Exercises for photographers: Protect your body in the field and at your desk

In my last article, I spoke to martial arts and fitness trainer Miranda Mitchell about simple ways to protect your body and avoid injury while shooting. But what else can photographers do to strengthen and stretch overworked muscles? This simple sequence of exercises for photographers will help.

I interviewed Miranda Mitchell, owner and founder at Kickstart Martial Arts and Yoga, to find out. Miranda has over 25 years’ experience in martial arts and has been teaching yoga, fitness and martial arts for over eight years, and has constructed this targeted sequence of exercises for photographers to share with us.

What exercises and stretches would you recommend for photographers to prepare for working with heavy gear? Can you give a short sequence to use?

Doing this simple sequence of exercises before going on your photoshoot will set you up to avoid injury.

All of these are floor-based exercises. Start by kneeling on your hands and knees (as if you’re about to crawl) on a yoga mat, towel or blanket. If your knees are tender, put a cushion or folded towel beneath your knees.

Exercise 1: Mobilize the feet

1. Lift the feet and roll the ankles several times in each direction (clockwise and then anti-clockwise).
2. Tuck the toes and then push back, like you are crouching and kneeling at the same time. You should feel stretching through the feet, ankles and calves.
3. Shift your weight forward and back a few times to keep feeling the stretch.

Exercise 2: Mobilize the hips

1. Move to a sitting position with legs in front, knees bent and soles of the feet flat on the floor.
2. Place hands behind the hips, underneath the shoulders. Keep a tiny bend in your elbows.
3. Lift the chest up and open.
4. Ease the knees from side to side, like windshield wipers. You should feel your hips loosening with the motion.

Exercise 3: Stretch the upper body

1. Now sit cross-legged (criss-cross applesauce) and sit up tall: lift the lower belly, ribs and chest so that you feel very tall, with good posture.
2. Walk the hands forward along the floor, out in front as far as is comfortable, hinging from the waist.
3. Relax the head and neck, and let your head fall forward between your arms. You should feel the stretch through the back and shoulders.
4. (Optional) Walk the hands around to one side, to feel the stretch through the side of the body, then back through the middle, to the other side.
5. Engage the core and walk the hands back up to sitting tall again.
6. Cross your legs the other way (so the alternate leg is in front), and repeat from Step 1.

Exercise 4: Mobilize the spine

1. Seated cat-cow: while still sitting cross-legged, place hands on the knees. Breathe in, lift chest up and open so that your back is arched. Breathe out, pull your belly button in tight, and slowly push your back backward, curving your shoulders forward, so that your back curves out. Repeat five times.
2. Side to side: reach both arms above the head. Breathe out, and tip to one side, reaching with the top hand and letting the bottom hand slide on the floor. Be careful to keep your hips glued to the floor, and don’t let your chest roll forward. Engage the core, breathe in, and come back to center. Breathe out, as you tip to the other side. Repeat five times.
3. Twist: on an inhale, elongate your spine, rotate gently, place your right hand on the floor behind you, and your left hand on the right knee. Exhale and look over the back shoulder. After five breaths, inhale back to center and repeat for the other side.

What exercises can photographers do in the field or while on a photoshoot to keep themselves limber?

Fit these exercises into your photoshoot when you have a spare minute, to keep your muscles warm and flexible, and to counter the heavy weight of gear.

Exercise 5: Standing chest stretch

1. Find a wall and place your palm on the wall at shoulder height.
2. Rotate your body away from the arm, keeping a micro-bend in your elbow. You should feel a stretch in your pectoral muscles.
3. Hold for several breaths, then switch sides.

Exercise 6: Standing shoulder stretch

1. Stand with feet shoulder width apart, with knees slightly bent.
2. Bring hands together in from, palm to palm, then flip the hands over, so that they are palm to palm again, with your arms crossed at the wrists.
3. Engage the core and stretch your arms forward, pulling your ribs back. Relax your head forward between your upper arms. You should feel a stretch through the shoulders and the upper back.

Exercise 7: Forward fold

1. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, pull the belly in, push your butt up and back, sliding hands down your thighs until you get to your shins or feet.
2. Let your head fall forward. Your knees can be as bent as necessary for your belly to touch your thighs.
3. Relax here for several seconds then slowly roll back up.

What about after the photoshoot: What exercises for photographers would you recommend when sitting down to edit?

Start your editing with this sequence to increase blood flow and stay limber. Don’t forget to take breaks, too.

Exercise 8: Get blood flow to hands

1. While standing, gently engage your core, and gently spin from side to side, letting your arms fly outward.
2. Breath and dip as you change directions, bending your knees slightly (imagine yourself as a washing machine!).
3. Repeat for several rotations in each direction.

Exercise 9: Stretch the spine

1. Stand facing your editing desk, feet hip distance apart with micro-bend in the knees.
2. Bring elbows and palms together. Engage your belly, push your butt way backward, keep your belly pulling in, and hinge forward.
3. Stretch your elbows forward onto your desk. Release your head forward gently.
4. You can walk your feet backward and have elbows apart if necessary. Feel the stretch opening your chest.

Exercise 10: Stretch the hips

1. Now stand with your back to your editing chair. Lift and bend your right leg, and cross it over the left leg so your ankle is just above the knee. If it won’t go, don’t force it: just rest your toes sideways on top of your standing foot.
2. Give your left ankle a few rolls.
3. Hinge forward gently as if you are about to sit down (but don’t yet!), to get a stretch in your right hip and buttock.
4. Hold for several seconds then come back to standing, and repeat for the other side.

Exercise 11: Stretch the body laterally

1. Repeat the hip stretch above again, but this time, actually sit on your editing chair when you hinge for the stretch (if you can’t balance on one leg as you sit, don’t worry — just sit down and cross your right ankle back over your left knee). Be careful your chair doesn’t roll away!
2. Raise your right arm and reach over your head to the left, holding onto the chair with your other hand as you tip.
3. Then raise your left hand and tip to the right.
4. Switch legs so that your left ankle is on your right knee, and repeat reaching each arm to the side.

Exercise 12: Open the chest

1. Take your arms behind your back, and grab at elbow or wrist and pull gently to open the chest.
2. Optionally, press fingertips together into prayer pose.
3. Arch your head back a few times.

If you integrate these sequences into your photography practice, you’ll avoid injury and counter the effects of unbalanced weight on your body.

About Miranda

Miranda Mitchell is the founder of Kickstart Martial Art and Yoga and has been providing one-on-one and group training in yoga, martial arts and fitness for over eight years in Toowoomba and the Noosa hinterland on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia. She has been a martial arts practitioner across ITF Taekwon-Do, Anderson Bushi Kai and Muay Thai for over 25 years and developed the trademarked program Nimble Ninjas, which incorporates martial arts, yoga and mindfulness for 5—12-year-olds.

Miranda has a Certificate IV in Yoga Teaching, postgraduate specialization in Children’s Yoga and Prenatal & Postpartum Yoga, Advanced Diploma of Yoga Therapy, Certificate III in Fitness, Certificate IV in Personal Training with further specialization in HIIT, boxing and Mat Pilates, a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Education (Honors), and is a registered Teacher with Queensland College of Teachers, registered Yoga Therapist with Yoga Australia, registered Group Fitness Instructor, Personal Trainer and Sole Trader with AUSactive, and registered Martial Arts Instructor with Martial Arts Australia.

You can find Miranda online at Kickstart Martial Arts and Yoga, on Facebook, and get a free eBook on stretch and mobility by joining her mailing list here.