According to Ryan Brown of Derby City Crossfit and Darkside Performance Enhancement Center, mobility is a combination of flexibility and stability. Many people hear mobility and just think about a joint's ability to move through a full range of motion, which on its own is flexibility. Combining this with stability of the joint is mobility, and both are essential for longevity and healthy, functioning joints.
Here are three of my favorite mobility exercises that I utilized as part of a recovery workout I did today on my off day. During these workouts I focus on breathing and trying to develop stability and mobility in the all-important knee and hip joints. If you're tight in the lower back or hips, or you have or have had knee problems, I'd suggest you start adding these to your training to improve your performance and overall health.
1) Figure 4 Squats
--I took this one from world-famous coach Joe DeFranco. The figure 4 squat is an advanced bodyweight exercise that is absolutely fantastic for developing stability in the abdominals, lower back, and at the knee joint, while simultaneously improving flexibility at the hip. To perform this exercise, cross one of your legs over the other so that they make a "4." Standing at full hip extension, exhale strongly, then deeply inhale, bracing your core by filling your belly with air and pressing it out against an imaginary belt. Hold the air. Sink your hips back while you sit back on your heel that's still on the ground. Try to keep squatting until you're at least parallel. Then, bending at the waist, try to touch the ground. Normally when you do any sort of squat, you don't want to round your back. However, in this case, leaning forward will stretch the lower back muscles and glute of the leg that is not on the ground. At the same time, you'll be forced to balance and learn to stabilize the knee of the leg that's still on the ground, (trust me this takes work).
Figure 4 squats are an incredible exercise to use as a warm up before you train, to improve mobility after you train, or on off days like I did today. However you use it, get it in your programming.
2) Cossack Squats
--Cossack squats are another incredible exercise for developing mobility of the hip joint, stability of the knee, and flexibility of the hamstrings. They're also a great tool for teaching yourself or athletes you work with how to activate your glutes when squatting. To perform the cossack squat properly, spread your feet wide, point your toes slightly out, and sink your hips back while squatting onto one leg. Keep the other leg on the ground, allowing everything but your heel to leave the ground. It is essential that the heel of the leg you are squatting onto remain planted in the ground. Keep your chest up, core braced, and squat down as low as you can to one side. Reverse the movement by contracting your glute, hamstring, and quad on the load-bearing leg and stand up straight. Repeat on the other side.
Again, cossack squats are great as part of a warmup, as part of mobility work after training, or on their own as recovery work.
3) Superman Planks
--Most people use the plank in their training program. However, after awhile, the plank becomes too easy. If you can consistently do multiple sets of 1+ minute planks, it's time to increase the intensity of this exercise. The superman plank is incredible at developing stability and flexibility in the upper body while developing strength and stability in the lower back, glutes, hamstrings, and quads. The key is to start by holding this for a short period of time, pulling your abs towards your lower back, squeezing your glutes, quads, and upper back as hard as you can. Inhale and exhale deeply, squeezing these muscles as hard as you can, keeping them contracted throughout the entire movement. Don't let your lower back round, don't let your shoulders sag, and keep your knees bent by contracting your quads. The key here is to create stability.
To perform these, stand straight, then reach down to touch your toes. Walk your hands out in front of you until your hands are as far out in front of you as you can, while maintaining a proper position. Squeeze the muscles we discussed above, pulling your navel up towards your lower back. It's okay to have your hips SLIGHTLY above parallel, but don't ever let your hips or lower back drop below parallel.
Perform multiple sets, increasing the time under tension as you begin to improve in the movement, (while maintaining proper position and keeping the muscles constantly contracted). Again, before, after, or on it's own, it doesn't matter when you do it, find a way to add it to your program.
