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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
It’s a question I get asked almost daily! But the truth is, there is so much variability when trying to create an optimal training program and it all comes down to what works for YOU. So where do you start? Here are my recommended training guidelines.
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