I think it's easy to assume if someone has excessive range at the shoulder or hip that they need lots of stability drills in that area, but where there is HYPER-mobility or excessive range there is often HYPO-mobility elsewhere so it's important to consider both. 

If you lack stability in other areas of your body, especially at the hip and shoulder, you may try to overly tense the pelvic floor or squeeze down the rib cage to give you a sense of stability. 

The problem is, when we hold tension, especially in the posterior pelvic floor or using a strong exhalation strategy (think rectus dominant) it changes how we manage pressure and how strong we can get. 

I see so many people who are breathing down into the pelvic floor to create length, which is fantastic, especially if you are needing to learn to let go, but at some point we need to teach the body that it is safe to let go and that we are strong enough to allow a new possibility. 

I'd like to share with you some new exercises I used in my Alchemy class last week that were a huge hit! 

And even if you do not have a lot of hyper mobility I think you will find huge benefit in these exercises. 

 EXERCISE 1 - Squat with AB and ADduction

As the adductors, glutes, and quads kick on to support the pelvis it may feel safer to allow the pelvic floor to relax on the inhale. This is also a higher level activity which may have more carryover before a workout. 

A few pointers:

• Stay between 60-90 degrees of hip flexion.
• Keep the sit bones lifted and imagine them spreading apart. 
• As you inhale imagine the breath going into the area between your sit bones and rectum. 

Check out this modified version I shared on instagram where I'm using a TRX for help. 

Exercise 2 - Wall Pushup with Squeeze Out and In

As the shoulder girdle feels supported the inhale can help to create opening at the rib cage. If you struggle with pushups, have scapular winging then this variation will be amazing for you!

A few pointers:

• Make sure you fully push away at the top.
• As you drag the hands out and in try to keep a sense of your tripod.
• Start on your knees and use the hamstrings to help you to get the technique down.

Exercise 3: Lateral Lunge ISO with Ab and Adduction

A lateral lunge can be so hard to get right, especially if you are hyper mobile because it can feel like you don't know where you are in space and the hips can hike, tip forward, or rotate or you can arch through your back and not feel your glutes and adductors supporting you.  The iso allows you to take time to work through the position while the wall gives you a sense of where you are in space so you can focus on opening up the pelvis in the back and rotating over the femur to stay lengthened through the external rotators. 

A few pointers:

• Hike and un-hike your hip to make sure you are staying long.
• Only go as low as you can without hiking or compensating. Less is more on this one!

Exercise 4: Banded Pullover

Pullovers can often times be accompanied by a big rib flare which is not necessarily bad but can cause compression in the posterior rib cage which will ultimately lead to a loss of overhead range. By providing a bit more stability at the shoulder joint, and using a 90 90 hamstring drag to anchor our pelvis, we can focus on staying in our range while we inhale to create space in the ribs.  

A few pointers:

• If you want even more expansion, inhale at the end range of both positions.
• Only go as far as you can without the rib cage tipping back and losing connection with the ground.

I hope you enjoy these exercises and they provide you with mobility and stability where you need it! 

If you want to join in on the Alchemy classes check them out here.