Last week I did a recap of my Top 3 favorite strength exercises (click here to read it) for time-crunched athletes.  Done together they efficiently & quite effectively work your whole body – top to bottom, front to back.  So, you think you don’t have enough time to lift…think again!  With these 3 exercises you could do an awesome workout in literally 10 min!  And the same goes for my top 3 must-do, do-not-miss mobility exercises!!  Just 05-10 min at the beginning and/or end of your workouts (cardio or strength) is more than enough time to do all 3.  I promise your body AND your performance will thank YOU!

Top 3 Mobility Exercises

1. Standing Wall Rotations – This exercise targets mobility in the upper back, scapulae (shoulder blade) & hip flexors.  I love this exercise & think it feels amazing!  This is my #1 go-to exercise because it addresses the connection between the shoulders & the hips.  What’s the connection?  Remember that your spine connects top & bottom halves of the body.  And if there is a tightness on either end (i.e., shoulders or hips), the other end will be affected.  Put more directly, tight shoulders often mean tight hips…and vice versa.  Too often I see athletes addressing just their hips or just their shoulders.  But these two areas are very much influenced by each other.  So, if you want better shoulder mobility, work on your hips!  And if you want better hips mobility, don’t forget your shoulders!  Click here for a video of Standing Wall Rotations.

2. Squats with Overhead Arms – This exercise is all about full body mobility.  Not only does it work on opening the hips, but it also helps to increase movement in the upper spine.  And…if you’re a modern-day human sitting in a chair driving a car and/or using a computer and/or cell phone…we can pretty much guarantee that your hips & upper spine are not a mobile as we would like!  Click here for a video of Squats with Overhead Arms.

Here’s a 4-part series I did on how tight shoulder negatively affect your athletic performance:

• Part 1:  How the Shoulders Work
• Part 2:  How Rounded Shoulders Make You a Slower Swimmer
• Part 3:  Can’t Run Any Faster?  Blame Those Rounded Shoulders!
• Part 4:  Let’s Straighten Up & Get Faster!

3. Static Flat Back – Aaaaahhhhh…the BEST one of all!  And the easiest one of all too!  In fact, I’ll bet that you skip it because you think it can’t possibly be doing anything for you!  Au contraire, my dear athletes!  This one is perhaps the most effective of them all!  If you only have time and/or energy to do 1 exercise…this is it!  But this exercise only works well when you spend some time with it…like 10-15 min (or more!) time with it.  As you relax into this position, gravity works on your body to reset your neck, shoulders & hips.  Basically, the more relaxed you can get, the better the reset works!  Try it 15 min before bedtime & get an added sleep benefit too!  Click here for a video of Static Flat Back.

And there you have it!  My Top 3 Mobility Exercises.  Do them at least 3x this week…I guarantee your body will feel better!

Happy Training!

If you’d like to chat more about how these concepts can help you train more effectively, schedule a 30min Free Zoom Consult.  For more info on Coaching, click here.