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1. Ankle Rolls

Ankle rolls will loosen all the ligaments and tendons in and around your ankles. Put your toes on the ground just behind your opposite foot. Keeping your toes on the ground, roll your akle around in circles, letting your knees do the work so that your ankles can relax.

2. Knee Circles

This loosens the ligaments around your knees. Place your hand on knees and move them around in clockwise circles and then in the reverse direction.

3. Hip Circles

Great exercise for loosening the ligaments and tendons in your hip and pelvic areas. Stand up straight with your correct posture. Be sure to keep your knees slightly bent. Relax your hips and move your right knee in a circular clockwise direction. Keep your foot in contact with the ground. Then move your left knee in a circular clockwise direction and then do both your right and left knees in a circular anti clockwise direction.

4. Sacrum Circles

This exercise really works to loosen the area around your sacrum which plays a key role in allowing you to have a loose and relaxed leg swing. Place your hands on your hips, keep your back and spine in a vertical position and tip your pelvis forward to the side, to the back, to the opposite side back to forward. So ten full circles with your pelvis and the then change direction. Keep your upper body as motionless as possible when you are moving your pelvis around in circles.
 

5. Pelvic Rotations

Get your posture really well aligned. Your feet are parallel and shoulder width apart. Level your pelvis. DON’T clench your “glutes”. Next, put your left foot behind you almost one shoe length directly back so your feet are still shoulder width apart. Keep your pelvis level. Your weight is primarily on your front foot. Hold your arms at your sides with elbows bent at 90 degrees and your hands level with your waist. With your pelvis level, slowly rotate your hips. Be sure not to rotate your upper body. Your are holding your arms out at your sides to keep your shoulders facing forward while your hops are rotating (as they both should be when you are running or walking).

Then take a step back and do the same exercise with your weight supported leg. Your shoulders remain still, but the lower half of your body is rotating.

6. Spine Rolls

This exercise will loosen all the ligaments along your spinal column. Begin by standing up straight and then bending over at the hips, keeping your upper body posture straight. When you get as far as over as your hamstrings allow you, stretch your spine in both directions by pushing back with your hips. Hold this stretch for five seconds. Then soften your knees and flop over at the waist. Let your body just hang there, upside down. Bend your knees slightly and starting with your tailbone, very slowly straighten yourself upwards one vertebra at a time until you are vertical again. Do three times.

7. Spinal Twist

This one works to loosen the ligaments in your upper spine and shoulder allowing you to have a relaxed arm swing. Stand with feet together and good posture. Interlock your fingers behind your head with your elbows out to the sides. Keeping your hips stationary rotate your upper body to the right. As your twist your upper body around, drop your right elbow and raise your left elbow so that your upper body is bent over tot eh side. Hold this position for five seconds and then come back up to your starting position. Do the same thing to the left side. Repeat three times.

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