One of the best things we can do for our spines, upper body, and shoulders is develop a hanging practice.

Maybe as a kid we were able to swing from the monkey bars, but often as we age into adulthood, we’ve lost that playful habit and our bodies adapt to a lifestyle with very little need for upper arm strength. So, as adults, trying to hang from our arms again can be frustrating: we might not be able to support our body weight for any amount of time, or may even experience pain from the fingers (Blisters! Ouch!) all the way to the lower back.

In this workshop, originally presented at Uptown Movement in Manhattan, we explore hanging in two parts.

In Part 1 we explore:

• How modern day life keeps our arms from maintaining strength.

• Using Restorative Exercises for developing better range of motion and stability in the parts necessary for hanging well.

• Tips for gradually adapting your body toward the ability to hang from the arms.

Part 1 is a “non-hanging” hanging class that you can do anywhere without having to support your full weight from the arms.

In Part 2 we explore:

Natural Movement techniques that build our hanging and climbing skills, as well as how to scale those movements down to easier loads and smaller parts so that they’re accessible no matter your level of strength or ability. The intent of this session is not only to get us more able to hang from a bar at the gym but to understand the movements in context of climbing in the natural world.

 Just Hanging Around Part 1: The “Non-Hanging” Hanging Class

This class aims to restore our mobility and strength in the right areas to eventually carry your bodyweight from your arms. We focus mainly on the mobility of our shoulder joints and the stability of the scapula, and we look at all the ways to increase our abilities without overloading our muscles and joints too quickly.

Equipment Needed

Pole (broom stick, etc.), Strap, 2 Blocks, Wall Space

Just Hanging Around Part 2: Natural Movement Variations and Techniques

In this 2nd part, we continue exploring methods of developing mobility and stability in our parts to allow us to hang from our arms, and we then introduce Natural Movement variations and techniques that allow us to hang more efficiently and adapt to various climbing scenarios.

Equipment Needed

Pole, Wall Space, Hanging Bar, Stool or step to bring your body closer to the bar