Mobility Exercises: 12 Mobility Exercises You Can Do at Home

Mobility exercises are movement patterns designed to improve the full range of motion in your joints. Mobility training is a useful way to warm up for compound exercises like deadlifts and push-ups. When performed properly, mobility exercises can improve your range of motion, help prevent injuries, and even out mobility imbalances throughout your body. Learn how to maintain full-body mobility to perform strength-training exercises and everyday activities with ease.

There are several mobility exercises that you can practice at home. Consider a dozen popular mobility exercises to try.

1. 1. Glute bridges: Practice glute bridges by lying on your back with your knees bent. Squeeze your glutes as you slowly lift your hips off the ground, pausing once your thighs and upper body are aligned.
2. 2. Frog stretches: If you have tight hip joints, consider practicing frog stretches to increase your hip mobility and ease tension in your lower body. Perform frog stretches by starting in a tabletop position on your hands and knees. Slowly move your knees laterally to stretch your hip flexor muscles as you lower your body toward the ground. Only extend your knees as far as your body remains comfortable.
3. 3. Lunge twists: Perform lunge twists by stepping forward with your right foot and lowering your body into a lunge position. While maintaining this position, rotate your upper body to the right. Stand again and repeat this movement pattern on the opposite side. For an additional challenge, hold onto a medicine ball during the exercise.
4. 4. Knees to chest exercises: While lying down with your lower back comfortably against the floor, slowly reach one knee up toward your chest and clasp your hands underneath your lifted knee. Hold this position for a moment before lowering your leg and repeating the movement with your opposite knee.
5. 5. Foam rolling exercises: Foam rolling exercises involve loosening up tight muscles with the help of a foam roller. Press a foam roller against tight spots in your hamstrings, quadriceps, calves, or upper back muscles to relieve tension and recover from workouts more quickly.
6. 6. Lying windmills: Practice this mobility workout by lying flat on your back and lifting your legs to a ninety-degree angle in front of your body. Slowly rotate your legs back and forth to the left and right. With practice, lying windmills can improve mobility in your hip flexors, glutes, and lower back muscles.
7. 7. Squats: Perform this classic bodyweight exercise by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hinge your ankles, knees, and hips to lower your body into a deep squat position. To increase the difficulty of this exercise, hold onto a kettlebell or a pair of dumbbells during the squatting movement pattern.
8. 8. Bear sits: Practice this simple mobility exercise by sitting on the ground with your knees slightly bent and your legs extended in front of your body. Carefully push against the insides of your knees to increase the external rotation and internal rotation of your hips.
9. 9. Walking hip openers: To perform walking hip openers, get into a starting position by standing with your feet hip-width apart. Take a few steps forward and then balance on your right leg as you lift your left leg off the ground in front of you, bending your left knee at a right angle. While maintaining a right angle, rotate your lifted knee laterally from in front of your body toward the side of your body. Lower your left leg and take a few more steps before repeating this movement with your right leg.
10. 10. Seated shoulder squeezes: To perform seated shoulder squeezes, start by sitting with a tall upper body posture. Reach your arms behind your back and clasp your hands together. Slowly extend your arms to squeeze your shoulder blades together. Hold for a few seconds before relaxing your arms again.
11. 11. Shoulder pass-throughs: Perform this shoulder mobility exercise by standing tall with your feet shoulder-width apart. Grab a stick or PVC pipe with an overhand grip and place your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Lift the stick or pipe in front of your body and hold it overhead as high as it remains comfortable for your shoulders.
12. 12. Pigeon stretches: Also known as the pigeon pose, this stretch can help you increase hip mobility. Practice this advanced mobility exercise by sitting with one knee bent at a ninety-degree angle in front of your body and the opposite leg extended behind your body. Slowly lean forward until your torso rests comfortably above your front knee. Hold this position for a few seconds and then lift your upper body and repeat the movement pattern with your opposite side.

If you have a previous or pre-existing health condition, consult your physician before beginning an exercise program. Proper exercise technique is essential to ensure the safety and effectiveness of an exercise program, but you may need to modify each exercise to attain optimal results based on your individual needs. Always select a weight that allows you to have full control of your body throughout the movement. When performing any exercise, pay close attention to your body, and stop immediately if you note pain or discomfort.

To see continual progress and build body strength, incorporate proper warm-ups, rest, and nutrition into your exercise program. Your results will ultimately be based on your ability to adequately recover from your workouts. Rest for 24 to 48 hours before training the same muscle groups to allow sufficient recovery.

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