Category Archives: 30 Day Challenge

It’s Friday and time to put your balls on the table. People always complain that they don’t have time to do mobility work. That’s ridiculous. You can roll out right at your desk at work or on the kitchen counter. It doesn’t take any extra time in your day to give yourself some relief.

Take a pair of Yoga Tune Up® balls in their tote and place it on your table. Place one forearm on top of the balls and apply extra pressure with the other forearm resting on top so your arms are crossed. Work each forearm for several minutes. Enjoy the good feelings.

The rules for the Ball Fucking Harder Challenge are easy. First, I recommend getting some Yoga Tune Up® balls to roll on. All you have to do is post a pic or video of yourself doing the technique and tag me (@coachpanda). Use the hashtags #ballfuckingharder #30daypandachallenge #supplepandas #pandiculation. The challenge is even better when you share it with friends so tag your friends to play along.

Day 20 of 30. Put Your Balls On The Table. from Force Distance Time on Vimeo.

The psoas is a strong hip flexor that connects your lumbar spine to your femur. If you sit for a long time it gets short. If it gets short it creates back problems, breathing problems, hip problems, problems, problems and problems. You should stretch it often. How often? You only have to stretch your psoas on days that you sit down. If you don’t sit down, then you don’t have to bother stretching it that day. However, stretching isn’t enough you need to give it the occasional massage. If you can’t afford to pay someone to massage you once or twice per week, then get a Yoga Tune Up® Alpha ball and do this move regularly.

I call it “The Impaler.” You’ll soon understand why. You find the spot that is 1/3 the distance from your hip bone to your navel. Place the ball there and lie down on top of it. Take the opposite knee and bring it up toward your shoulder. Breathe slowly and deeply. If you’ve been sitting for a long time and your hip flexors are tight, do not rush through this. Spend three to five minutes per side. Catch up on your social media or reading.

Check in and check out by just standing up. You should feel taller after doing this and your lower back should feel some relief.

The rules for the Ball Fucking Harder Challenge are easy. First, I recommend getting some Yoga Tune Up® balls to roll on. All you have to do is post a pic or video of yourself doing the technique and tag me (@coachpanda). Use the hashtags #ballfuckingharder #30daypandachallenge #supplepandas #pandiculation. The challenge is even better when you share it with friends so tag your friends to play along.

Day 19 of 30. The Impaler. from Force Distance Time on Vimeo.

Today we roll the lats (latissimus dorsi) as well as the intercostals and the serratus anterior. The lats are big back muscles that aid in pulling as well as stabilizing the back. If they’re tight it can limit range of motion in the shoulders as well contribute to back and shoulder pain. The serratus and intercostals attach to your ribs so if they’re tight, it affects breathing as well as shoulder range. You are going to feel so much better after today.

Lie down on your side and place a Yoga Tune Up® Alpha ball underneath your armpit. Slowly roll the ball toward the back of your body. It will feel like the ball is going over a giant speed bump, that’s your lat. Slowly work the ball from front to back going over that big speed bump slowly. Gradually reposition the ball lower and lower. After massaging the lat, start to work on the ribs. Gently rolling the ball across the ribs. You will notice as you roll over the surface of your rib cage there are lots of speed bumps. Take it slow. Don’t do this if you have osteoporosis or a history of weak bones. Try doing this against a wall with very light pressure if lying on the ball is too intense.

Check in and check out with that overhead position and with some deep slow breathing. You should notice some real improvement.

The rules for the Ball Fucking Harder Challenge are easy. First, I recommend getting some Yoga Tune Up® balls to roll on. All you have to do is post a pic or video of yourself doing the technique and tag me (@coachpanda). Use the hashtags #ballfuckingharder #30daypandachallenge #supplepandas #pandiculation. The challenge is even better when you share it with friends so tag your friends to play along.

Day 18 of 30. The Speed Bumps. from Force Distance Time on Vimeo.

Tight neck muscles are the bane of my existence. My forward head position pulls everything else out of alignment. Every inch my head sits forward of my spine puts extra pounds of pressure on my neck. “The Vulcan Death Grip” is one of my go-to moves to relieve neck stress. I place a Yoga Tune Up® classic ball in the “Bermuda Triangle,” the space bordered by my neck, clavicle and trapezius. I bend over and press the ball into a wall at about the height of my bellybutton. I perform slow deliberate movements with my head to stretch the muscles over the ball. This is a great release for the scalenes, the trapezius as well as the first rib.

Check in and check out with your overhead position. If, like me, you have a forward head position, lie on your back, bend your knees and place your feet on the floor. Relax and let your shoulders and head rest. Notice where your head position is when you are on your back like this. I started noticing that my head cranks back like Pez dispenser when I lie on my back and I end up looking at the wall beyond my head. This is because of my forward position and bad posture. When I release my thoracic spine, neck and/or shoulders my head sits neutral and my gaze is at the ceiling right above me as it should be.

The rules for the Ball Fucking Harder Challenge are easy. First, I recommend getting some Yoga Tune Up® balls to roll on. All you have to do is post a pic or video of yourself doing the technique and tag me (@coachpanda). Use the hashtags #ballfuckingharder #30daypandachallenge #supplepandas #pandiculation. The challenge is even better when you share it with friends so tag your friends to play along.

Day 17 of 30. The Vulcan Death Grip. from Force Distance Time on Vimeo.

Today we are going after the QL, the quadratus lumborum. This lower back muscle can cause a bunch of problems if it gets tight and inflamed. The QL is connected to the psoas, the diaphragm, the illium and the floating ribs and when we roll it out we improve breathing, hip function, posture and decrease back pain. The move is called “The Drunken Hawaiian” and is performed with a Yoga Tune Up® Alpha ball. You first need to locate the QL by placing the ball on your back in the soft area below the ribs but above the pelvis. Lie on your back and place the ball in the sweet spot just on the back of the waist. Drop your knees over to the side like you passed out and slowly move your hips like you’re doing a hula dance. You want to feel the ball pressing in laterally toward the spine from the side of your waist as opposed to just lying on top of the ball and having the pressure go from back to front.

Before and after doing this you should check in and check out with a standing forward bend. You should have some improvement in your flexibility after this. Also notice your breathing before and after and see if you breathe more easily.

The rules for the Ball Fucking Harder Challenge are easy. First, I recommend getting some Yoga Tune Up® balls to roll on. All you have to do is post a pic or video of yourself doing the technique and tag me (@coachpanda). Use the hashtags #ballfuckingharder #30daypandachallenge #supplepandas #pandiculation. The challenge is even better when you share it with friends so tag your friends to play along.

Day 16 of 30. The Drunken Hawaiian. from Force Distance Time on Vimeo.

You probably do situps. You do “core work.” You spend a ton of time working on that six pack. But do you ever take the time to give the abs a good roll? Do you ever say “thank you abs for working so hard to stabilize my spine and make me look good, now what can I do for you?” Say thank you to your abs with “The Twister.” Show them some love. Take a Coregeous Ball® from Yoga Tune Up® and place it under your belly button and lie prone on top of it. Take five to ten deep breaths breathing into the belly and pushing the ball out and then exhaling and letting the belly relax and the ball nestle its way deeper inside. Then to do The Twister, hold the ball in place and start to spin your whole body clockwise or counterclockwise. The motion should create a vortex of shear forces around your abdominals as the ball grabs the skin and twists it like gigantic Indian burn. You will feel a pinching of the skin. Keep going until you run out of slack take a big breath and hold it for a few seconds. On the exhale see if you can rotate a few more inches. Take another deep breath and then unwind yourself. This technique is powerful. It will unkink the knots in your rectus abdominus and also massage the organs inside. You might find it uncomfortable at first, but afterwards you should feel warm and relaxed and maybe even sleepy. Continue to do The twister for a few minutes changing ball placement and direction.

Lie down on your back afterwards and close your eyes and breathe slowly and deeply. You should feel a great sense of relaxation. This a great way to end your day and get ready for some deep sleep.

The rules for the Ball Fucking Harder Challenge are easy. First, I recommend getting some Yoga Tune Up® balls to roll on. All you have to do is post a pic or video of yourself doing the technique and tag me (@coachpanda). Use the hashtags #ballfuckingharder #30daypandachallenge #supplepandas #pandiculation. The challenge is even better when you share it with friends so tag your friends to play along.

Day 15 of 30. The Twister. from Force Distance Time on Vimeo.

The Thoracic Spine can get really stiff and impede the proper functioning of your shoulders. It can also cause you to look like a creep if it stays stuck in slouchy position. You need to get after it regularly with a pair of Yoga Tune Up® balls. Place the two balls in the tote and lie down on top of them. They should be side by side in the middle of your back with one ball on each side of your spine. You can give yourself a wonderful massage on your back and create some movement between all those vertebrae. Start with some sustained compression by just staying still and slowly bridging your hips up to create some pressure. Then gently use your feet to create a back and forth motion moving the balls up and down your back in one to two inch segments. Then switch to a side to side motion as you gentle roll over to your right and then slowly to your left.

Check in and check out with your breathing as well as your overhead position.

The rules for the Ball Fucking Harder Challenge are easy. First, I recommend getting some Yoga Tune Up® balls to roll on. All you have to do is post a pic or video of yourself doing the technique and tag me (@coachpanda). Use the hashtags #ballfuckingharder #30daypandachallenge #supplepandas #pandiculation. The challenge is even better when you share it with friends so tag your friends to play along.

Day 14 of 30. Upper Back Attack from Force Distance Time on Vimeo.