Mobility Drills and Exercises – Tips To Increase Your Flexibility

0

In this article I will take you through different mobility drills and exercises to help improve your flexibility, range of motion and overall stability when you’re working out using different styles of training such as CrossFit or traditional weight lifting. I want to show you a couple of exercises that I do right before I perform a workout when I am training. A little bit of mobility goes a long way and I don’t feel that there is enough mobility done in CrossFit classes. When I coach my clients, I physically take them through and show them a few things that will help them perform the exercises better. The only thing I am going to use in this exercise demonstration is a basic box.

It’s a 20 inch box and what I am going to do is put my foot on top of the box and I’m going to shift my body weight forward and I want my knee to be aligned with my ankle and I just simply remain in this position. I keep my heel down, my chest up and I will hold this for about ten to fifteen seconds. Maybe even a little longer. This is level one.

For level two, I’m going to shift myself forward. I’m will place my left hand underneath. I actually placed it underneath my left knee and I’m going to shift myself forward and then with my shoulder I will press against it and sink my hip down. So what’s happening here in the move is I’m actually targeting my adductors (inside of thighs). I’m also targeting the groin area and I’m actually pushing while still keeping my heel down. I’ve got both arms bent and this is actually really good for the stretch. Again, stay in this position for ten to fifteen seconds.

mobility-drills-increased-flexibility-1

This drill is really good if I know I have box jumps coming up in my workout or if I know I have to run during the training session. Those are the two main reasons why I will do this exercise. From the side angle view, I will come forward and place my hand underneath and then I shift my shoulder down and really sink down into my hips. I place my heel down and I hold it there. It’s really good if I know for a fact I have to run. This movement gets this whole area really loose.

mobility-drills-increased-flexibility-2

What I am going to do is flip the box up to a thirty inch position. This is actually really good to implement besides doing it in a workout facility. If you work in an office and you sit a lot, you really want to walk around and get some movement in your legs. I know a lot of people, myself included, when I used to work in the corporate world I would be behind a desk anywhere from six to seven hours each day and that’s not good for your back. It’s really not good at all since you need to move around.

mobility-drills-increased-flexibility-3

Next, I’m going to take my foot and I’m going to place it on top while flexing my foot. You want to make sure you’re flexing, not pointing your foot. While flexing my foot on top, I have my back heel down. If you can keep your heel down that’s good. If not, you know if you’re close then eventually you will be able to get your heel down. I get as close as I can to the box as possible. I then take my knee and I press it down so my calf is completely flat on top of the box. I take a big breath, inhale and drop my body over my calf and I stay in this position for 10-15 seconds.

mobility-drills-increased-flexibility-4

The muscles that are working in this position is the entire outside hip area and my glutes. It’s the glute and thigh area that is connected and my quadriceps as well which is also getting nice and stretched out. This is really good especially after a day of wall balls (CrossFit exercise), which I will show you at another time or when doing any type of squat. If your legs are tight then it’s actually good to drape yourself over and get a great stretch.

mobility-drills-increased-flexibility-5

Let’s say you are at the office and get on a conference call. Instead of sitting down the whole entire time, especially if you have a headset on, you can move around and be active. If you’re in your own office, sit on top of your desk and place your leg on top of it. Stretch your legs out and just hang out there for ten to fifteen seconds. Gently move your leg off and rotate the ankle. Switch to the other side and flex the foot. I lay my calf so it’s completely flat and I drape myself over. If you can’t do that, don’t worry. Eventually you will get there so don’t get frustrated. Allow your body to be natural and don’t force it. If you can’t get your leg up there then maybe you need to go to a shorter box.

mobility-drills-increased-flexibility-6

Again, this is the same thing. I have my leg bent and it’s the same process. If you don’t have a box then do it on the floor. Actually, there are two versions. I’ve got the back leg bent and then drop yourself down. If you can extend the leg then bring it behind you. As you can see, we are delving a little bit into yoga, but it’s really the same thing since we are working on flexibility.

mobility-drills-increased-flexibility-7

You can use a desk if you like or try a couple of options on the floor, but try to get more mobility back into your workout. Do it before your workout and do it after but just make sure you’re warmed up before stretching. Do it on days that you’re not working out and just try to keep your body moving so you don’t become stiff and rigid throughout the weeks of your training.

Thank you again for reading my article and watching the instructional video. Stay tuned, stay blessed and stay fit. I shall see you again soon. Let me know how you like these by checking out my profile page here on ShapeFit.

JOIN OUR NEWSLETTER
I agree to have my personal information transfered to MailChimp ( more information )
Join over 175,000 ShapeFit subscribers who are receiving our free weekly fitness newsletter and learn how you can build more muscle, burn off body fat and get into the best shape of your life!
We hate spam! Your email address will never be sold or shared with anyone. You can unsubscribe at anytime.
Share.

About Author

I am a fitness professional whose journey began as an overweight child. Honestly, I am glad it happened that way. As I struggled with food and inactivity, I began to research nutrition and exercise. I'm now a CrossFit Level 1 trainer and I'm certified in several Les Mills fitness programs. See my profile page for more information!

Leave A Reply