Over the years I’ve introduced a lot of people to a lot of different movements, but this one always generates the same feedback: “I love how this feels!” So today, I wish to share with you not one of my favorite sushi orders, but one of my favorite mobility drills. I present to you, the rainbow roll.
Some benefits:
- feels relaxing
- gets you up and down off the floor
- opens up tight chest and upper body muscles
- can be modified to suit your needs
How to do it:
- Get on the floor as gracefully and quietly as you can.
- Lay back with your feet flat on the floor.
- Bring your arms up like a T-rex.
- Gently roll to one side.
- Reach the top arm as far forward as you can.
- Trace a rainbow up and over your head, your hand may or may not graze the floor.
- As you naturally roll to your other side, pull your arm back in.
- Reach out with the opposite arm (now on top).
- Repeat!
You can vary your speed: try it fast and slow. Try stopping when you reach a nice stretch. You can do this before or after a workout, or throughout the day if you’re sitting at a desk for too long. Play with your hip and leg positions, or try rolling all the way to your belly. This is a wonderful basic movement that can inspire even more movement flow. See how creative you can get!