Improve Your Mobility and Flexibility with These 7 Exercises

Enhancing your range of motion and reducing pain can greatly contribute to your overall fitness and well-being. By incorporating mobility exercises into your workout routine, you can move with ease both during your workouts and in your daily life. This article introduces seven effective mobility and flexibility exercises that target different areas of the body and help you achieve better control and freedom of movement.

Understanding the Importance of Mobility:

Mobility refers to your ability to achieve and control a specific range of motion. It plays a vital role in performing daily activities and maintaining a pain-free lifestyle in the long run. Research published in the Journal of Physical Therapy Science has shown that practicing range of motion exercises can improve functional abilities in individuals who have had strokes.

The Flow: A Comprehensive Routine:

Physical therapist and trainer Laura Miranda has designed a flow that focuses on bridging the gap between your current range of motion and the desired range. Each exercise in the routine involves moving from one pose to the next, holding each position for two to three seconds. Throughout the flow, you engage your entire body, from the neck and shoulders to the hips and hamstrings. Remember to breathe deeply and engage your core muscles while maintaining a neutral spine. The end range of each movement should feel challenging but not painful. Adjust your position if you find that your breath or form is compromised.

Tips for Performing the Routine:

You can incorporate this flow as a warm-up before heavy lifting or high-intensity interval training sessions to prepare your muscles and increase blood flow. Additionally, you can perform these exercises during the workday to provide your body with a much-needed stretch. Remember to prioritize slow and controlled movements, ensuring that you execute each exercise with proper form and focus on how your body feels.

Performing the Exercises:

Complete all of the exercises in the routine, holding each pose for two to three seconds or one full breath. Repeat the entire flow for two or three sets before switching sides or progressing to the next pose. On the final repetition, hold the last pose for 10 seconds to further enhance strength and stability gains.

The Seven Mobility Exercises:

1. Reverse Lunge With Side Bend: Targets the hip flexors and lower back.
2. Squat to Forward Fold: Engages the hamstrings, lower back, ankles, shoulders, and neck.
3. Low Lunge With Rotation: Focuses on the hip flexors, mid-back, neck, and shoulders.
4. Shin Box to Forward Step: Benefits the hips and glutes.
5. Lateral Lunge to Plank Walkout: Targets the inner thighs.
6. Wide Squat With Internal Rotation: Engages the hips.
7. Single-Leg Deadlift to Knee Drive: Works the hamstrings, lower back, and glutes.

Conclusion:

Incorporating mobility and flexibility exercises into your workout routine can significantly improve your range of motion, reduce pain, and enhance your overall movement abilities. By dedicating time to these exercises, you can move with ease and experience the benefits both during workouts and in your daily life. Remember to perform each exercise with proper form, hold each pose for the recommended duration, and listen to your body’s cues to achieve the best results.