Mobility exercises (i.e. exercises for joint mobility ) are very useful and not only for those who play sports, as they train and improve mobility , one of the most important physical qualities of all for our well-being.
They can be performed in the gym but also at home , both to improve joint mobility and train it and to recover mobility following injuries . There are many exercises you can do, aimed at improving flexibility and the ability to move in the chest , shoulder , hip , pelvis , back , back and legs . After introducing them into your daily routine, during training or simply at the end of a working day, the improvements will not be long in coming.
Are you curious to know more and to find out which are the best exercises for joint mobility ? So, let’s get started!
MOBILITY EXERCISES: WHAT THEY ARE
You’ve probably heard of mobility exercises , but what are they ? They should not be confused with stretching exercises because there is a substantial difference. The latter are mainly static and include stretches, so they are mainly suitable for post workout.
Mobility exercises, on the other hand, are far more dynamic and are recommended above all as a warm -up before training or as a stand-alone session in order to improve mobility .
To clarify, let’s start from the concept of mobility . Mobility concerns the ability to move muscles, tendons and ligaments which, if this “quality” is well trained, work in a harmonious and functional way, without any kind of problem such as muscle tension or imbalance. Just like the other physical qualities – strength, coordination, endurance and speed – mobility must also be trained properly because it can become lacking in some particular conditions.
WHY SHOULD WE TRAIN MOBILITY?
There are many variables that can negatively affect our mobility by reducing it. Among the factors to take into consideration are the loss of elasticity and the condition of muscle tone – an excessively developed muscle mass or with dysfunctions related to incorrect training, for example – but also age and sedentary lifestyle .
For example, staying in a sitting position for a long time or assuming incorrect postures greatly limits mobility and this represents a problem not only if you play sports but also in everyday life and in the most trivial activities we do every day.
The beneficial effects of joint mobility exercises are innumerable. Here are some of them:
- better health of the musculoskeletal system;
- reduction of bad postures;
- reduction of muscle imbalances;
- greater strength;
- less muscle tension.
It is not necessary to train mobility every day, but with small weekly exercise sessions you can notice the difference almost immediately.
Girls, that’s not all yet! Turn the page and read on to find out which are the exercises for joint mobility to be included in your daily routine and can also be done at home!
EXERCISES FOR JOINT MOBILITY: BEST FOR HIPS AND PELVIS, BACK, BACK, LEGS, NECK AND SHOULDERS
At this point, let’s discover together some mobility exercises that you can do in the gym or at home , also because there is no need for tools but you proceed strictly with the free body. Each exercise should be performed for at least 3 series, doing 5-10 repetitions for each and resting for 1 minute between each series.
Especially if you spend many hours in a sitting position, the mobility of the hips and pelvis tends to be reduced. To improve it, we advise you to carry out a simple rotation of the pelvis , first in one direction then in the other. The important thing is to keep the knees slightly bent, with the feet hip-width apart.
BACK AND BACK
To improve the mobility of the whole back , from the lumbar to the dorsal area, one of the best exercises is the position of the cat (an exercise “stolen” from yoga).
In quadrupedal mode, you exhale by lowering your head arching your back forming a sort of hump. To optimize the exercise it is important to maintain the position by slightly contracting the abdomen.
LEGS AND THIGHS
Leg mobility exercises target both the posterior and anterior muscles. For the hamstrings , for example, try standing straight with your feet parallel by flexing your torso forward and keeping your back straight. Stretch in this position and then raise your torso making slow, controlled movements.
For the front muscles , on the other hand, do a classic lunge keeping the feet straight and the trunk upright, leaving the arms soft. Raise your pelvis and then come down by extending your back leg.
NECK, SHOULDERS AND CHEST
One of the best neck mobility exercises is rotation . Just rotate the neck first in one direction, then in the other. In doing so, the neck and shoulder muscles improve in mobility and, in addition, relax.
For the shoulders and chest , we also recommend that you rotate your arms . The arms should be kept extended and relaxed and rotated first in one direction, then in the other.
EVERYTHING TO DO THE EXERCISES FOR MOBILITY
One of the most common mistakes in the gym, for any type of workout, is overdoing it. Even with regard to mobility exercises, it is not necessary to overdo it. Those who train can do these exercises before training 2-3 times a week . With this frequency it is possible to work on the mobility of the whole body or to focus only on some parts in an optimal way.
Those who do not train or fail to respect this schedule, on the other hand, can perform the exercises even only once a week , preferably in the evening at the end of the day. Each position must be maintained for at least 30-60 seconds to obtain benefit.
