Click on NOTE CATEGORIES to browse by topic, read through the entire archives, or type a topic in the search box.I love movement and I love celebrating, thus I always strive to create movement-rich celebrations. For years, I’ve done a movement advent calendar at the end of the year as a thank you to my readers, and as a way of inspiring people to move more in their daily lives. No fancy equipment, just us moving joyfully together during a busy time of year.
There are three ways to follow along this year. Starting December 1st, move along each day by following Nutritious Movement on Instagram or Facebook, or if you're not on social media or are trying to be there less (a decision we wholly support!) you can find each day's move updated daily below! If you're excited for more, check out the exercises from other advents here:
EXERCISE ADVENT 2014: Walking
EXERCISE ADVENT 2015: Upper Body
EXERCISE ADVENT 2016: Core Strength
EXERCISE ADVENT 2017: You DO Know Squat
EXERCISE ADVENT 2018: Get Heavy
EXERCISE ADVENT 2019: Dynamic Home Advent-ure
EXERCISE ADVENT 2020: With a Twist
EXERCISE ADVENT 2021: Take A Breather
EXERCISE ADVENT 2022: A Butt For The Holidays
EXERCISE ADVENT 2023: Hands Down The Best Exercise Advent Ever
December 1: Balance Blitz(en)
We often stare at a fixed spot when working on balance. But we also need to practice maintaining balance when our head, neck, and eyes move to look around at what’s going on around us—especially when we’re not standing on a mat, but moving through the world.
Today’s move pairs whole body stability with a dynamic head. Return to it throughout the month to see how it changes with practice.
Stand with both feet on the floor, and gently look right, left, up, and down to orient yourself to the movement.
Then try looking around (left, right, up, and down) while standing on one leg (bonus points for a #PelvicList).
For lighter work, rest your hand on a chair or wall for support.
For deeper work, clasp your hands behind your back. Or, change the pattern of head turning to a different order, or look in a greater number of directions.
Repeat, standing on the other leg!
Click the picture to play video:
December 2: Reindeer Rhomboids
Start freeing up your head and neck by working and releasing the muscles just below them with this Rhomboid Pushup. The secret ingredient here is KEEPING THE HEAD AND NECK RELAXED.
Start on your hands and knees—wrists under shoulders and knees under hips—-and let the head hang towards the floor.
Without moving the pelvis, move your shoulder blades as close together as they can, then widen them away from each other as much as possible. Repeat the movement for a minute or so as you focus on keeping your head and neck relaxed and down. Try three rounds!
Click the picture to play video:
December 3: Occipital Melt
Start on your back with a pair of therapy or tennis balls in a tote or sock. (If you don’t have balls, skip to part two.)
Part 1: Place the balls just above where the head and neck connect (the occipital area) and let the weight of your head press into them. You may have to adjust until you find the right spot—not too high or too low.
Wiggle your head gently, right to left, for a few breaths. Then do the same, nodding your head up and down. Hold for a couple minutes, continue to make subtle movements or adjustments as needed.
Part 2: Remove balls and replace them with a block or thick book—a bit higher up on your skull than the balls were—to create space for your chin to drop towards your chest while tractioning the back of the neck. Hang out here for a minute or two!
To bring in a stretch for tight shoulders, clasp the hands and drop them overhead towards the floor.
When you feel done, slowly remove the block and let your head rest against the ground.
Click the picture to play video:
December 4: Holiday Head Hang
It’s easy to relax your head and neck when you’re not doing anything, but can you learn to keep them relaxed even when working the muscles nearby? That’s today’s practice.
Work up this “ladder” of moves below, stopping at the rung that suits you best.
Get on your hands and knees and relax your neck and hang the head.
Lower to your elbows and knees, keeping the head and neck relaxed.
Tuck your toes, lift your hips and walk a few steps forward to really load those shoulders (bend the knees as needed)...while keeping the neck relaxed!
Climb up into a downward dog and check in with the head and neck: what are they doing? Relaxing, I hope!
Then, come back down the ladder, keeping your focus on what your head and neck are doing. Relax, relax, relax. Elbows lower (check your neck), knees down to the floor (check your neck). Back onto the hands and knees (you guessed it; check your neck!).
Repeat this climb a few times, then rest.
Click the image to play the video!
BONUS! Warm-Up Flow From the First Four Days
Here’s how you might approach the exercises from Day 1, 2, 3, 4 (and beyond): Put them all into a flow! If you want to add a few others of your own, FEEL FREE. As I keep layering more head and neck movements, use this flow as a little warm up, incorporating more and more movements throughout the month. Hope you’re all enjoying a little movement mindfulness this season.
Click the image to play the video!
December 5: Thoracic Thaw
Begin kneeling, placing the elbows on a rolled blanket or blocks.
Lower head to/towards floor through arms.
Knees under hips.
Don’t let ribs drop.
Work to keep the ribcage lifted.
Hold, breathe, and add hip shifts if you’d like.
Click the image to play the video!
December 6: Winter Moon Gazer
There is a difference between lifting the chin and dropping the head back, which can compress the cervical vertebrae. Today’s exercise will have you practice looking up while stabilizing your neck bones—perfect to balance out just how often you’re looking down!
Place hands on your sternum to remind you to keep it from lifting.
Then, reach your chin AND FACE up towards the ceiling, and continue reaching throughout the exercise (active)—don’t JUST drop your head back (passive), which can feel pinchy.
You can do this move when you find yourself with a minute or two of downtime, as a computer break, or pair this way of moving with chin-lifting movements you’re already doing (e.g. during a crescent lunge in yoga).
Practice now so you’re ready for full moon gazing later this month!
Click the image to play the video!
December 7: Holiday in Vagus
Take it down a notch with today’s gentle neck move, Holiday in Vagus.
You’ll need two blocks or two tightly rolled towels to prop up the shoulders.
Lie face down, head and chest on the floor, with the front of the upper arms supported by the blocks/towels.
Turn your head to one side and breathe for a few minutes, letting your neck relax. YOU MIGHT WANT TO STAY LONGER, YOU’RE THE BOSS. Repeat, turning your head the other direction.
Click the image to play the video!
December 8: Holly Jaw-ly
Today we’re meeting our platysma—a muscle that connects our jaw to our collar bones.
This move calls on what we learned yesterday—the difference between lifting your head 🙂 and dropping your head back 🙁.
Place your hands on the right side of your chest with your hands on your skin for good traction. Press into the flesh as you drag your hands down and to the right. Then lift your chin on a diagonal line to the left for a stretch in between.
Repeat this process in the center and on the other side.
Then repeat this move pushing your bottom teeth past your top teeth (i.e. chin forward). Do this for the left, center and the right side.
Click the image to play the video!
December 9: Vestibular Votive Vigil
The eyes have their own muscles that need working. I’ve written a lot about the muscles that focus the eyes. Today we’ll work the muscles that move the eyeballs relative to the head as well as practice moving the head and neck while stabilizing the eyes.
Grab yourself a candle or a pencil and find a place to stand or have a seat.
Hold your candle at arm’s length and sweep it to the left and right. Turn your head and neck to track the flame (or point of the pencil) back and forth.
Then, hold your head still as you swing the candle back and forth, but track the flame with your eyeballs. Don’t let your head and neck turn. (I struggled with this on one side, as you can see in the video!)
Finally, hold the candle still in front of your face and turn your head left and right while tracking the flame with your eyes.
Click the image to play the video!
December 10: Dizzy Blizzard
If you have vertigo or a vestibular issue, skip today’s exercise. If you feel nausea while spinning, stop immediately.
When we spin around the fluid in our ear spins too, and continues spinning for a short time even after we stop. Today’s exercise is exposing our inner ear to this unique movement, righting ourselves, then trying it in the other direction.
Begin at a slower pace, with just a few rotations, always making sure you can stabilize yourself before changing sides.
Click the image to play the video!
December 11: The Most Famous Head Ramp Of All
Today’s move is all about the original, most famous Head Ramp of all.
The Head Ramp exercise is a simple movement of the head that instantly decreases the load to the neck and upper back. It's a move that fits into so many scenarios and is one way to move more parts of your body all day long—whether you’re tech-ing, house-holding, or exercising.
Start standing with your back against a wall.
Reach the top of the head to the ceiling as you bring the back of the head to the wall.
Watch for a tendency to lift the chin or lift the entire ribcage. While both of these can sort of “lift your head up,” they’re not addressing excessive curves in the upper back or neck that are created from so much tech (or book!) neck.
You might not be able to have the ribcage down and the head on the wall at the same time right away, just do the movement the best you can.
Click the image to play the video!
December 12: Cat-Cow Cowl
Most of you know a Cat-Cow pose and today’s move is all about making sure we give the head and neck part just as much attention as the lower and upper back parts!
We’ll start by breaking this move into three parts.
Start in a quadruped and then tuck and untuck your pelvis, keeping the motion to the pelvis and lower back only.
Then, keep your pelvis and head stable as you flex and extend your upper back.
Finally, keep your pelvis and upper back stable as you mindfully flex and extend the cervical spine (keep reaching your chin and face forward throughout; see Day 6 for more on that).
Put your Cat-Cow pieces back together for a few rounds, focusing especially on keeping the head and neck part just as big as it was when you were moving them alone.
Click the image to play the video!
December 13: Gingerbread Head
Have you ever dropped your head to the right and left to stretch your neck? Today’s move will help you adjust your head (ramp it) before you flex side to side to get a more accurate sense of the resistance in this area.
Using a wall, ramp your head back towards the wall (see instructions on Day 11) and then tilt your head to the right, and then left. Note: Your head might not be able to come all the way back to the wall, just do the most you can.
Watch for the tendency to lift the chin or the entire ribcage up to bring the head back. Both of these get your head to the wall WITHOUT optimizing the curves in the upper back and neck.
Hold the stretch on one side for a few breaths before switching to the other side, and repeat this a few times.
Click the image to play the video!
More Gingerbread Head (click to view video):
December 14: Antler Ramp
Today’s move will have you Head Ramp-ing against a bigger load
Start on your hands and knees in quadruped, your head and neck relaxed (see Day 4).
Then, bring the back of your head towards the ceiling as you push the top of your head away from you to keep the back of your neck long.
As with other Head Ramp moves, watch for the tendency to lift the chin, which compresses and shortens the back of the neck.
Then, work on neck stabilization by adding a rhomboid push-up (see Day 2). Keep the head stable and back of the neck long, let your shoulder blades come together and apart 10-12x. Can you do that without lifting your chin OR dropping your head?
Click the image to play the video!
December 15: Ho Ho Hold Your Head Up
Who’s ready for ANOTHER head ramp?
Begin lying face down, arms by your sides and your face towards the floor.
Without lifting your chin or arching your lower back, pull your face away from the floor as you reach the top of your head away from your feet. BACK OF THE NECK LONG, YO.
Similar to Day 14, Head Ramp-ing in this position elicits a stronger muscular response than doing upright Head Ramp-ing. If you’ve been “lifestyle” Head Ramping (while walking, driving, reading, etc.) and want to make more progress, try adding some of these higher load exercises (and all the other advent exercises too!).
Click the image to play the video!
December 16: Solstice Spa
How about a little face massage to get ready for the upcoming solstice?
You really can’t do this one wrong!
Try light tapping all over your face, gently pinching your eyebrow ridge, along the jaw bone, and ears. You can also knead, massage, or rub the muscles. Anything that feels good!
Feel free to mix and blend these different moves as it feels good to you.
Click the image to play the video!
December 17: Head Out To The Dance Floor
Dancing is great physical activity and can be done anywhere, including your very own kitchen.
For this move, all you need is a little music and to check in with your head and neck. Can you start a dance party at the cranium? Nod to the beat? Wiggle the neck and set the shoulder free?
Once you get the head moving, keep on moving down to your feet—bonus points for getting someone else dancing too!
Click the image to play the video!
December 18: Long-Necked Winter's Nap
Your Head Ramp fits into so many activities, including lying down and other supine exercises.
When you lie back, check (or have someone else look) to see if your chin is lifting up toward the ceiling. If it is, Head Ramp to lengthen the back of your neck.
Make sure you aren’t thrusting your ribcage to help get your head adjusted. Instead, keep the ribcage down and use bolstering as needed beneath your neck and shoulders to support the head—this is just what’s needed for your upper back and/or neck curvature right now.
Add this small head and neck adjustment to your regular ground moves and don’t be shy with the bolstering if you need it!
Click the image to play the video!
December 19: The Tiniest Tree Stand
If you feel comfortable with this one, come try a tiny head stand with me, where the focus is on keeping the shoulder girdle engaged and the arms working to support this unique load to the head.
Starting on your hands and knees, make a triangle with the top of your head and your hands, placing the top of your head on the ground (use a mat or folded towel for a softer surface).
Don’t let your head carry much weight; instead press your hands into the floor vigorously to carry most of your weight, keeping the shoulders pulled toward your hips.
As always here, the back of the neck is long!
Hold for a few breaths and slowly sit up.
Click the image to play the video!
December 20: Gingerbread Head Chin Freeze
We’ve all done exercises that have us lower the ear towards one shoulder to stretch the side of the neck.
We already made some adjustments to the move on Day 13 (start with a Ramped Head!). Today we take a step further: Are you actually tipping your head to one side or is the bottom of the head sliding out of this move becase the neck is super tight?
Check for chin slide, y’all! You’ll need a mirror to watch yourself tip to the right and left to make sure your chin is the fulcrum (rotational point). If you see the chin slide in the opposite direction you’re tilting, try again, holding it in place.
Happy neck stretching, everybody!
Click the image to play the video!
December 21: The Shortest Neck Of The Year
The shortest day of the year is perfect for making the shortest neck!
Standing or sitting tall, head ramped, pull your shoulders up to your ears and hold isometrically (anatomy-speak for “keep contracting even though they aren’t moving anymore”) for a few seconds. Then release and take a deep breath—you might even want to let your head hang forward to relax as much as you can.
Repeat a few times, trying to get progressively more relaxed with each repetition.
Click the image to play the video!
December 22: Holiday Head Hang
An easy way to care for your neck is by letting it gooooo.
Try this simple head hang when you need a quick relaxation break. Just let your head nod forward, making sure that your upper back isn’t rounding forward.
This move fits almost everywhere and you can gift it to yourself as often as you’d like!
Click the image to play the video!
December 23: Snowy Boot Stomp
Get out and take a walk today! It’s not only good for your mind (clear your head!), it’s also good for your brain.
The impact created through foot strike is part of how blood flow to the brain is created. Not all exercise is equal in this regard—different types of exercise create different types of blood flow. For example, swimming and cycling are great exercise (and can clear your head too) but they’re pretty much impact-free. The impact created by walking creates pressure waves that increase blood flow to the brain. (More on that here: sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/04/170424141340.htm)
Treat yourself to a quick trip around the block when you need to take it down a notch. Pair it with some fun tunes for even more positive vibes!
Click the image to play the video!
December 24: Holiday Face Lift
This one only takes a moment, you can do it literally anywhere, and it can change your whole day.
Lift both sides of your mouth, letting the movement travel up to your cheeks and eyes.
Try passing it along to someone else, or see how quickly it can fill a room with smiles.
Hoping your holidays are filled with joy!
Click the image to play the video!
