Achy upper back, tight shoulders, stiff neck? The stressors and postural habits of our modern lives can contribute to these common complaints.
The good news is that there's a lot we can do to to improve function! If you deal with chronic tightness or regularly end your day with sensations of muscular fatigue in your back and shoulders, this course bundle was designed for you.
The function of the upper back, chest, neck and shoulders is intimately connected; after all, the parts all attach to each other, and ideally work together as a harmonious team.
This combo of our two popular upper body courses provides a well-rounded approach to creating and maintaining your upper body mobility and function (and is way cheaper than a massage!). The program:
- is perfect for athletes and desk jockeys alike
- includes accessible techniques for immediate tension relief
- incorporates exercises to improve long-term wellbeing and posture
- lets you create opportunities for relaxing movement breaks throughout your day
If you're one of those folks who intends to get up and stretch throughout the day but never actually gets around to it (same here!), this course is for you. With just a few minutes of intentional, gentle movement, you'll create an enjoyable habit that not only provides a sense of physical wellbeing, but also lets you move into the rest of your day feeling calm, focused and productive.
Curious as to what to expect from this course bundle? Here are the details.
- an average of 15-25 minutes of exercises/ day; a total of 19 days of programming
- easy-to-complete movements: simply follow along with videos of each exercise
- a safe, science-informed approach
- targeted myofascial release to alleviate common tension spots, aid muscular recovery, boost tissue hydration and improve range of motion
- built-in guided recovery and relaxation, because rest is where the long-term improvement happens!
What equipment will I need?
You'll find it useful to have the following gear on hand:
- a pair of myofascial release balls (we love RadRoller!)
- a pair of yoga blocks
- a blanket or large beach towel
- a little bit of wall space, and enough floor space to lie down
- a yoga mat is optional, but can help you get more comfortable
See what our clients are saying about this course.
“The exercises are fabulous. Thank you. Great knowledge of the shoulder, its stabilizers and pecs. Appreciate the miniseries class!” - KR
“I am only 4 days into the program but I already look forward to the 15 mins that I will spend with you, moving my shoulders. I am really impressed with the quality and ease of use of your program!” - KS
“I have enjoyed every day of the program so far but today’s rotator cuff exercise was especially fantastic. The flowing movement felt wonderful! Such a great movement and my shoulder that often gives me grief felt so good during this movement. This is an amazing program! Thank you!” - KS
"I just want to say how very much I enjoyed this course. So clearly presented and each class just right for me to fit into my day. I will be returning to it again as I love to learn more about the body." - RS
Being in pain doesn't have to be the status quo... but feeling and moving better requires a well-rounded approach!
Our bodies are unique and complex, which means there are many factors that can lead to dysfunction and discomfort. This course bundle is designed to provide a multi-faceted approach that allows you to address the big picture function of your body, in a holistic and comprehensive manner. We'll address:
- mobility in the upper back and neck
- range of motion in the shoulders
- common patterns of tightness in the muscles of the chest and upper back
- typical asymmetries between the dominant and non-dominant arms/ shoulders
- tension resulting from stress and postural habits (you might be slouched over your computer even as you read this!)
This introductory course will touch on techniques to address all of the above factors, and to give you an idea of what to expect from our full 12-week shoulder health program.
Please note: while this course bundle covers techniques for general maintenance and tension relief, it is NOT designed to be a comprehensive resource. If you're in pain, or need to build long-term capacity for high volume/ high load training, we highly recommend our 12-week shoulder program, which is designed to build meaningful strength and safeguard against future injury.
A little bit about myofascial release
Myofascial release is a safe and pleasant technique that we love including in our programs! Myofascial release:
- is an excellent way to maintain range of motion and tissue health
- boost muscle recovery and increase hydration
- provides a wonderful opportunity for nervous system recovery- a crucial part of our overall wellbeing, ability to move well and feel good in your body
- can act as both a pre-workout warmup or cool down, making it a versatile tool to have in your mobility maintenance toolkit
- equips you with personalized techniques to maintain tissue health well beyond the end of your program
Our programs are proud to exclusively use RadRoller myofascial release tools- we’ve found these to be the most versatile and high quality implements out there. With a variety of sizes and degrees of firmness to choose from, you can select something that will work for your unique body. Additionally, all RadRoller tools have a pleasant anti-slip surface that makes it easy to keep the tools in place. You'll also get a discount on your purchase by shopping with the above link!
For recovery purposes, we recommend the Recovery Rounds, which have a nice amount of give to them, making for a gentler and more relaxing experience. We also love the classic Rad Roller- perfect for common tension spots around the neck, shoulders and upper back.
Meet your instructor!
Jenni Tarma is a lifelong athlete, endurance runner, RRCA Endurance coach, CrossFit athlete and CF- L1 trainer, and a full-time yoga teacher. She specializes in working with an active population and coaches everyone from elite athletes to casual weekend golfers and hikers looking to feel better in their bodies. She has multiple advanced certifications in anatomy, physiology and biomechanics, and is a lead teacher in the Carolina Yoga 200hr teacher training program, where she has mentored dozens of new yoga teachers. She is also a senior teacher in the Yoga Medicine 500hr program, and has created continuing education courses on teaching yoga to athletes for the YM community.
She is an enthusiastic writer who has contributed articles to Yoga Journal, Healthline, Weight Watchers, OpenFit, Reebok and Yoga Medicine®’s online forum among others, and recently released an e-book on hamstring tendon injuries. Aside from working with countless athletes and active folks on their shoulder health, she's dealt with her own shoulder problems and thoracic mobility limitations, and understands how debilitating, limiting and frustrating these issues can be.
Jenni and the Kaari team are excited to work with you! We can't wait to help you move and feel your best.
Not quite what you were looking for?
Check out some of our other programs below. Better yet, drop us a line to let us know what resources you'd like to support your well-being, recovery, mobility and injury-prevention needs. Email [email protected] with your wishlist and we'll see what we can do!
