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The High Performance Journal

5 Exercises That Fix 90% Of Problems

high performance journal Dec 03, 2024

Read time: 3.8 minutes

The High Performance Journal - December 3rd, 2024

Does your body feel stiff or achy?

Do your shoulders slouch forward, revealing a posture that resembles a croissant?

If you said "Yes" to any of these, then I've got good news for you:

You can fix these with a few simple exercises.

 

Lacking mobility in key areas of the body can lead to poor movement capacity and posture, which can increase your risk of injury and impact your quality of life.

When we look at pain, we usually focus on where the pain is coming from, which is a poor approach.

If we want to fix our bodies once and for all, we need to look at what the root cause is and fix it for good.

So, in this article, I will show the 5 exercises that will fix 90% of your problems.

You ready? Let's go!

5 Exercises That Fix 90% Of Problems

There's a 2 step formula for finding out where your pain is coming from:

Step 1 - Assess the pain
Step 2 - Fix the root

There are 5 main areas where you'll most feel pain: the shoulders, mid and upper back, hips, ankles, and a mystery part that no one cares to think about.

1. Shoulder Mobility

Assess Test: Perform the Apley Scratch Test

  • Reach one arm up and over your shoulder
  • Reach the other arm up your back
  • Aim for fingers to touch or reach specific points on your shoulder blades
  • Your fingers should be able to touch each other.

Exercise Fix: Towel Mobility Drill

  • Use a towel or shirt behind your back
  • Pull down to mobilize the top arm
  • Pull up to mobilize the bottom arm
     

2. Thoracic Spine Mobility

Assess Test: Take a side-view picture and check for a rounded upper back. If you have a picture resembling the picture on the right, you can use the following exercises to fix them.

Exercise Fixes: 1. Thoracic Opener and 2. Bar Hangs

1. Thoracic Extension

 

  1. Place elbows on a bench or couch
  2. Drop chest towards the floor and hold for 2 seconds
  3. Repeat for 6-12 reps

2. Bar Hangs 

 

  1. Place hands on a pull-up bar
  2. Let yourself hang for as long as you can handle
  3. Work up to 1 minute and eventually 2 minute hangs

3. Hip Mobility

Assess Test: Perform a bodyweight squat and check for 3 things:

  • Excessive foot turn-out
  • Inability to go below parallel
  • Hip shift to one side

Exercise Fix: The couch stretch (and the ankle exercise in #4) 

  • Place knee on a mat
  • Place your foot on a couch or bench
  • Slide leg in
  • Squeeze your butt & raise your arm
  • Hold this for 30 to 60 seconds

4. Ankle Mobility

Assess Test: Perform a bodyweight squat and check for these 3 things:

  1. Check depth without a heel lift or excessive forward lean
  2. Check for feet turning out as you go down.
  3. Repeat with weight plates or book under heels to compare

Exercise Fix: Ankle Mobs 

  • Place one foot on an elevated platform
  • Drive knee over toe while keeping the heel planted and hold for 1-2 seconds
  • Repeat for 6-12 reps

5. Being Excessively Overweight

Every pound you lose takes 4 pounds of pressure off your knees and 6 pounds off your hips.

A 5% reduction in body weight can result in a 50% reduction in joint pain!

 

If you have 20 or more pounds to lose, it can have a dramatic effect on relieving the pain you experience on a day-to-day basis.

I've made a few articles on how to reverse this that you can access ​here​, ​here​, and ​here​.

Don't Be An Ostrich

There's a theory in psychology known as the ostrich effect:

When an ostrich sees something they fear they bury their heads in the sand, hoping the danger goes away.

Now, this has been debunked over time, but it teaches a great lesson.

If you've been dealing with pain, please do not bury your head in the sand, ignore it, and hope it goes away.

There is a solution for everything. Fix the problem at the root and give yourself time.

Consistency will always win the game.

I hope this article helped point you in the right direction. If you need any clarification on anything, reply to this email, and I'll do my best to help.

Onwards and upwards. 🚀

- Dan

 

When you're ready, here are 3 ways I can help:

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Disclaimer: This email is provided for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute providing medical advice or professional services. The information provided should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, and those seeking personal medical advice should consult with a licensed physician.

 

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