Kettlebell exercises are high intensity movements that utilize your whole body, from your core to your extremeties, but especially the glutes, hips, and shoulders. It is very important to warm up and mobilize these areas before working out with kettlebells to insure better results and continued health.
Mobility Warm Up/Warm Down – do each one until you feel ready to move onto the next – try for at least 20 reps per exercise or as many reps as you are old! Remember to keep a tall/elongated spine, your weight falling into your heels, and your shoulders relaxed and down:
Ear to right and left shoulder — extend ear to the ceiling as you bend your other ear towards your shoulder and lengthen the spine
Head turning right to left — look over your right, then left shoulder, keeping your shoulders down
Head up and down — think about stretching your chin up and your spine lengthening, expand your chest, then as your head moves downward, at the neutral or level position, tuck your chin towards your trachea and then curl your head toward your chest
Shoulder clock bounce — starting with hands out to your sides, parallel to the ground, arms straight, palms to the ground, start bouncing your arms to the front then the back as your move one hand up, and the other down. The up hand's palm is facing forward, the down's palm faces behind. Bounce back to parallel, then repeat on the other side.
The Egyptian arm/torso/hip twist — feet shoulder width, extend your arms in opposite directions and to keep your palms up, front foot stays on the ground, belly twists towards the front foot, back foot raises – front arm palm faces the ground, back arm palm faces the ceiling. Then rotate to the other side and repeat. At each extension, think about extending your fingertips out from your body and elongating your spine. Try to stay upright in a straight line, don’t bend forward and keep your shoulders down
Hug a ball — right arm up, left arm down as if you are holding a large exercise ball in front of you with your hands at the poles. Push your hip to the right to get a comfortable stretch. Switch hand positions and push to the left and repeat
Hip mobility progression — knees slightly bent, move your hips independently of your spine. Keep your upper body as still as possible:
Hips moving from front to back — tucking forward and extending back
Hips moving from side to side — isolate your spine as you move your hips from side to side (think hula)
Hips moving in circles to the right then left — think that your spine is a pole extending up toward the sky and down into the ground. Your hips are moving around the pole, with your torso as still as possible
Qi Gong twist — feet shoulder length apart, planted firmly on the ground, start twisting your body to the right, leading with your bellybutton. Then twist to your left, then repeat. Your arms should swing loosely from your shoulders and allow them to slap your body on each side/back with each twist
Toe touch sequence:
Stand with your feet parallel and far enough apart for you to comfortable touch the ground. Touch ground then as you're standing up, pull your kneecaps up into your thighs and tighten your quads, as you push your hips forward and pinch your glutes - try and clench your whole body in the upright position and repeat. Each time you touch the ground try and pull your butt back as though you are reaching with it to touch a wall behind you. As it becomes easier to touch the ground, narrow your stance
Repeat the above, but when you stand, pinch your glutes hard as you elongate your torso, looking and reaching up to the sky and slightly behind you with your arms, repeat
Hips and hamstrings — hands and feet on ground approximately shoulder width apart with weight evenly distributed between front and back, elbows locked and keeping your shoulders over your hands. Bend knees toward the ground, making sure to track your knees with you feet (don't let your knees bend in), then straighten legs out pushing your heels into the ground, feel the stretch in the hamstrings, and repeat
The Pump — hands and feet on ground approximately shoulder width apart, with legs kicked back. Lower pelvis to the floor with elbows locked, back in extension, with long spine and chin up (as if you were dragging yourself forward), then in one fluid movement, push your hips up and back into the air in a pike position, pushing your chest and heels into the ground, repeat
Calf warm up — in the pike position from The Pump, run in place pushing your heels into the ground
You're done, enjoy your workout!
