Over the past couple of months, we have compiled a list of mobility exercises for different regions of the body. Having mobile joints is extremely important for maintaining healthy joints and a healthy body. The more mobility you have the easier and smoother it is to transition into and maintain body positions. Pairing all of these exercises together makes a great mobility routine that can be performed once or multiple times a week.
If you’re interested in becoming more mobile, we highly suggest seeing a sports chiropractor for a movement screen. Sports chiropractors are able to locate which joints need more mobility, which joints have too much mobility, and which joints are moving well already. By completing this screen, your sports chiropractor will be able to create a specific and targeted mobility routine to help you reach your mobility goals!
Below you will find all of the mobility exercises we have provided to improve motion in the neck, upper back, shoulders, low back, hips, and ankles. Click the links to be forwarded to an Instagram video demonstrating the exercises.
Body Regions and Exercises
1. Lateral Bends
- Retract chin
- Slowly move your ear to same side shoulder as far as you can while staying in pain-free motion
- Repeat to other side
- Perform 10 reps to each side
2. Side to Side Rotations
- Retract chin
- Slowly turn your chin towards the shoulder as far as you can while staying in pain-free motion
- Repeat to other side
- Perform 10 reps to each side
3. Half Circles
- Retract chin
- Start with your head rotated and bent as far as you can on one side, then slowly roll your head forward and towards the other shoulder. Stay in a pain-free range of motion
- Perform 10 reps to each side
- Cat Cow
- Start in a quadruped position (hands and knees)
- Dip chest as low as you can while keeping hips level and arms straight
- Your head will look up towards the sky
- Transition back to the start position
- Arch and round your mid/upper back towards the ceiling
- Your head will look towards your belly button
- Repeat for reps
2. Thread the Needle
- Start in the quadruped position
- Reach one arm between your other arm and the front of your legs
- Reach as far as you can while keeping your hips straight and having a slight bend in your supporting arm
- Perform on with the other arm and then repeat for reps
3. Thoracic Opener
- Start side lying, your top leg in the 90/90 position (leg can rest on a foam roller or not)
- Head supported by a pillow
- Arms start together pointing straight out from your chest
- Slowly lift the top hand off the bottom and twist your upper body backward
- Keep the bottom hand on the ground through the movement
- Repeat for reps and then switch sides
4. Foam Roller Extensions
- Start at your mid back and then work your way up towards the neck
- Find a spot and hold the foam roller in that position
- Slowly fold your back over the foam roller
- Try to keep your hips down, and not to flare the ribs upward
- Hold the position for 10-15 seconds taking slow deep breaths
- Repeat at multiple spots
- PVC Shoulder Pull Throughs
- Stand up right, feet about shoulder width apart.
- Grasp the PVC pipe near the ends (the closer your hands are the harder it becomes)
- While keeping your arms straight, slowly raise the pipe up and over your head and continue until the pipe hits your back
- Reverse directions and move to start position
2. Wall Assisted Arm Circles
- Start in a kneeling position with the target shoulder on the wall side. Your wall side knee will be down while the other is up
- Rest the side of your hand against the wall with your palm facing behind you
- Slowly drag hand against wall, keeping your arm straight, in a giant circle. Once the arm is straight over head rotate it so the palm is facing the wall
- Continue arm motion to finish the circle. Your hand will finish at the bottom with your palm facing the floor
- Minimize rotation in your back as much as possible through the entire circle
- Repeat
3. Foam Roller Shoulder Extensions
- Start with both knees down facing forward
- Put hands together and then rest finger tips on foam roller that is placed about a foot in front of you
- Slowly roll your arms over the foam roller while allowing your chest to fall towards the ground
- You should end with your head falling between your shoulders
- Repeat
1. Prone Extensions
- Start by lying on your stomach, your hands placed just outside your shoulders
- Slowly start to push up using just your arms
- Push up as far as you can while keeping the front of your hips on the ground
- You can repeat this for reps or hold the end position for 20-30 seconds
2. Knees to chest
- Start by lying down on your back, slowly lift both knees towards your chest
- Once you have reached as far as you can, grab both knees with your arms and pull them closer to your chest
- This can be done for reps or hold the end position for 20-30 seconds
3. 90/90 Rotations
- Start by lying on your back
- Bring both legs up so that your hips and knees create 90 degree angles
- Use your arms as balancers by placing them to the outside of your body
- Slowly rotate both legs to one side, and tap the knees to the ground
- Hold this position for 2-3 seconds
- Repeat to other side
- Perform for reps
1) Hip CARS
- Start on your hands and knees, both about shoulder width apart
- Keep a braced core and straight arms through the entire exercise
- Take one leg and bring that knee up as far as you can to the same side elbow (flexion)
- From that position you are then going to open your leg up to the side, moving the knee towards the ceiling as far as you can(abduction)
- From there you will turn your knee down towards the floor (hip internal rotation)while you try and move your entire leg back and up (hip extension)
- You will then reset and perform it in the opposite order
- Repeat for reps and then perform on the other side
2) Hip 90/90 Thrust
- Start in the seated position, put your legs out in front of you and create 90 degree angles at your knees
- Slowly you will flip directions of both knees keeping the 90/90. Feet should try to stay in the same location
- Once you have reached the full flip, you will raise up onto the knee you are facing and perform a hip thrust
- Squeeze your glutes at the top and then lower back down
- This should be a smooth and controlled motion
- You will then flip directions and perform on the other side
- Repeat for reps
- You can perform just the 90/90 switch without the hip thrust at the beginning and then work your way up to the thrust
3) Hip Long Lunge
- Start on your hands and knees, arms about shoulder width apart
- Take one leg and step up and past your hands
- Both hands should be on the inside of your leg
- You can either hold this position for 20-30 seconds or you can rock forward and back slow and controlled. This should be a very small movement as if you’re only moving about an inch with the rock.
1)Band Assisted Ankle Dorsiflexion
- Tie a band low around something sturdy, and place the band around one of your ankles just above the ankle crease
- Get into a one-knee stance placing the ankle with the band in front
- Make sure the band has a decent amount of tension
- Next, transition your weight over the banded ankle by pushing your knee out over your foot
- Hold for 40-60 seconds
- Switch sides
2) Squat Ankle Rocks
- Start in a comfortable and stable deep squat position
- Slowly transfer your weight out and over one of your feet
- Hold this position for 5-10 seconds
- Switch to other foot
- Perform for reps
3) Kneeling Plantarflexion Sitbacks
- Start in the quadruped position
- Have the tops of your feet contact the ground so your toes are pointing behind you
- Slowly transfer your weight back onto your heels
- Once your butt has made it to your heels, you can hold this stretch for 20-30 seconds
- If you want more of a stretch, sit on your heels and lean backward
