15 Best Mobility Exercises to Boost Fitness and Range of Motion

Adding these movements to your routine will pay off, no matter how you choose to train.

YOU MIGHT THINK you’ve got all your bases covered with your wellness routine. You lift weights, do cardio, maybe you even meditate. But, you’re actually missing a key element to really complete the regimen if you neglect focused mobility work.

Mobility training will not just help you avoid injury during your regular workout; the practice can also serve as a key element to physical longevity. You’ll be able to move with less discomfort throughout life, says Renato Sanchez, PT, DPT, C.S.C.S., a physical therapist at Bespoke Physical Therapy in San Diego, CA.

These are some of the best mobility movements you can do practically anywhere.

Sanchez also shared some of his favorite mobility exercises, which he says emphasize hip mobility. Improving this will benefit everyone, no matter your preferred workout method. Try these movements as a warm-up routine, running through each for one round of six to 12 reps each.

You’ve probably dealt with some lower back pain at some point in your life. It’s a nagging annoyance that can affect so many movements of your daily life. Keeping your low back mobile and strong can help you move better, longer.

Your shoulder joint is vital to healthy movement. So many actions in daily life depends on healthy shoulder function, from lifting something off a high shelf to putting on a shirt. That’s why it’s important to safeguard the vital joint by training its mobility.

To understand why mobility training is so beneficial, take a look at how it compares with flexibility, another useful physical characteristic to hone for your overall health. Flexibility is essentially how much a muscle, ligament, and tendon can stretch. On the other hand, “mobility is a combination of flexibility, coordination, and stability at different ranges of motion in various joints and muscle groups. It’s the ability for a joint to move well through its full range of motion,” explains Sanchez.