Mobility and recovery are two integral components of functional fitness. Nowadays, you see so many fitness influencers promoting mobility training. This is great because people neglected these movements for so long. Too often do people focus on specific muscle groups, engaging in constricted movements. Mobility training is about using the entire body in ways that it moves naturally, which helps improve your flexibility and range of motion, all while reducing your risk of injury.
When you get up from a deep slumber, you are usually stiff, which makes the morning the best time to engage in a mobility routine. The different movements in this routine work to loosen stiff joints, improve range of motion, and reduce the risk of injury. Think of this like an active recovery workout, which you should incorporate one to two times per week to maintain healthy muscles and joints. For this mobility routine, you will need a foam roller, so be sure to have that at the ready.Â
Upper Back Foam Roll
A lot of people carry stress in their shoulders and upper back. This move is a great way to massage away the knots, kinks, and tightness in those areas. Sit on the floor with the foam roller placed behind you perpendicular to your body. It should rest across your upper back when you lean back. Bend your knees, cross your arms across your chest, and lean back on the foam roller. Engage your glutes to lift off the floor, contract your abs, and push away from your feet so that the roller goes down your back toward your buttocks. Roll back until the foam roller is resting around your shoulders. Continue rolling back and forth, maintaining a strong core, for 20 to 30 seconds.Â
Quadricep Foam Roll
Don’t neglect your quads and hip flexors because those areas can hold a lot of tension. You will likely spend the most time on these areas, slowly massaging the tension away. To begin, lie face down with your right leg on top of the foam roller. It should be perpendicular to your upper thigh. Bend your left leg and keep it out to the side away from the foam roller, but you’ll use this leg to push forward and backward. Shift as much weight onto the foam roller as you can tolerate. Roll along the quad and hip flexor, resting on any areas of tightness. Repeat on the other leg after about a minute or so.
Couch Stretch
This stretch specifically targets the hip flexors, which are the muscles along the front of your hips. You’ll also help lengthen your quad muscles during this stretch. Bend down in front of a wall, foam roller, or couch and drop your right knee to the ground. Place your shin right up against the bottom of the couch, resting your right foot on top of the couch cushion. You can also rest your shin and top of your foot against the wall behind you. Keep your right thigh in line with your body and stack your shoulders over your hips. Square the hips and face forward, maintaining a long spine for 30 to 60 seconds. Repeat on the other side.Â
Neck And Trap Stretch
This stretch targets all of the muscles in the neck that support the head and upper spine. This is great for people who sit at desks or hunch over their phones a lot. You can do this stretch in a kneeling or standing position. Place your right hand on the top left part of your head and pull it gently toward your right shoulder. That will open up the left side of the neck. You can hold here for 30 seconds, or increase the stretch by wrapping your left arm behind you and reaching toward your mid-back. Repeat on the other side.Â
Half Kneeling Hip Openers
For the final move in this mobility sequence, you are going to address the hips, glutes, inner thighs, shoulders, and chest. Begin in a kneeling position with both knees on the ground. Stack your shoulders over your hips and knees and then step your right foot forward to enter a half-kneeling position. Guide your right leg toward the right side of your body (about a 45-degree angle or 90-degree if possible) so that your right hip is in line with your right knee. Reach your right hand down your right leg toward your ankle, palm facing out. Extend your left hand up overhead and hold this position for 30 to 60 seconds. Repeat on the other leg.
