Top 4 Mobility Exercises to Include in Your Daily Routine

here are a lot of great mobility exercises and stretches out there, just like there are plenty of great loaded exercises you can perform in the gym. But which ones are the best for improving your overall mobility? And which ones are right for you?

I am certainly no preacher for a one size fits all approach when it comes to training, and similarly with mobility work, different exercises will benefit people in different ways. 

By prioritising exercises that recruit the biggest muscle and joint areas, it makes sense that you’ll get the most bang for your buck, reaping the most mobility rewards.

It takes a trial and error approach to discover which mobility exercises are best suited for you but I want to share with you some of my favourite “go-to” stretches I personally use daily. These happen to be some of the most bang for your buck stretches and exercises that anyone, of any experience level, can perform to achieve great improvements in mobility.

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Jefferson Curl - Posterior Chain

The Jefferson Curl is one of THE BEST exercises when it comes to mobility training, as it combines both strength and mobility components to strengthen the posterior chain, whilst releasing the lower traps and improving flexibility of the hamstrings. If you spend most of your working day sitting in front of a screen or suffer from back pain, this is a MUST to add to your training regime.

How to:

• Stand on a stable, elevated surface (a box is perfect) with a light weight in your hands (a 2kg - 5kg dumbbell, kettlebell or plate is usually a good place to start). Stand with legs straight and perfectly together
• Tuck chin into your chest and slowly round your back to lower your head down towards the ground one vertebrae at a time as you feel the weight pull you lower towards the floor
• Always perform this stretch with high caution because of the spine being loaded whilst in flexion
• Focus on keeping your weight balanced on the balls of your feet to avoid leaning back
• Hold at the bottom for at least one minute
• Reverse the movement slowly, coming back up one vertebrae at a time, with the untucking of your head being the final phase
• Repeat once more

QL Stretch - Lower Back

Do you suffer from a tight lower back but just can’t seem to find that exact position to relieve it? This is one of my absolute favourites! The QL (known as the Quadratus Lumborum) is a deep lower back muscle that runs down either side of the spine. It acts to stabilise the pelvis and allows bending and rotation of the lower spine. It’s very common for one side or both QL muscles to be tight, pulling on the spine, causing aggravation and pain. Doing this regular QL stretch will help release this tightness.

How to:

• Find a place to hold onto like a fence, pole or door frame
• Put your hands straight up in the air with straight elbows and bend to the side in the direction of your anchor point
• Move your outside foot behind the foot closest to the anchor and slide your hands down as your body bends sideways into a comfortable stretch
• Once you’ve reached your limit, relax into the stretch and hold it for 60-90 seconds
• Slowly ease back up and repeat on the other side
• Repeat stretch once more on each side

Modified Couch Stretch - hips, quads and knees

‍For anyone that sits down all day for work, struggles to hit a respectable depth in their squat or suffers from knee pain, this stretch is for you. It aims to release those extremely tight hip flexors and quadricep muscles that cause unnecessary strain on the lower back.

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‍How to:

• Get in a kneeling position on a mat or carpet and draw up the right leg with a vertical shin. Rest your back (left) leg on a foam roller
• Squeeze your glutes to stabilize your lower back and correctly position your hip joint. Drive the front of the hip toward the ground
• Maintain this position for at least a minute, continuing to lift torso up with glutes engaged
• Repeat on other leg then repeat both sides once or twice more

Modified Thread the Needle Stretch - upper back

The root cause of most lower back aches aren’t actually caused by your lower back and often due to a tightness within the upper spine, neck or shoulder blades. Stop treating the symptoms lower down and help address the real reason for your lower back aches with this great upper back rotational exercise.

How to:

• Come to all fours on the ground with a foam roller lying parallel to your body on the left side next to your shoulder. Keep the hips and knees stacked and keep the feet in line with the knees
• Keeping the knees, feet, and hips exactly where they are, you can begin to walk the hands out further in front of you
• Once you’ve reached a comfortable stretch through the sides, take the right arm under the left arm, place it on the foam roller and allow it to roll away from the body, rotating your torso to the left
• Place the right shoulder on the floor along with the right temple
• Complete 6-8 slow repetitions, breathing deeply then repeat on the other side
• Repeat once more on each side for extra relief

The benefits of these 4 stretches are endless - from improving the way your body moves day to day, allowing greater gains in your training, as well as reducing the risk of specific training related injuries. Who doesn’t want those perks right?!

If you’d like to know more about these mobility exercises or more effective mobility work to add to your current training, please contact me here (link to ask apex form on website).