The Second Must Do

Categories: Blog May 28, 2017

But If There Were Two...

Last week I talked about the one movement I would do, if I could only do one exercise for building and keeping strength; my must do exercise. If you didn't read about that, it was loaded walking with a backpack and indian clubs, you can read more here. This week, I thought I'd tell you about the next movement I would do if I could chose two movements: It's roll flossing.

Roll flossing is basically segmental rolling from belly to back or back to belly moving from upper body to lower body and lower body to upper body. It's OK. I'll explain it.

This is my favorite way to roll.

From Lower to Upper:
Start by lying on your belly with your arms stretched out overhead.
Take your right leg and reach back and across your body, like a scorpion tail, until your reach rolls you over to your back.
Next, return to your belly by lifting your head and reaching down and across your body with your right arm.

Perhaps a video would help!


From Upper to Lower:
Start by lying on your belly with your arms stretched out overhead.
Take your right elbow, bend it to 90 degrees, look at it, and reach with it to touch it to the floor behind you. Let the reach roll you all the way over to your back.
Next, take your right leg, reach with it up and over your body to roll yourself back to your belly.

Here is a video of the elbow half roll. Just complete the roll all the way to make the above drill as described.


Repeat either of these, or both of these from side to side, back and forth.


Why would this be the second movement I would choose if I could only do two movements?

That's the question.

Here's the answer: I want to feel good and be strong throughout my entire life, even when I'm 144 years old.

Walking with a load will keep me strong. Rolling on the floor will keep me healthy and tied together. Rolling is such a "Big Bang For Your Buck" RESET. It keeps the shoulders and hips connected, it rotates the spine and keeps it healthy, and it nourishes the brain by all the vestibular and tactile stimulation it produces (it keeps those gyroscopes in your head healthy and it keeps the sensors in your skin and muscles well connected to your brains movement map). Rolling also keeps me in contact with the ground, my proving ground - the ground that helps strengthen me. This keeps the ground from becoming the enemy I might fear later in life. The more familiar you are with the ground, the better off you are...

Anyway, through these two movements, I should be able to engage and participate in life the way I want to, in all seasons of life. I should be able to play with my kids, compete in track events, dominate in a game of neighborhood football, or simply go on beautiful hikes and walkabouts with my wife.

If the goal is to be able, and it is, then the plan would be to have a heavy diet of these two movements. And that is actually part of my plan. I engage in these often, nearly every single day.

How about you? If you could do two movements to enjoy the life you want to have, what would they be?

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