Mobility Training for Better Fitness and A Better Body
So excited that mobility exercises are finally having their moment in the spotlight with countless mobility videos posted daily on social media, clients are becoming more open to the idea of mobility training as a necessity and not a waste of precious workout time. Mobility work is actually one of the main components of fitness that is key for better exercise form, better strength, endurance, coordination and flexibility as well as improved fat burning, recovery and injury prevention.
It’s also the foundation of great workouts and fitness results and it only takes abou 5-10 minutes of your time. Remember that your fitness results are only as good as your prep and recovery strategies. Below are 3 of my favorite mobility routines. Two I filmed years ago for other youtube channels and one from this past weekend.
Mobility Work Routines & Tips
My number one tip for effective mobility is to do what your unique body needs. Some people have limited shouluder, chest and upper back mobility, others struggle with low back and hips and others needs mobility for the entire body. Your mobility work can be as quick as the video above featuring scorpion and updog or a bit longer like the videos below. Do what works best for your body!
Complex Mobility Training: Intermediate to Advanced Mobility Work
This mobility routine is slightly more complex and requires a bit more core and glute activation as well as coordination and control of your body. This mobility work is a progression of the foundation routine below and ca be combined with foundation mobility work or performed before, during and after workouts as needed. Exercises include:
shinbox rotation with overhead reach
thoracic extension band fly with lower body rotation
thoracic extension bent leg wiper
thoracic extension fish pose
scoprion to cobra
thread the needle to deep lunge twist
dynamic downdog
forward fold toe raises
Even with this routine you can break up the exercises into less complex patterns as I explain in the video. You can also use other props for more thoracic extension such as a foam roller under mid back (yes as crazy as that sounds, it’s great for more advanced clients), blocks under the hands or a blanket under the hips or low back. it really depends what your body needs for increased mobility. And if this routine is too advacned start with the foundation routine below.
Foundation Mobility Exercises: The Basics for All Levels
These mobility exercises will benefit anybody but they are especially important for people who have never exercised before or have not been exercising for quite some time. They will increase awareness of movement patterns and how muscles shorten and lengthen during exercise, they will also increase your range of motion for good movement in a safe way and should become part of your warm up routine until you begin to make progress with fitness. They will also energize you for a workout. As you can see in the video from my crazy dancing I included at start of video. Exercises include:
leg swings
torso rotations
arm windmills or rotations
dynamic downdog
dynamic cat dog
scoprion
chest opener
bent leg wiper
deep lunge twist
side lunge
jumping jacks
Notice how I start with multiple layers of clothes on and as the mobility work progresses I end up in leggings and a tank top. Good mobility work builds heat, lubricates your joints, increases coordination, energy, and body awareness and if you stay focused on what muscles are working to open up the body you’ll also activate your core, glutes, and upper back which are all key for killer workouts.
