Skip to main content

7 mobility exercises to strengthen your joints and increase your range of motion

These highly effective mobility exercises can help you take your health to the next level

Staying active and eating a healthy diet can help prevent certain diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes. Exercise and diet can also reduce the risk factors of developing other serious health conditions. Another major plus of participating in regular exercise is that it helps to prevent weight gain and muscle loss and aids in the burning of calories and body fat as well.

Other noteworthy benefits of exercise are that it maintains supple and flexible joints throughout life, and this helps to prevent mobility issues as the body ages. However, there can be more to an exercise routine than just muscle strengthening, flexing, and stretching.

Related Videos

Mobility exercises can add further benefits to workouts by strengthening joints, connective tissue, and certain muscle groups more effectively than other forms of exercise. This can make mobility exercise even more effective at keeping us fit and pain-free as we age.

What is mobility training?

man stretching glutes
Unsplash

The term “mobility” refers more to how our joints move within their sockets than being able to walk, bend, or stretch. This is why mobility training differs from normal exercise regimens, as it concentrates more on increasing the body’s ability to perform a range of movements that, in turn, help strengthen muscles, joints, and connective tissue. The ultimate aim of mobility training is to increase the range of motion and movements that the body can perform. 

How does mobility differ from flexibility?

Jake Lott performing pallof press using a resistance band in a gym.
Axistence Athletics (YouTube)

While mobility training focuses on increasing the range of motion and movements that the body can perform, flexibility training is different because it concentrates on the lengthening and stretching of muscle groups. This can help prevent muscle aches, stiffness, and other muscle injuries from occurring while training or doing everyday activities.

3 benefits of mobility training

Man running on street by a body of water.
Unsplash

Prevents injuries

As already mentioned, mobility training focuses on increasing the range of movements that can be performed by the body, using joints, tendons, and muscles to execute each exercise. 

This helps strengthen connective tissue that would otherwise tighten or even weaken due to the lack of use in standard exercise programs. Therefore, mobility training can help reduce the number of injuries related to tight muscles, stiff joints, and connective tissue issues that often occur in susceptible individuals from day-to-day activities. 

Improves performance

If mobility training is part of a general fitness regimen, then you can get the benefits of this type of training while doing other activities, such as playing sports or weight training at the gym. With fewer injuries likely to occur and less tension in the muscles, joints, and tendons, everyday exercising can feel easier to complete due to the enhanced movements taught by mobility training.  

Strengthens muscles and joints

Mobility training isn’t only effective in keeping muscles, joints, and tendons from becoming stiff and painful. It also helps make them all stronger and more adaptive to new exercises without the occurrence of sprains, pulls, or other common muscle and joint injuries.

7 exercises to improve mobility

Hip stretch lunge.
Pixabay

1. Frog Squat 

The Frog Squat is a simple mobility exercise that anyone can do, and it doesn’t require gym equipment either. It targets the hamstrings, glutes, and quads. It’s also considered a great knee mobility exercise, as the knees take some of the weight of the squat.

Instructions:

  • Stand up straight.
  • Turn your toes outwards at 45 degree angles.
  • Put your hands together and push downward into a seated or squatting position.
  • Hold the position, then push upward halfway, then return to the squatting position.
  • 3 sets of 10 reps are recommended.

2. Hitchhiker

The Hitchhiker is a great stretch for those who suffer neck, upper back, or shoulder pain. It can even be used to relieve tension and headaches. It strengthens the upper back muscles and helps to correct and prevent poor posture. 

Instructions:

  • Stand up straight and make a fist with your thumbs outwards as if you are thumbing a ride, like a hitchhiker.
  • Grab one end of a tension band with your right hand and the other with your left.
  • With elbows tucked into your sides, rotate your arms outward and stretch the tension band.
  • Hold the position and then return to the starting position.
  • 3 sets of 10 are enough to stretch out the upper back and chest.

3. Hip Circles 

Hip Circles are a quick and easy exercise that can be done anywhere, and as the name suggests, they’re an effective exercise for hip mobility.

Instructions:

  • Stand up straight with your feet apart.
  • Place your hands on your hips.
  • Move your hips to make continuous circular motions.
  • Change directions.
  • A set of 20 in both directions is ideal.

4. Arm and Shoulder Circles

Arm and Shoulder Circles are simple shoulder mobility exercises that practically anyone can do. They help to activate the shoulder muscles and the entire shoulder joint, helping prevent shoulder pain and stiffness

Instructions:

  • Stand up straight and keep your feet parallel to each other with your shoulder blades slightly pulled back.
  • Stretch your arms out to the sides at shoulder level.
  • Keep your palms open, but curl your fingers into your palms with your thumbs out straight.
  • Keeping your elbows straight, begin making small circular motions from your shoulder joints.
  • Turn your palms upward and change direction into a backstroke.
  • Complete as many sets as you feel comfortable with.

5. Chest and Shoulder Opener

A Chest and Shoulder Opener is an excellent exercise for those who have poor posture or limited flexibility in the thoracic spine. It is best done using a tension band. 

Instructions:

  • Stand up straight with feet apart.
  • Keep the head and spine in a neutral position.
  • Stretch the resistance band out in front of you at waist level.
  • Swing the band over your head until it rests level with the base of your spine, then return it in front of you.
  • Do not arch your back; let your shoulders and chest muscles do all the work.
  • 20 reps should open up the chest and upper spine and work the shoulders.

6. Hamstring and Hip Opener

The Hamstring and Hip Opener helps stretch the hamstring muscles and open up the hips. It’s a great mobility exercise for relieving hip and hamstring tightness and pain. For this exercise, you will need a floor mat.

Instructions:

  • Lie on your back on the mat and let your shoulders relax, then drop to the floor.
  • Bend your knees and keep your pelvis and feet on the floor.
  • Inhale and arch your lower back.
  • Exhale and release the arch.
  • Repeat this six times, then return to the neutral position.
  • While in neutral position, stretch your right leg upward.
  • Wrap a resistance band around the middle of the sole of your foot.
  • Straighten your left leg and rest it on the floor.
  • Slightly pull on the resistance band and hold the position for a couple of minutes.
  • Change to the left leg and again hold the position for as long as is comfortable.
  • For the hip mobility exercises, cross your right ankle over your left knee and let your knees fall to one side to ground level. Then swap sides and repeat these mobility stretches 10 times on each side

7. 3-Way Ankle Joint Mobilization

The ankles take a lot of the daily strain of human activity, so strong ankles are important. Be sure to add ankle mobility exercises to your mobility training routine.

Instructions:

  • Place the knee of your left leg on a small, thick gym mat, and keep your right leg in front of you, bent at the knee.
  • Place your right palm on your right knee. 
  • Put pressure on the knee with your right hand and push down.
  • Slightly bend the knee forward and backward, then change legs.
  • 20 reps on each leg are required.
  • You can push the knee forward, to the left, and to the right.

Frequently Asked Questions

A man balancing on one leg on a road with a view of the mountain.

How do I train my full-body mobility?

You can train your full-body mobility in a 30-minute session in which you include all the exercises mentioned here and more. They are low-impact exercises that can be done every day.

How long does it take to train mobility?

The exercises are simple and do not need a recovery period, so you can complete a full-body mobility workout in 30 minutes and do it as often as you want.

Can mobility be increased?

By using certain joints and muscles regularly, you can prevent stiffness from occurring or ease stiffness that has set in. In time, mobility exercises will have a positive effect and increase body mobility.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
12 fantastic reasons to add jumping jacks to your workout routine
These are all the reasons you should be doing more jumping jacks
Shirtless man doing jumping jacks.

Each branch of the armed forces uses a simple bodyweight exercise to keep everyone in peak physical condition - they clearly understand the benefits of jumping jacks! While exercises like squats, push-ups, and pull-ups have their own benefits, jumping jacks can take a workout to a whole different level.
It might be a decade or more since you last did a round of jumping jacks, but this childhood favorite callisthenic exercise is not just child’s play — jumping jacks have plenty of health and fitness benefits for adults as well. Jumping jacks are easy to perform and accessible from anywhere you have a mere foot of space, require no equipment, and have the unique perk of bringing back nostalgic memories, making them feel as much like play as they are a workout. Keep reading for the top benefits of jumping jacks and why you should carve out a place in your workout routine for this tried-and-true classic exercise move.

1. Jumping jacks improve cardiovascular fitness
Jumping jacks increase heart rate and respiration, challenging your cardiovascular system. Completing extended sets of jumping jacks and progressing the duration of your sets will improve your aerobic fitness and endurance. Aim to move as fast as you can with good form, completing the full range of motion with each jump to maximize your fitness gains. Start with sets of 30 seconds and build up to several minutes or more without stopping.

Read more
How to train for better posture (because your WFH habits suck)
If you find yourself slouching all day at your desk, here's how to turn things around
Man sitting at desk with good posture.

Looking your best is impossible without good posture. Sitting or standing up straight involves core strength, balance, and flexibility. If you’re suffering from muscle pain and fatigue during the day, you might need to improve your posture. Doing so with proper training will decrease stress on your muscles, reduce your risk of injury, and increase your energy.

Finding the right ways to improve your posture will also lead to better body awareness. You’ll start to notice when you hunch over while walking or sitting. Focus on your posture while exercising, and you’ll begin to recognize other imbalances. You will naturally want to work on areas where you’re tight that you didn’t notice beforehand. 
What muscles control your posture?

Read more
The 10 best men’s lounge pants to wear all day long
Lounge around in these amazing pants — your best options
fourlaps lounge pants

As we still continue to feel the effects of a post-pandemic world, the turn to comfy-fitting clothing is one that remains consistent in everyday life. From running errands on the weekends to hitting the gym to wearing them on video calls via work from home, sweatpants, athleisure wear, or lounge pants, whatever you decide to call them, are still having their moment.

Regardless of what your feelings are at the moment regarding sweats, they definitely are going to be sticking around. The good thing is that brands and designers are making higher-quality pairs that you can dress up for the office setting, or down for a lazy, casual Sunday. So, let's take a look at the best men's lounge pants and introduce you to some of our favorites, all of which are designed with cozy comfort in mind.

Read more