With everyone under lockdown, a lot of emphasis is currently placed on strength and cardiovascular work. People want home workouts, people want to go out and run and that’s to be encouraged but it’s also important to continue to work on mobility too. We tend to factor in mobility drills into our strength sessions to simply improve movement quality, enabling us to perform better and to get into positions more effectively. But when at home, in today’s situation with no real dedicated time to train, mobility can be neglected. Here are some really effective stretches and mobility drills to perform at home and in the gym once they are back open!
1 – WALL ASSISTED HIP FLEXORS A simple and classic way to get a decent stretch on those quads and hip flexors which can become really problematic for most, especially those who sit a lot throughout the day or those who run a fair bit.
2 – HALF KNEELING GROIN/ADDUCTORS In a similar position to the previous stretch, this time with a slightly angled position out with the leading leg. You'll feel this more in the groin and down the inside of the leg.
3 – REVERSE HAMSTRING I love this one to hit the hamstrings. It's a weird one too as I feel it slightly down my shin, in the tibialis anterior also, especially when my foot stays flat. Maintain contatct with chest to thigh throughout and gently sit back.
4 – 90/90 w/ ROTATION A great mobility drill for the hips. Ensure 90 degrees at the hips, knees and ankles with an upright torso. You can use a kettlebell, holding it just below the chin to help stabilise the hips. Rotating adds that dynamic element to it.
5 – PRONE PEC STRETCH This is a great stretch for the pecs and delts and one to help posture by opening up the chest. In the prone position, either with bent arms or arms straight out, roll over to the side you're targeting as far as it feels comfortable whilst maintaining contact with the floor.
6 - KNEELING SHOULDER STRETCH A really effective stretch for the shoulders, especially when looking to improve range of movement. Keep the arms parallel with the thumbs up and the hands facing each other. From there, gently press the chest towards the floor.
Give these a shot and stay STRONG and MOBILE at home!
