Busy lawyers spend the bulk of their days sitting at their desks, in court, on planes or in cars. Even the most disciplined can struggle finding enough time to stretch, do cardio and lift weights—all of which we know improve mobility, reduce pain and improve brain performance, not to mention improve the way we look and feel.

When they do find time to move, they often don't realize their exercises are keeping them exclusively in one "plane of motion." Most lawyers need more planes of motion training in their workouts. But what does that mean? 

 Your body is multidimensional. It's designed to move in 3D. Just like the law has lots of fancy words to describe concepts, so do kinesiologists who study human movement. Those smart folks have taught us that our bodies are designed to move in three planes of motion: sagittal (front to back like in a squat, bicep curl or running in a straight line); frontal (side to side like in a lateral lunge or side cable raise); and transverse (rotationally like in a "curtsy" lunge or a bicycle crunch). Most of us live almost exclusively in the sagittal plane, such as sitting and walking, which limits our functional mobility, strength and performance and can lead to aches and pains. 

 In addition to standard sagittal exercises, consider layering in more frontal and transverse moves to your program for your lower body, upper body and core. In this Instagram post I show some great starter drills and warms ups for sagittal, frontal and transverse lower body moves on the TRX. And in this video, my client Chris shows us six of my favorite lower body moves in all three planes: single leg step downs and goblet squats (sagittal); lateral goblet squats and lateral back squats (frontal); and body-weight curtsy step overs and side loaded curtsy step overs (transverse). Read more about the importance of planes of motion. 

Movement in all three planes is key. Most of us are great in the sagittal plane, and we shouldn't stop those helpful exercises. But have a look at what you're doing for your cardio and in the gym. Perhaps some of the following will help ensure your optimum health.

 JJ's Top Five Exercises in Seated Plane of Motion 

 Sagittal 

• Running

• Cycling

• Elliptical 

• Goblet Squat

• Seated Cable Row

Frontal

• Banded Side Steps

• Lateral Lunges 

• Resistance Band or Cable Arm Raises

• Lateral Step Up

• Lateral Floor Crawl 

Transverse 

• Swimming

• Walk out with Runner's Lunge

• Cable Pallof Press

• Curtsy Lunge

• Rotational Hip Throws 

Keep moving and good luck!

Jonathan Jordan is a personal trainer, nutrition coach and corporate wellness consultant in San Francisco. Check out his blog JJ Fit 24/7.