Did you know that around 18 million people in the U.S. and Canada have limited mobility? This puts them at a higher risk of injury, pain, and falls, limits the ability to do everyday tasks, and decreases overall quality of life. Not only that, but decreased mobility also affects performance in the gym: not squatting low enough, added stress on the joints during lifts, and poor form that can lead to injury. Fortunately, you can improve your mobility through stretching and targeted drills, and we’re here to tell you how. We’ll cover:
- What are mobility exercises?
- The benefits of mobility stretches
- Mobility stretches for the shoulders, hips, spine, and ankles
- How to improve mobility and track your progress
What is mobility training?
Mobility training, as the name implies, involves drills to improve mobility around a joint, like the spine, hips, shoulders, or ankles.
What’s the difference between flexibility and mobility exercises?
Flexibility (the ease with which you can move your joints in different directions) is just one piece of the mobility puzzle. The other piece is range of motion, or the total extent to which your body can move around a joint. When we talk about mobility, we’re talking about the combination of flexibility and range of motion.
The benefits of mobility stretches
Mobility training keeps your body functioning optimally with proper movement patterns. The benefits:
- Decreased risk of injury
- Ability to move freely through your range of motion
- Improved athletic performance
- Faster recovery from previous injuries
- A better foundation for speed, quickness, and agility
- Greater independence and ability to do everyday activities
Mobility training also helps you stay present and live your most vibrant life. Whether you use your body for sport, art, creating, or caring for others, giving mindful attention to your joint health now will improve your body’s longevity. It’s never too early to start thinking about longevity — the physical habits we keep in our 20s, 30s, and 40s play a key role in how our bodies function later in life.
Note: If you’re newer to lifting weights or are returning from a longer time away from the gym, mobility training should be a primary goal of your workouts. Increasing mobility and flexibility is a key focus of Phase 1 of periodization training (stabilization endurance training) and lays the foundation for phases to follow.
How to improve mobility in your shoulders, spine, hips, and ankles
We’ve covered the why, now let’s get down to business and talk about how to improve mobility. There are three different types of mobility exercises:
- Self-myofascial release (SMR): Techniques such as foam rolling and massage.
- Static stretching: Stretches that are held for several seconds in a still position.
- Dynamic stretching: Stretches that involve multiple reps.
When you’re doing a mobility workout or focusing on a joint, start with SMR techniques before doing static stretches, followed by dynamic stretches.
Here are several SMR drills, static stretches, and dynamic stretches you can use to improve shoulder, thoracic (spinal), hip, and ankle mobility.
Joint mobility exercises for the shoulders
Reasons to incorporate shoulder mobility stretches:
- Shoulder mobility leads to improved pushing and overhead pressing strength.
- Improved shoulder mobility can also help reduce shoulder pain and the risk of rotator cuff tears.
- The chest and shoulders tend to be overactive or tight, especially for those who work desk jobs or perform manual labor.
SMR: Anterior deltoid stretch
How to:
- Lie down next to the foam roller.
- Place the foam roller at a 90-degree angle under the front part of your shoulder.
- Lean into the foam roller and use the other arm to press into the floor, rocking your upper body side to side.
Complete five to seven passes per side.
Static: Posture stretch
How to:
- Lie with a foam roller lengthwise under your back.
- Place your feet shoulder-width apart for stability.
- Reach your arms outward to form a T and rest them on the floor.
- Relax and allow gravity to open your chest and align the spine.
Hold for 30 seconds and repeat one to three times.
Dynamic: Shoulder mobility drill
How to:
- Start in a quad (tabletop) position on all fours, with your knees lined up under your hips and wrists aligned with your shoulders.
- Reach one arm out 45 degrees from the top of your shoulder, pointed at the floor. Fully reach, extend, and flex the arm.
- Raise the arm until it’s in line with the rest of your body, keeping the tension.
- Slowly bring the arm around to your lower back and let your hand naturally rotate.
- Slowly return to the starting position.
Complete 10 to 15 reps per side.
Joint mobility exercises for the spine
Reasons to incorporate spine mobility stretches:
- Low thoracic mobility can contribute to pain in the lower back, middle back, neck, and shoulders.
- Low thoracic mobility can lead to overcompensation and potential injuries during lifts.
SMR: Thoracic mobility drill
How to:
- Start with the roller at the base of your shoulder blades with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
- Reach your arms over your head.
- Let your head travel back with you.
- Bring your arms and head back to the start position.
Slowly move down your spine, one vertebra at a time.
Static: Thoracic extension
How to:
- Stand facing a wall with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Extend your arms fully and place your hands on the wall.
- Keep your back flat while you hinge your hips back and extend the spine.
Hold for 30 seconds. Perform one to three times.
Dynamic: Thoracic rotation
How to:
- Start in a quad (tabletop) position on all fours, with your knees lined up under your hips and wrists aligned with your shoulders.
- Open your chest to the right as you extend your right arm toward the ceiling. Direct your gaze toward your raised hand.
- Rotate your torso back toward the opposite arm.
- Continue to slide your right arm onto the floor, allowing your right shoulder to rest on the floor.
Repeat 10 to 15 times per side.
Joint mobility exercises for hips
Reasons to incorporate hip mobility stretches:
- Tight hips can cause your body to compensate during lifts by using the lower back, knees, and ankles, which can lead to injury or overuse.
- Low hip mobility decreases performance during movements such as deadlifts, running, and squats.
- Other joints are put under undue stress when the hips don’t move freely, placing extra pressure on the lumbar spine (lower back) and sacroiliac joint (SI joint).
SMR: Hip flexor stretch
How to:
- Lie face down and rest on your forearms with a roller at hip level, legs straight, and one foot off the floor.
- Lean to the side of the raised leg and roll up and down from the top of your hip to your mid-quad.
Complete five to seven passes per side.
Static: Hip flexor stretch
How to:
- Stand with your hips square, with a step or plyo box behind you.
- Step one foot onto the box in a split stance.
- Lower your back knee to the ground to get into a lunge position.
- Push your hip forward.
Hold for 30 seconds. Perform one to three times.
Dynamic: Straight-leg raise
How to:
- Sit on the floor with your legs straight in front of you.
- Flex your ankle and tighten the quad muscles of your right leg.
- Raise your right leg off the floor.
- Lower the leg slowly to the floor.
Complete 10 to 15 reps per side.
Joint mobility exercises for ankles
Reasons to incorporate ankle mobility stretches:
- Ankles with low mobility can cause a cascade of dysfunction in other joints, including the knees, hips, and back. This can increase your risk of injury and pain and decrease stability.
- Low ankle mobility can contribute to poor balance, further increasing the risk of injury.
- Tight ankles can decrease your range of motion during squats and lunges, reducing the strength benefits of each rep.
Try these mobility exercises to support your ankles.
SMR: Calf release
How to:
- Sit with a foam roller under one calf with one leg straight and your hands behind you.
- Place your opposite leg over the leg that’s on the foam roller.
- Raise your hips off the floor, supporting your body weight with your hands.
- Roll up and down your calf from ankle to knee.
Complete five to seven passes per side.
Static: Calf stretch
How to:
- Stand upright with the toes of one foot on a box.
- Lean your weight forward and lower your heel.
- Keep your back leg straight.
Hold for 30 seconds. Perform one to three times each side.
Dynamic: Dorsi plantar flexion
How to:
- Sit on the floor with one leg on top of the foam roller.
- Point your toe up and back toward your shin.
- Point your toes down and away from your shin.
- Work to increase the range of motion in your ankle with each rep.
Complete 10 to 15 reps per side.
How to track your mobility training progress
Training programs often focus on one goal like body fat loss or muscle gain. However, it's important to go beyond those goals and follow a structured, progressive approach that also addresses proper form, increasing mobility and flexibility, building cardio and muscular endurance, and reducing injury risk.
In other words: Exercise programming is about more than just visible outcomes like fat loss, muscle gain, or improved performance — it involves deeper foundational elements. When mobility improves, it doesn’t appear in assessments of body fat loss or muscle gain, but it can show up in other ways. This broader perspective is often referred to as the “iceberg effect.”
With consistent mobility stretches, you should be able to see and feel improved mobility through stronger lifts, better range of motion, and better sense of control during a movement. You might notice you can move more freely through motions like touching your toes, bending your knees, rotating your torso, or reaching overhead — remember the sit-and-reach challenge from elementary school?
An Anytime Fitness Coach or physical therapist can also assess joint range of motion numerically (usually measured in degrees).
Improve your exercise form (and quality of life) with mobility stretches
The short-term benefits of mobility training include improved lifting form, better performance, and improved workout results. However, the benefits of regular mobility exercises go beyond the short-term and can have a lasting impact on your joint health, ability to do everyday activities, stability and balance, and longevity. That’s why it’s never too late to start incorporating mobility stretches into your workout routine — in fact, it could change your quality of life (and your workouts).
More stretching, form, and mobility training tips for you
- Do These 7 Lower Back Exercises at Home to Reduce Back Pain
- What Is Functional Training? How to Make Everday Tasks Easier
- Sit Up! 10 Exercises for Better Posture, From a Physical Therapist
- Warm-Up Stretching 101: How to Prepare for Your Workout
- 7 Yoga Poses for the Perfect Cooldown Stretch After Your Workout
From tips to improve your form to answers to questions like, “What are mobility exercises?” our Coaches have you covered. Team up with an Anytime Fitness Coach today to get personalized training, nutrition, and recovery guidance to meet your health and wellness goals.
