Three quick moves to loosen up the body

Stiffness has a way of sneaking up on us, especially when our days are busy and we forget to tune into how our bodies are feeling.

Whenever you feel stiff, try these three simple moves to quickly wake the body up, get the blood moving, and shake off that tension. No preparation needed; you can do these moves anytime, wherever you are.

Try each movement for a couple of minutes and see how you feel. You can also combine them for a more well-rounded warm-up. Do them whenever you need a reset.

Circle and slide move

Use this simple feel-good move to wake up your whole body: slide side to side, bending one knee then the other, while rolling your shoulders and sweeping your arms in big, fluid circles. It’s a great way to loosen up your hips, knees, and shoulders all at once to either get your body ready for more movement or just to loosen up if you are feeling stiff.

Goddess Pose Side Steps

This elongating and grounding movement wakes up your whole body in just a few repetitions. Use this move to strengthen your legs and mobilize your spine: step side to side into a wide, grounded goddess pose, moving between a proud chest lift and a deep forward bend with your arms reaching forward. It’s a full-body tonic.

Turn and reach

Been sitting too long? Staring at screens? Your hips and shoulders are probably asking for some attention.

Use this dynamic move to loosen up your hips, neck and shoulders. This move combines the grounding strength of a wide squat with the lubricating power of a twist and the welcome elongation of a full-body arm reach. It’s a great way to quickly unwind tension and get your whole body moving again. Try it for 5 rounds on each side and see how you feel.