Neck, upper back, shoulders, wrists, lower back, hips, knees and ankles

Full Body Warm-Up: Seated

A complete, accessible warm-up that prepares your body without leaving the chair.

How to do it

1. 1

   Choose a stable chair that cannot roll

   Sit with both feet flat on the floor and your weight even through both sides. Give yourself enough room on the seat to move in every direction.

2. 2

   Wake up the neck and shoulders first

   Slow nods, small turns to each side, then roll the shoulders back a few times. Let the jaw and the face stay soft while you do it.

3. 3

   Move your spine in each of its directions

   Round and lengthen the back, tip gently to one side and then the other, then turn to look over each shoulder. Small in all three directions is the aim, rather than deep in one.

4. 4

   Finish with the hips, knees, ankles and feet

   Lift one knee and then the other, straighten and bend each leg, circle the ankles, then spread and curl the toes.

5. 5

   Give the whole sequence three to five minutes

   A handful of slow repetitions per joint is plenty before you move on. Every movement can be made smaller to suit the day.

What to watch for

A chair with wheels or a seat that tilts, which quietly turns small joint movements into balance work. Both feet stay on the floor from start to finish.

Ways to adjust it

• Range per ability: every movement can be made smaller
• Range per ability

Other ways to do this movement

Every version below is the same movement set up differently, so one of them usually suits.

• Full Body Warm-Up: Chair
• Full Body Warm-Up: Quadruped
• Full Body Warm-Up: Supine

Before you try it

Move within a range that stays comfortable. Stop if this brings on sharp pain, dizziness, or symptoms that travel down an arm or a leg, and speak to a clinician before repeating it.

From the clinically authored Vinys movement library.