Simple performance tip: One in the bag
Committing to primal movement to improve flexibility and reduce injuries
Hi, it’s Clive. This is for people who are committed to exceptional performance. Let's exchange what's predictable for what's possible. Post 24 for a 30 day writing challenge.
A friend advised me to get “one in the bag” every morning.
The idea is to do something for yourself first thing. Then. whatever comes along for the rest of the day at least you’ve got that. I’d started it, then of course stopped when things got busy.
I wrote a couple of days ago about hurting my back, and looking for the root cause.
It’s hard to perform at your best mental and physically when you have an injury. So I was keen to figure out not what happened, but why. And I tracked it back to not getting “one in the bag”.
From tomorrow mine will be physical exercise that helps my flexibility.
Originally I had thought Yoga, or Pilates. That may come later, but to start I will be using Primal movements. These are simple things like:
Hinge: Bending forward at the hips keeping the back straight, as in a deadlift.
Squat: Lowering the body by bending the knees and hips.
Lunge: Stepping forward or backward with one leg while lowering the body.
Push: Pushing the body away from a surface, like in a push-up.
Pull: Pulling the body towards an object, as in a pull-up.
Twist: Rotating the torso around its vertical axis, engaging core muscles.
Gait: The pattern of movement while walking, jogging, and running.
Historically, we relied on these types of movements for survival and daily tasks. Here are three examples:
Squatting to pick herbs.
Twisting to throw spears.
Pulling to climb trees.
These movements aren’t just exercises. It struck me that children do these things in play for fun, all the time. They’re a way of human life.
I’ll let you know how I get on.
🚀 Before you go, let me ask — what do you need to “get in the bag” every morning?
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