It’s not all about flexibility. Mobility exercises are a crucial component to preventing injuring, keeping your body well-balanced and improving all-around strength. Mobility drills (as well as stretching) are some of the most common things to be left out of an otherwise excellent gym routine.

Adding in some of these exercises to your daily routine is something you should have done some time ago, but don’t worry. Mobility is something you can work to get back. The good new is, these exercises don’t take much effort at all. In fact, you can do plenty without even leaving the comfort of your own bed.

Of course, you could do start involving more equipment like foam rollers, hockey balls, and bands. However, if you’re one of those who just can’t ever get around to doing them, then this article will show you how to loosen off either first thing in the morning, or just as you’re going to bed.

Why Do Mobility Exercises?

It’s stating the obvious, but humans are ‘designed’ to be on the move. However, with longer working hours, plenty of office jobs on the go, and no need to hunt for food, we’ve become pretty lazy.

Sitting down for hours each day can have a hugely negative impact on your posture and this is one of the main causes of imbalances, injury, and weakness. All it takes to improve this is 10-15 minutes of light work each day. Even after just a few days, you’ll notice a massive difference in the way you move and feel, especially if you’re currently not working on it.

Gear

Staying true to our title, you can do mobility work without any equipment at all. But, some equipment can come in handy. Here’s what we’d recommend getting if you want to be a bit more serious about taking care of your body:

• Foam roller
• Resistance band
• Yoga mat
• Therapy ball (or hockey/tennis ball will work)

Neck

Did you know that the way your head/neck sits can affect how the rest of your body moves? That’s just one of the reasons it is important to get it in working order.

Begin this movement by lifting your head off your pillow slightly and look at each corner of the room, rotating your head as you do so. Start off by moving from your ceiling corners to the corners of the floor. Do this in one direction for 10 rotations and repeat in the opposite direction.

Lower Back

Lie flat on your back and have your feet flat on the bed. Slowly and gently, allow your knees to fall to one side until a point it feels comfortable. Don’t force them to go all the way to the bed. Roll your knees back to the mid point and then over to the other side. Repeat this process for a couple of minutes.

Shoulders

Making sure that your shoulders are mobile will help you to prevent injuries when lifting weights or even performing daily tasks. You tend to find that shoulders can be the tightest/least flexible part of the body for many people.

For this exercise, lie flat on your back with your feet flat on your bed. Make sure you have enough room above your head to extend your arms. Place your arms on your bed to your side, elbows at 90 degrees and palms facing up. Try to extend your arms up above your head whilst keeping your back and arms flat against the bed. The aim is to be able to have your hands meet at the top without raising from the bed.

Alternatively, this exercise can be performed against a wall, standing up.