Better Squats, Less Pain... Couch Stretch

Today's a big day! This is the first video I filmed while talking. I'm excited to do more videos in the future! It was certainly fun to do! Now, back to our originally scheduled program! Do you sit for hours on end at work? Suffer from chronic back pain? Do your squats suffer from tight hips? Chances are, if you have back pain, it could be originating in your hips. The first thing I show in my movement assessment is how to free up tight hips and one that we do a lot in our group classes. Our bodies are a very complex system and when one part isn't working, chances are it's throwing more things out of whack. Let's take the hips for example... Tight hips hinder proper movement mechanics and can cause knee pain with improper movement. Tight hips will also pull the pelvis forward and cause back pain. In short, proper movement mechanics make for a healthy, pain free body.

So, now the question is asked, "how do I free up my hips?" Well, the number one go-to hip opener and one that can be done at home is the "Couch Stretch." Helping reverse the effects of sitting and freeing up those tight hips and quads will make way for less back pain and higher squat numbers.

There are several variations that we could do it with the couch stretch, each benefitting greatly. Check the video below for each variation and how to perform them. For maximum results, do this at least once a day, at least 2 minutes a side and see how much better you feel after doing so! Move better, feel better!