6 Common Mobility Exercises
In my last post introducing Mobility and Stretching, I discussed the benefits of having some mobility in your workout routine. As someone who has been in a job that was on my feet all day and one that requires me to sit all day, I realize those repetitive movement patterns take a toll on the body.
I went from one extreme to the next, from on my feet standing all day to sitting all day. While I have the opportunity to get up and move around, the majority of what I do is sit at a computer all day. The most significant areas that I struggle with because of this is my hip mobility and upper back muscle endurance.
My hip mobility was affected by being elongated from standing to being shortened from sitting all day. Not only that, I stay in one plane of motion. Hip joints have a multi-planer indication, meaning hips have almost 360-degree motion. Sitting or standing all day does not allow the joint to move lateral (side), and most of the movement is lateral (front,) let alone anywhere in between.
I developed poor posture from standing all day. I worked at a grocery store, holding boxes and stocking products on shelves. Because of this, I set the habit of keeping the boxes in my midsection, pushing my hips forward, locking my knees, and rounding my shoulders forward. This poor posture created low back pain and poor muscle endurance in my upper back.
Though sitting all day doesn’t increase the habit of poor posture in my lower body, I still struggle with maintaining proper posture if I stand for a long time. I have to remind myself to stand correctly constantly. Please remind me to brace my core, round my hips so the eyes of my pelvis point straight (rather than up), and have a slight bend in my knees. Additionally, I have to pull my shoulders back and down my back; elongate my upper abdominals to straighten my upper body. This is one area that I am working on daily. I find after a while, my shoulders fall, and I am rounding my spine and shoulders.
This post will describe the top six mobility exercises I like incorporating after every workout. These are only a few mobility exercises that I do daily. But if I am short on time and can’t do my whole mobility routine, these are the six exercises I must do.
This is a sample from My Active Life, LLC Members, where I post blog posts for nutrition and fitness tips, workout videos, and programs. Click here to join My Active Life, LLC Members, and read the full post.
Down Dog
This one is a ubiquitous yoga pose. Begin on all fours, hands shoulder-width and feet hip-width distance apart. Then send your hips up and back, forming an upside-down V shape with your body if you can bring your heels as close to the floor as possible. This will stretch the whole body. While in this position, bend and straighten your knees to deepen the stretch.
Runner’s Lunge
From down dog, bring one foot to the outside of your hands on the same side. (i.e., get your right foot to the outside of your right hand) You should be in a deep lunge here with a deep stretch on your hip flexor on the opposite leg. I like to push on my knee to stretch my hip gently. After that, I want to bring my straight leg down, bend my knee, and grab my ankle with the opposite hand for a quad and shoulder stretch.
Half Splits
From a neutral runner’s lunge, send your hips back, straightening your front leg, keeping your back as straight as possible, and fold over your front leg. This creates a deep hamstring stretch. Use a block if you are rounding your back too much due to tight hamstrings.
Pigeon Pose
From down dog or runner’s lunge, bring your ankle to align with your opposite hand, parallel to your hands. (i.e., from runners lunge on the right, get your right ankle next to your left hand with your right knee next to your right hand) Your back leg should be straight, and your foot should be straight back. With your hips square to the ground, you can fold over your front leg deepening the hip and glute stretch.
I usually complete 1-4 in a sequence on one side, returning to the down dog for a few breaths and repeating on the other.
Wide Leg Forward Fold w/chest Stretch
From a standing position, take your feet more than the hips-width distance apart. The space is up to your mobility. Bring your hands to the low back and interlace your hands together, brace your core, hinge at the hips, and fold forward. As you fold forward, try moving your hands away from the body. This will stretch your hamstrings as well as your chest.
I will frequently unclasp my hands and bring them forward into prayer hands, alternating lateral lunges. I like to do these with my core braced and controlled slow movements.
Shoulder Dislocates
This one has a weird name. Start with holding something overhead (i.e., strap, PVC pipe, broom handle, etc.) at least shoulder-width or more expansive. While carrying the belt, keep your arms straight (slight bend in the elbows to protect your elbow joints) and bring your arms forward. Then keeping them straight, bring your arms up and overhead, sending them back as far as you can without bending your elbows. Bend your elbows as much as you need to to bring your arms as far back as possible. Eventually, you should be able to move through this motion from front to back without bending your elbows with your arms shoulder-width apart. I like to repeat these several times.
Bonus
Seated forward fold
In a seated position, bring your legs straight in front of you, sit tall, brace your core, and fold forward over your legs. Bend your knees as much as you need to keep from rounding your back. This will deepen the hamstring and calf stretch. You can point your toes for a shin stretch.
Deep Squat
Bring your feet to hips-width distance from a standing position and squat deep. Widen or shorten your feet until your butt is between your legs, close to the floor. Keep your shoulders down and back straight. If needed, place a block under your tailbone to add some support. Hands can be in prayer, elbows between knees, and feet should be flat on the floor.
Shoulder Circles
This one is self-explanatory: keeping your arms straight, circling your arms overhead, bringing them down next to your side, and repeating. Try alternating arms or spinning both at the same time.
Cat-Cows
From a tabletop position (all fours), drop your chest and look up, opening your wardrobe for the cow. Then push the ground away, rounding your spine, dropping your head for the cat. Repeat these several times.
These are mobility stretches that I do daily after every workout. I have more than I do as part of my entire mobility routine, but when I am on a time crunch, I will make sure that I do these 6 (or 10) mobility exercises at the very least.
This is a sample from My Active Life, LLC Members, where I post blog posts for nutrition and fitness tips, workout videos, and programs. Click here to join My Active Life, LLC Members, and read the full post.
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