Exercises To Increase Mobility

What are exercises to increase mobility? They’re flexibility exercises and mandatory if you want to avoid pulling muscles and facing injuries that can set you back for months. These are range of motion exercises that can even help if you already have an ache or pain when you move in a certain way. Shoulder pain can come from a rotary cuff injury, but it also may be from an impingement that’s caused by bad posture and weaker muscles. Using exercises to increase mobility can help relieve the pain and avoid surgery.

Whether it’s just tight muscles or even osteoarthritis, range of motion exercises can help.

One twelve week study found that a program of exercise helped hip osteoarthritis. The goal was to strengthen the muscles, improve flexibility and balance. The group that exercised had more mobility and less pain than the group that didn’t or one that received ultrasound treatments as a placebo. One good exercise for hip flexibility is walking hip openers. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, then lift one knee, bringing it to the chest. Make a circle with that knee, bringing it across the up then across the body and to the side and down. Do the same with the other knee.

Get more mobility in your thoracic spine to relieve shoulder and upper back pain.

Two good exercises to increase mobility, while also improving posture include floor windmills and goal post stretch. Floor windmills require a towel or pillow for under your head. You start laying on your side on the floor with knees and hips bent to a 90 degree angle one on top of the other, making you look like you’re sitting on an imaginary chair. Your arms should be out straight with one hand on top of the other and palms together at shoulder height. Slowly lift the top arm up and rotate it to the other side until it’s level with the other arm and palm to the ceiling. Hold and return to the original position, then switch to the other side.

Strengthen your ankles and improve their range of motion to help improve balance.

Weak ankles can lead to injury and severely limit your performance in the gym, especially when doing squats. This simple exercise increases your range of motion, strengthening the ankles at the same time. Stand next to the wall, putting one hand on the wall for support. Go forward onto your toes into tip-toe position, then slowly lower and rock back onto your heels, lifting up your toes. Repeat at least ten times to build flexibility in the ankles.

• A goal post stretch requires leaning up against the wall so all point on your body touch, extending your arms bent at the elbow with forearms forming a goal post. As you progress, squeeze your shoulder blades together or try lifting your bent arms higher.
• A broomstick, wooden or pvc pole can help improve your shoulder, upper back, chest and neck range of motion. Hold it in front of you with your palms down, then lift overhead, going as far back behind you as possible. Return to starting position and repeat.
• Extended lunges are a great way to stretch. Do a lunge with the right leg forward, but lean far enough forward to put both hands on the ground. Lift your left hand and point it to the sky as you stretch. Return to starting position and lead out with the other leg.
• At One Love Fit Club, we include many range of motion workouts. Just learning kickboxing can help loosen muscles, too.

For more information, contact us today at One Love Fit Club