You know the term, “it’s the small things that count”? Well, in the physical therapy world, these 10 little things are some of the small things that count!

Consistency is key.

Performing these things even 1-2 times per day, and just a couple of times per week can have a major impact throughout your life. NOTE: This is assuming you don’t have pain with them!

The Daily “movement Checkup”

Look up. Tilt your head back as far as it will go to potentially feel a stretch in the front of your neck.
Bring your ear to your shoulder. Gently tilt your head side to side to feel a stretch on the opposite side of the neck.
Look over your shoulder. Rotate your head one way, then the other.
Reach up overhead. Reach up towards the ceiling, stretching the sides of your body. Reach high!
Clasp your hands behind your back and try to bring your fist away from your body. Don’t move your trunk (spine) when you do this!
Bend backward. In standing, place your hands on the small of your back. Squeeze your glutes for support. Gently bend backward to create an arch in your back.
Lunge forward. Take a big step forward to open up the front of the hip of the trailing leg.
Squat. Go as low as you can! Can you sit on your heels? Try a wide stance vs. narrow.
Lift the toes! In sitting, lift your toes and feet while keeping your heels on the ground. Can you get the front of the foot off the ground? It’s actually good for blood flow.
Stand on one leg. Practice balancing for up to 30s on one leg and the other. Can you do eyes closed?

These 10 aren’t necessarily the most important things to do, but 10 common things that gradually get harder and harder to do throughout life. Check-in with them every once in a while if you notice that you rarely do them!

If you cannot do some of these things because of pain, limited range of motion, poor balance, or for some other reason, you may benefit from seeing a physical therapist. Even a one-time check-in could allow us to do an assessment to see what things you need to improve on. Talk to us!