Essential Mobility Exercises For Common Sports

Dynamic stretching and mobility exercises are a vital part of any pre-workout warm-up. Improving mobility and range of motion in the joints and muscles prepares the body for athletic performance and helps prevent injury risk. The mobility requirements can vary widely depending on the sport. Here are some of the best mobility drills for pre-workout based on the typical sports of running, tennis, basketball, and weight training.

Mobility for Runners

Running places high demands on the lower body and core. Work on hip and ankle mobility along with core activation.

●       Leg swings - Stand upright and swing one leg forward, back, and across the body in a controlled motion to open up the hips. Repeat on both sides for 10-15 reps.

●       Walking lunges - Take an exaggerated step forward, lowering into a lunge, keeping the knee behind the toe. Step forward into the next lunge. Do 10-12 for each leg.

●       Inchworms - Stand with legs straight. Bend down, placing both hands on the floor and walk your hands out to a push-up position. Continue walking, hands back to return to standing. Repeat 5-10 times.

●       Calf raises - Raise onto the balls of your feet, fully extending the ankle. Lower back down, keeping tension. Repeat 30 times.

●       Side leg raises - Hold onto a wall for balance. Keeping a soft knee, raise one leg out the side, tapping the floor, then lift back up. Repeat 20 times on each leg.

Mobility for Tennis Players

Tennis requires rotational power in the core and mobile shoulders and hips for pivoting and side-to-side motions.

●       Shoulder circles - Rotate shoulders forward and backwards, making large circular motions. Repeat for 30 seconds in each direction.

●       Arm swings - Stand with arms straight out to the sides. Swing one arm across the body as far as possible, pulling the shoulder and core. Return and repeat on the other side. Do 10/side.

●       Wrist circles - Roll wrists in circular motions forward and backwards to loosen up the wrists critical for gripping the racket.

●       Side lunges - Step one leg out, lowering down into a side lunge, keeping the chest upright. Drive back to start and repeat for 10-12 reps on each side.

●       Sumo squats - Take a wide stance with toes facing outwards. Push hips back, lowering into the squat. Keep knees aligned over toes. Repeat 12-15 reps.

Mobility for Basketball Players

Basketball requires multi-directional agility, vertical jumping power, and flexibility to reach and manoeuvre the ball.

●       Ankle circles - Lift one foot slightly off the floor and rotate the ankle clockwise and counterclockwise. Repeat for 30 seconds each foot.

●       Heel/toe walking - Walk forward and backwards, fully, stepping from heel to toe using ankle mobility. Repeat for 20 yards.

●       High skips - Skip forward, lifting the knee and swinging the opposite arm. Maintain an erect posture. Repeat for 20 yards.

●       Backpedal - Take exaggerated steps backwards, pushing off the toes and keeping the chest upright. Repeat for 20 yards.

●       Squat swing - Place hands behind head. Squat halfway down before explosively extending up onto toes and swinging arms overhead. Repeat 10-15 reps.

●       Spiderman lunge - From a push-up position, step one foot outside of hand and drop into a deep lateral lunge. Bring your feet back to start. Alternate sides for 10 reps for each leg.

Mobility for Weight Training

Full range of motion strength training requires mobile joints and core and shoulder stability.

●       CAT/CAMEL - On all 4s, alternately arch back, pressing belly down, then arch back up. Repeat 8-10 times.

●       Shoulder circles - Make forward and backward circles with shoulders to open up joint mobility needed for presses.

●       Elbow circles - Extend one arm straight out with palm facing down. Make small circles with your hand. Repeat 10 times forward/backward.

●       Spinal twists - Sitting upright, grasp one knee and twist, extending the spine to look behind you. Hold for 30 seconds on each side.

●       Side bends - Stand with feet hip-width. Clasp hands above head. Lean to one side, stretching the entire length of your torso. Repeat 5 times per side.

Performing sport-specific warm-up exercises before training or competing activates the muscles to be used, increases the range of motion, and optimises athletic performance. A proper dynamic mobility routine also helps reduce delayed onset muscle soreness after your workout.