Full-Body Mobility Routine: 8 Exercises to Do at Home
Reviewed by Craig Primack, MD, FACP, FAAP, FOMA
You’ve heard of cardio. You’ve heard of strength training. You might know about physical therapy. We’ve got one more thing to add to the mix: mobility.
A full-body mobility routine won’t take long, but it’ll pay off big time.
Mobility exercises can reduce stiffness, lower the risk of injury, and increase range of motion, body flexibility, and joint health. They’ll also help you feel — and perform! — better during other types of exercise and daily activities, like carrying groceries or picking up your toddler.
Ahead, we’ll go over why mobility is so important and eight mobility exercises to try.
Why is Good Mobility Important?
Good mobility is when you can move easily and without pain. Your joints and muscles have full range of motion, meaning you can move them in different directions, without much tightness or stiffness.
Mobility is critical in all areas of the body, including the:
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Shoulders
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Ankles
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Hips
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Spine
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Knees
Why is Poor Mobility Harmful?
Mobility is one of those things you may not really think about — that is, until you don’t have it. With poor mobility, you might:
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Feel stiff and tight
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Struggle to do exercises like squats or push-ups
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Struggle moving in your daily life, perhaps doing things like cooking, cleaning, or bending down to pick something up
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Feel pain or discomfort when doing certain movements, like reaching around to put on a jacket or kneeling down to stroke your dog
Having poor mobility can increase your risk of injury, either when exercising or just doing day-to-day activities. What’s more, mobility difficulties are linked to anxiety and depression.
What Causes Poor Mobility?
As you age, mobility goes down. But you might also have poor mobility if you live a sedentary lifestyle, are recovering from an injury or surgery, or have a health condition like arthritis, diabetes, or obesity.
Luckily, mobility exercises can help increase your range of motion, ease tightness, and improve strength, balance, and flexibility.
Let’s dive in.
Full-Body Mobility Routine: 8 Exercises to Try
A quick FYI before we share these mobility exercises: If you have a health condition or are recovering from injury, speak to a healthcare provider or physical therapist. They can make sure mobility exercises are safe for you and recommend the best ones for your situation.
This full-body mobility routine includes eight exercises you can do at home — no equipment needed. The exercises are:
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Lunges
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Hip circles
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Cat-cow
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World’s greatest stretch
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Downward dog
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Shoulder rotations
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Ankle rocks
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Thread the needle
Here’s how to do them.
1. Lunges
Lunges are among the best lower-body mobility exercises to try. This bodyweight move strengthens your leg muscles — including your quads, hamstrings, calves, and ankle muscles — and stretches your hip flexors and psoas muscles (found in your lower back and hip).
To do them:
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Start with your feet hip-width apart.
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Step forward with one foot.
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Bend both knees to about right angles (90 degrees), lowering your body.
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Push through your front heel to stand back up to your starting position.
One lunge in the bag! Complete another one with the other foot. Do six to 12 reps on both sides, two to three times.
If you’re new to lunges, take a smaller step forward and lower your body partway.
2. Hip Circles
Hip circles loosen up and stabilize your hip muscles. They also strengthen your external rotator muscles found in your pelvis, buttocks, and legs. Plus, they’re a good dance move to try at the next office Christmas party.
Here’s how to do hip circles:
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Start with your feet hip-width apart.
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Place your hands on your hips.
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Slowly rotate your hips in a circle, like you’re keeping up a hula hoop.
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Do circles in one direction before switching to the other direction.
Try doing six to 12 circles in each direction. Repeat two to three times.
If you’re a beginner, start with small circles and gradually increase how much you move as your hip mobility improves.
We’ve got more hip mobility exercises to try in our blog.
3. Cat-Cow
Cat-cow is a classic yoga move. It stretches out your spine, shoulders, low back, and neck, and it can help relieve back pain and stiffness.
Here’s how to do it:
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Start on all fours in tabletop position — on your hands and knees, both shoulder-width apart, with a straight back.
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Breathe in and curve your mid back downward, lifting your head up to the ceiling. This is cow position.
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Breathe out and arch your mid back to the ceiling, dropping your head forward. This is cat position.
Do this five to 10 times.
If you find the pressure on your hands and wrists difficult, try a seated cat-cow. Perform the same movements — arching and curving your back — sitting on the edge of a chair. Seated cat-cow is also great for stretching out your back and neck while at your desk.
4. World’s Greatest Stretch
Yep, “world’s greatest stretch” is its actual name. This stretch targets your hips, spine, upper back, legs, glutes, chest, and shoulders — probably why it got the high praise.
Here’s how to do it:
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Start in a plank position — on your hands with straight legs, as if you’re at the top of a push-up.
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Step forward with your right leg, placing it outside of your right hand so you’re in a deep lunge.
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You can keep your left leg straight or lower your knee to the ground.
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Twist your torso and lift your right arm up toward the ceiling. Hold this for a few seconds before placing your hand back down.
Aim for five rotations on each side.
5. Downward Dog
Another yogi classic that’s great for mobility. Downward dog stretches your hamstrings and calves, opens up your shoulders, and improves ankle mobility.
Here’s how to do it:
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Start in a tabletop position, on all fours.
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Lift your buttocks up to the ceiling, straightening your legs.
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Aim for an upside-down “V” position, with straight arms and straight legs.
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Stay here for five breaths before coming down.
You should feel a stretch in your upper back and down the backs of your legs. Don’t worry if your heels can’t touch the floor.
You can also bend your knees slightly if your leg muscles feel tight. Over time, you should find you can get your legs straighter and your ankles closer to the floor.
6. Shoulder Rotations
Shoulder rotations are some of the quickest and easiest upper-body mobility exercises out there. They target your rotator cuff, deltoids, and upper back — all muscles supporting your shoulder joints.
Here’s how to do them:
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Sit or stand up straight with your arms by your sides.
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Roll your shoulders up and forward in circular movements.
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Then roll your shoulders up and back in circular movements.
To improve your shoulder mobility, do six to 12 circles in each direction, two to three times.
This exercise is great for anyone who hunches over a desk all day. *Immediately fixes posture.*
7. Ankle Rocks
Ankle rocks are a key functional mobility exercise for improving plantar flexion and dorsiflexion (imagine pointing and flexing your toes). This is needed for walking, running, squatting, and even just going up and down stairs.
Here’s how to ankle rock:
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Start in a half-kneeling position, with your left knee on the ground and your right foot in front of you, bent at 90 degrees (imagine the classic down-on-one-knee position for a marriage proposal).
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Slowly shift your weight forward, driving your right knee over your right foot.
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Pause for a second or two.
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Slowly shift your weight back to the starting position.
Try doing six to 12 rocks on each side, two to three times.
8. Thread the Needle
Another exercise with a weird name but a lot of benefits. Thread the needle loosens up your shoulder and chest muscles, and it’s great for thoracic spine mobility (the mid to upper part of your back).
Here’s how to do it:
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Start on all fours in a tabletop position.
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Raise your left hand off the floor.
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Reach your left hand underneath your abs, along the floor, twisting your torso to the right.
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Reach and twist so your left shoulder touches the floor and your left hand is flat on the floor.
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Hold for 20 to 30 seconds before returning to the starting position.
Then repeat on the other side. Try doing this two to three times.
How Often Should You Do Mobility Exercises?
There’s no set guidance for how often you should do mobility stretches or exercises, but aim to make them a part of your weekly routine.
You could do mobility exercises as a warm-up or cooldown for other workouts or as a stand-alone daily mobility routine to start or end your day.
You could also squeeze in a mini mobility workout during the day — like doing a few shoulder rotations, seated cat-cows, hip circles, and other dynamic stretches in between meetings. Although, maybe save those hip circles for WFH days.
Full-Body Mobility Routine: Final Thoughts
Mobility is vital for easy, pain-free everyday movement and exercise. And a mobility workout routine doesn’t have to take long. Try incorporating these exercises into your day or week.
Here are our final tips when starting a mobility training program:
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Start slow. If you’re new to exercise or mobility movements, ease yourself in. These moves are great mobility exercises for beginners, but don’t be afraid to make adjustments (like lowering your leg during the “world’s greatest stretch” or doing smaller hip circles). Gradually increase how much you do as your fitness and mobility improves.
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Don’t push through pain. If you’re stiff and sore, mobility exercises might feel a little uncomfortable at first. But you should never push through pain with mobility work. You might be risking injury.
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Get expert advice. If you’ve got a health condition, had a recent injury, or you’re a total newbie (no shame!), consider speaking to a healthcare provider, physical therapist, or personal trainer to get advice on how to improve mobility and the best exercises to try.
For more inspiration, check out our workout plan for women, complete with cardio and strength-training exercises to complement your mobility workouts.
This article originally appeared on ForHers.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org.