Couch stretch
Kneeling hip stretch with the back shin against a wall or up on a couch
Kneel with the back knee in the corner where a wall meets the floor, or with the shin propped up on a couch cushion, and plant the front foot in a lunge. Squeezing the glute on the back leg is what drives the hip into extension. Skip that part and the low back arches to fake it. A minute or two per side is the usual hold, with breathing as the pass mark: no full breath, no position yet. Kelly Starrett has been publishing it since it turned up in The 4-Hour Body, and it now shows up in gym warm-ups and desk-worker routines alike.
People on record
Sorted by strength of stance
Does it: documented as part of their own routine. Recommends: explicitly advises other people to do it. Discusses: covered it substantively without clear personal adoption; this can include criticism or disagreement.
- Kelly StarrettRecommends
Doctor of physical therapy · The Ready State
Calls it his favorite of the vital signs in Built to Move, with the warning that most people find out they are bad at it. Squeeze the glute, then see whether you can breathe there.
Source: The Tim Ferriss Show: Dr. Kelly Starrett, The Magic of Movement and Mobility (#664)
Aimed at the same thing
Other entries filed under fitness or longevity.
- Protocol$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Resistance training
Lifting weights 2-4 times a week to build and hold muscle
On record from 43 of 62 tracked people: 37 do it, 4 recommend it, 2 have discussed it - Protocol$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Protein-forward eating
Roughly 1g of protein per pound of target bodyweight, spread across meals
On record from 21 of 62 tracked people: 15 do it, 5 recommend it, 1 has discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Zone 2 cardio
Easy aerobic work you can hold a conversation through, 3+ hours a week
On record from 12 of 62 tracked people: 5 do it, 5 recommend it, 2 have discussed it - Protocol$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Cycling
Steady riding, outdoors or on a stationary bike, as daily low-intensity cardio
On record from 9 of 62 tracked people: 9 do it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Stability and mobility work
Daily joint, foot and breathing work to keep strength usable
On record from 8 of 62 tracked people: 7 do it, 1 has discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Daily stretching
Long, regular stretching sessions to undo years of tightness and keep training possible
On record from 7 of 62 tracked people: 6 do it, 1 has discussed it
Protocol entry · notes paraphrased from cited sources, quoted excerpts copied from the transcript they link to. Not medical advice. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or reviewed by anyone listed. How this works.