get a cut. This helps me make more awesome videos and tutorials for you. I only promote products I've personally used and tested, so you can be sure they're top notch. Thanks for helping out!