Want Less Neck and Low Back Pain? Try This 10 Minute Reset.
Let me ask you something:
Have you ever gotten up from bed or off the couch and felt like the Tin Man from Wizard of Oz?
A little tight here…
A little stiff there…
Neck’s not moving quite like it used to…
Lower back has that subtle ache that says, “Hey buddy, don’t do anything crazy or I’ll really be a problem”?
Odds are pretty high that you know exactly what I’m talking about and that was me as well not too long ago.
While I do a lot to keep my body feeling good I chalked up my stiff neck and subtle low back pain to just being part of getting older.
I mean, I’m 49. I train BJJ 3-4 times a week. I lift. I’ve hurt myself from doing stupid stuff in the gym and on the mats.
A little stiffness is just the cost of doing business, right?
But then I stumbled back into something I had messed around with years ago: Original Strength resets.
And man… it was like flipping a switch.
“Resets?” What the hell are we talking about?
Good question.
Resets are simple, fundamental movement patterns we were all born with. Stuff you did as a baby. Things like:
Breathing through your diaphragm
Nodding your head up and down and side to side
Rolling side to side
Rocking your hips on your hands and knees
Crawling on your hands and knees
Stuff that looks too easy to matter.
But here’s the magic: these patterns rebuild your foundation. They are all things your did as a baby to prepare you for walking and higher level movements (like training BJJ) and form the foundation for those things.
They “reset” your nervous system, reinforce symmetry, and remind your body how to move the way it was designed to—before you started sitting too much, spending hours on the mats, or trying to muscle through life with tight hips and locked-up shoulders.
My “Aha Moment” With Resets
For the last year or so, I’d been noticing something creeping up on me.
Nothing major… just a little low back stiffness after a long open mat or deadlift days. A tight neck that some days didn’t want to move right. Just enough that it started to impact how I felt and performed a few days a week.
I tried the usual stuff. I stretched a little more. Did some more mobility drills to warm up before rolling or training. Spent some more time on the foam roller.
And while it helped, it didn’t make the problem go away, it just made it more manageable.
Then I had a buddy tell me about his experience with the Original Strength resets and how they had helped him get rid of some nagging low back pain.
I had messed around with them years ago but never really committed them on a daily basis.
So I thought, “What the hell? Ten minutes a day won’t kill me.”
The next morning, I did a basic reset routine: breathing, head nods, rolling, rocking and crawling. That’s it.
And I felt... different.
My neck and hips felt “smoother”. My body felt more connected. My problem areas felt less cranky.
So I kept going, committing to a 10 minute routine every day, and after a week that nagging neck and low back stuff was gone.
For me the “aha moment” was when I got up one morning and bent over to get the cat food bowls and my back felt totally normal. The usual morning stiffness I had thought was a permanent part of getting older was gone.
Why It Works (And Why It’s So Powerful For 40+ Riders)
Look, at our age, we can’t afford to let the little things slide. Those “little things” add up over time.
And what the resets do is go to the root of the problem.
They don’t treat symptoms—they treat the system.
They help your nervous system get back on the same page with your muscles and joints. They restore reflexive strength and mobility. They reinforce the patterns your body wants to use—but has forgotten.
This is especially important for us older grapplers because:
We’ve built up decades of compensation patterns.
We don’t bounce back from injury or tightness the way we used to.
We’re more likely to ignore warning signs because we think it’s just “age.”
Resets are like hitting the reset button on your movement software. And once your operating system is clean, everything else you do—lifting, riding, even walking—gets better.
Here’s A Sample Reset Routine You Can Try
You don’t need a gym. You don’t need special equipment. You don’t even need to sweat.
You just need 5–10 minutes and a floor.
Here’s what a basic reset might look like:
Diaphragmatic Breathing – 1–2 minutes lying on your back with your hands on your belly. Breathe through your nose, filling your belly like a balloon.
Head Nods & Turns – 10–20 slow reps while lying on your stomach. Eyes lead the movement. No straining.
Supine Rolling – Start lying on your back and roll from one side to the other using your eyes and head. Let your body follow.
Rocking – On hands and knees, rock back and forth slowly, hips to heels and back. This feels amazing on the hips and spine.
Baby Crawling – Forward and backward for 1–2 minutes. Keep the eyes up and the body smooth.
I recorded a quick video demo of this exact routine that you can check out below.
Do it once. See how you feel. Then try it for a week and tell me your riding doesn’t feel looser, smoother, and more in control.
BTW, the resets also make for a great warm up before lifting or hitting that mats.
Final Thoughts
This isn’t woo-woo nonsense.
This is the most impactful thing I’ve added to my training in years.
And the best part? It’s sustainable. I don’t need to push harder or lift more or find an extra 30 minutes in my day.
I just need a floor, a little time, and the willingness to move like a human again.
If you’re starting to feel the wear and tear of rolling and lifting over the decades, I’m telling you—resets are one of the most powerful tools you can add to your arsenal.
They saved my back, loosened up my neck, and got me moving like myself again.
And I think they can do the same for you.
Until next time…
Roll Strong,
James Wilson
BJJ Fitness After 40
