Mobility refers to the way your joints move inside their socket. Mobility training involves utilizing exercises and training to help strengthen and lengthen your body in order to allow it to move more freely and efficiently. You can use mobility exercises to enhance your range of motion as well as develop the proper muscles needed to improve your performance. Here are a few mobility exercises and how they can help push you over that “flexibility hump” to take your body to the next level.
What is Mobility?
“Mobility is the ability to move your joints freely with the surrounding tissues allowing the movement to happen smoothly,” says Denise Cervantes, an ACSM-certified sports performance and fitness specialist based in San Bernardino, California. “If you don’t have flexibility or mobility, in time, it can get harder to do simple things like getting in and out of your car, bending down to put on your shoes, or reaching up to get something out of a cupboard.”
Why is Mobility important
Improving your mobility involves improving your range of motion. Watch your movement patterns over the course of a few weeks. If you see (and feel) a difference in range of motion, you’re on the right track. On the days you exercise, write down how your body feels and consider the following questions: How does a specific movement pattern feel? What can and can’t you do? It’s important to gauge how you’re feeling and work on a variety of exercises.
Mobility Exercises Explained
One example of an exercise you can complete on your own is Sky Squat Reaches:
- Starting in a standing position, feet slightly wider than hip-width apart, and slowly lower down to a deep squat. Keep both heels and forefoot on the ground and reach across the body with your left hand and hold your right ankle.
- Reach your right arm up and away toward the ceiling and rotate the torso toward the right. Your gaze should follow the right arm. Hold for two seconds, then return to the center position. Complete 8 reps on each side.
This exercise helps improve your squat depth by focusing on spine movement. The twisting component of the Sky Reach helps to create more movement through your hips, lower back and upper back. This is a great warm-up exercise before squats in the gym, as part of a mobility circuit aimed at increasing your squat depth, or can be used at home to get your entire body warmed up.
Another example of simple exercise you can complete on your own is Threading The Needle:
1. Begin on all fours.
2. Lift your right arm up towards the ceiling while keeping your gaze on your hand as you move.
3. Then bring it back down and “thread the needle” in between your left hand and left knee, dropping your right shoulder towards the ground.
4. Immediately reverse the movement for another rep.
5. Complete six reps, then repeat on the other side.
This full body stretch helps by opening up your shoulders, neck, arms, chest, and upper back while also stretching out your thighs and hips. It allows for a light twist in the spine and helps release upper back and shoulder tension. These are just a couple of ways to ensure your body has a good range of motion and flexibility, and are examples of how doing so can help keep you in shape. Utilizing these exercises will help boost your performance and help your body to maintain its flexibility and increase your performance.
Maintaining a Routine
Thus it is demonstrated how mobility exercises boost your mobility and how that relates to your performance. The importance of imparting mobility exercises into your weekly and perhaps daily routine need not be overstated. Remember, this is only a snapshot of what mobility exercises one can take part in. The trick is to utilize as many mobility exercises as possible so you can easily maintain your flexibility and performance and hopefully can exceed your expectations. Start small and watch your mobility and performance improve over time. You’ll quickly be able to tell you’re heading in the right direction.
Joshua Cooper | Contributing Writer
