How to Improve Mobility and Flexibility through Partner Stretching, PNF Stretching, M|WOD, and Yoga
Mobility helps improve range of motion of tight joints and muscles, and it helps stabilize and strength areas that have too much range. This article demonstrates provides two example exercise routines for people needing additional range of motion in the hips, ankles, and thorasic spine. Plus you’ll find numerous linked articles at the bottom covering all topics associated with stretching, stabilization, yoga, and mobility.
Purchase Mobility and Flexibility Training
What is Mobility Training?
Mobility Training includes Diagnostics of where your range of motion and muscle control is limited. Mobility training is excellent for rehabbing injuries for knees, backs, shoulders, ankles, etc. We utilize targeted flexibility exercises and progressions to improve your range of motion. We treat the body as an integrated unit, mobilize joints and muscle from the toes and ankles to the neck and grip.
If the joint or muscle is tight, we loosen it. If the joint or area is too loose, we strengthen and stabilize it.
Our Qualifications and Certifications in Flexibility and Mobility Training
- Functional Movement Screen Level I and II certification and equipment,
- Muscle Activation Technique’s Jump Start Program
- M|WODWOD or workout of the day refers to the specific workout that we will be doing in class or personal training on a specific day. Workouts are programmed in cycles... More Movement Specialist.
- CrossFit Flexibility Certification,
- Kelley Starrett’s Supple Leopard,
- Bob Anderson’s Stretching Techniques
- Kit Laughlin’s Stretching and Flexibility,
- Move2Perform Y-Balance Test certification and equipment,
- Yoga Movement Patterns
- Gray Institute’s Three Dimensional Movement Analysis and Performance System.
Sample Mobility/Flexibility Workouts
Mobility and Stretch Session Example Workout 1
Focus Areas:
- T-spine (thoracic spine) flexion and extension,
- Hip Range of motion particularly gluteus medius, and
- Ankle mobility — through joint distraction — and calf mobility through PNF stretching
| Sets | Resistance | Reps | Duration | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Movements | T-Spine Dowel Rotation | 2 Sets | 5 Breaths | ||
| T-Spine Rib Grab | 2 Sets | 5 Breaths | |||
| Cook Leg Lowering Extension with yoga block offset | 2 Sets | 10 Reps | |||
| Adductor Ball knee squeeze | 6 Sets | 10 Seconds | |||
| Cybex (Functional Trainer) leg Adduction | 3 Sets | 10 lbs | 15 | ||
| Frog Stretch | 3 Sets | 10 seconds | |||
| Plate Ankle Mobility | 3 Sets | 5 | 10 Seconds | ||
| Dead Lift Hold | 4 Sets | 30 seconds | |||
| Vertical Dowel Ankle Mobility | 4 Sets | 3 log holds 7 pulses | |||
| Pigeon stretch | 3 Sets | 10 seconds |
Mobility and Stretch Session Example Workout 2
Focus Areas:
- Hip Health: internal and external rotators
- Groin: specifically the adductors including brevis, magnus, and longus
| Sets | Resistance | Reps | Duration | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Movements | Half kneeling Airex Hold | 3 Sets | 5 Breaths | ||
| 3 Point valslide lunge | 2 Sets | 10 Reps | |||
| Medball straight leg Hold with hand flutter | 8 Sets | 20 Seconds / 10 Second Rest | |||
| Laying down medball squeeze with moving foot on valslide | 6 Sets | 6 seconds | |||
| Laying down medball squeeze with moving foot on valslide – wide leg variation. | 6 Sets | 6 seconds | |||
| Flexed and pointed foot variation. | 6 Sets | 6 seconds | |||
| Knee flexion internal rotation on Swiss Ball – isometrics and different hip angles, and different rotation angles. Use the sled to adjust the swiss ball distance. | 6 Sets | 6 seconds | |||
| Box-elevated groin stretch (feet parallel) hands together elbow to knee | 3 Sets | 5 breaths | |||
| Swiss Ball Knee squeeze (hold ball with hands to stabilize) | 10 Sets | 3 log holds 7 pulses | |||
| Swiss Ball Straddle into pelvic hold | 10 Sets | 8 Seconds |