Here are 5 exercises that will help improve your mobility. You’ll notice that most of these exercises involve a strength component. Not all mobility training you do has to involve “traditional” mobility exercises.
Check out part one of this feature.
#1) Single Leg Rear Foot Elevated RDL’s (back foot against a couch/wall)
This exercise strengthens the posterior chain muscles, and improves mobility. This is a great example of a loaded ‘’stretch.’’
Coaching Tips:
- Stand on one foot, and place the top of the supporting foot (back leg) on a bench, table, couch, or other stable surface. This side will serve as a “kickstand,” and will provide minimal assistance. Figure out what stride length works and feels best for you.
- Your head, torso and hips should be in a stacked position.
- On the foot of the front/working leg, form a tripod base by placing your weight on the back portion of your foot, and the base of your big and baby toes. These parts of your foot should remain in contact with the floor for the duration of the exercise. Pretend you are suctioning or screwing your foot to the floor.
- Be on the top of the back foot.
- Keep your arms rigid, lats engaged, and pretend you are crushing something in your armpits. For the duration of the exercise, your arms/weights should not travel ahead of your body. Your arm should slide down the side of your front/working leg, and the other arm should remain in line with this front leg. Pretend you are painting the side of your front leg with the weight. If you are using a single weight, the weight should slide down the front of your leg/shin.
- Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), and brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine).
- Now hinge/push your hips backwards. Pretend a rope is pulling your hips backwards or that you are trying to press your hips back against a wall.
- When you are hinging, pretend you are “pulling” your body back/down with your posterior chain muscles. Don’t just mindlessly drop down.
- Do not relax or lose tension when you are in the bottom position. Many people make this mistake.
- When you reach your full range, engage your posterior chain muscles and press your body away from the floor and back to the top/starting position. Use a range where you can maintain proper form.
- Perform the lockout by squeezing your glutes and hamstrings and extend your hips, and extend your knee. Use as little assistance from the supporting leg as possible.
- Exhale after you have pressed away from the floor and are approaching the top position.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your knee to fall inside or outside of your foot.
- For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, or torso, spine or hips to rotate.
#2) Seated Hip Switches
This exercise improves hip internal and external rotation.
Coaching Tips:
- Sit on the floor, and place your hands behind you. Your head, torso, and hips should be in a stacked position.
- Bend both knees to roughly 45-90 degrees, and place your heels on the floor.
- While keeping your torso relatively square, pivot on your heels and rotate your legs to the left so your knees and lower legs come into contact with the floor.
- Pause for a count, and perform the reverse movements and rotate your legs in the opposite direction.
- For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso, and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, hips to leave the floor, or heels to leave the floor.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core muscles braced (360 degree brace around your spine).
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
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#3) Half Kneeling Hinges + Adductor Strengthener
This exercise strengthens the adductors (on the extended side), the glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps (on the kneeling side), improves lumbo-pelvic stability, and hip mobility.
Coaching Tips:
- Kneel on one side. Your thigh should be in a vertical position. On the other side, fully extend your leg, and place it in a lateral position.
- Your head, torso, and hips should be in a stacked position.
- Hold a weight in your preferred position. For the duration of the exercise, keep the weight tight to your body. Pretend you are crushing something in your armpits.
- Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), and brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine).
- Now hinge/push your hips backwards. Pretend a rope is pulling your hips backwards or that you are trying to press your hips back against a wall.
- When you are hinging, pretend you are “pulling” your body back/down with your posterior chain muscles. Don’t just mindlessly drop down.
- Gain a moment of control in the bottom position, then press your body away from the floor and back to the top/starting position using your extended leg. Really focus on using your adductors (inner thigh muscles).
- Do not relax or lose tension when you are in the bottom position. Many people make this mistake.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your knees to fall inside or outside of your feet. For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso, and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, torso, spine, or hips to rotate, or hip to drop on one side.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core muscles braced (360 degree brace around your spine).
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
#4) 90 Degree Hip Mobility/Strengthener Lifts
This exercise strengthens the glutes, and improves hip mobility (internal and external rotation).
Coaching Tips:
- Sit on the floor. Your head, torso, and hips should be in a stacked position.
- Bring one leg so it is ahead of you, and bend your knee to about a 45-90 degree angle. For the duration of the exercise, keep this leg in this position, and flat on the floor.
- On the other side, bring your leg behind you, and bend it to about a 45-90 degree angle.
- Place a low object so it is on the inside of the lower leg of the back leg.
- Place your hands so they are on the outsides of your thigh of the front leg, and lightly rest your hands on the floor.
- While keeping your knee of the back leg on the floor, use your hip muscles and lift your foot/lower leg over the object in a medial direction.
- Lightly touch your foot to the floor, then lift your foot/lower leg over the object in a lateral direction.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not let your foot or leg strike the object.
- For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso, and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, or torso, spine or hips to rotate.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core muscles braced (360 degree brace around your spine).
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
#5) Dorsiflexion Lift-Offs
This exercise improves ankle mobility (particularly dorsiflexion).
Coaching Tips:
- Kneel on one leg, and gently rest your glutes on your heel.
- Place your other leg so it’s ahead of you, and so your foot is flat on the floor.
- On the front foot, form a tripod base by placing your weight on the back portion of your foot, and the base of your big and baby toes. These parts of your foot should remain in contact with the floor for the duration of the forward shifting components. Pretend you are suctioning or screwing your foot to the floor.
- Now shift your bodyweight forward onto your foot, and dorsiflex your ankle. Your knee will likely travel past your toes. Keep your full foot in contact with the floor (maintain the tripod base).
- Then gently rock back and lift your toes and foot, and dorsiflex your ankle (point your foot towards you).
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your heel/back of your foot to leave the floor.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your knees to fall inside or outside of your feet.
- For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso, and hips should remain in a stacked position.
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
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