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Mobility is the ability to move through good joint ranges of motion. It is important for many reasons, not limited to injury prevention and improved technical skill execution.

Research has highlighted the link between reduced joint range of motion and injury risk. Steinberg et al. (2013) found that joint range of motion can be an injury risk factor for future injuries in dancers. Female hockey players with 18-24 degrees less total lumbosacral (lower back) range of motion were at greater risk of lower back pain than pain-free and control group athletes (Fenety and Kumar, 1992). And it has been linked to injury risk in a range of other dancing disciplines (Gamboa et al., 2008).

Another common problem is athletes being told to get into correct technical positions, but being physically limited in their ability to achieve this. This is not a technical deficit, but a physical limitation to performance. An example could be a rugby player being asked to get into a better scrummaging position, but being limited in thoracic extension and therefore struggling to hit the positions that the coach wants.

The solution, therefore, is to improve your ability to achieve effective positions by increasing joint range of motion. This is something that requires consistency, as increasing mobility can take a little while. The outcome is extremely valuable though, and so it is a worthwhile time investment in the long term.

There are subtle differences in pre and post-training mobility.

Prior to sessions, the intended outcome is increased joint range of motion that contributes to reduced injury risk during training/competition, as well as better technical positions. For hockey players, this would mean being able to get into low positions in deep hip flexion and thoracic extension. For golfers, this would likely mean increased thoracic rotation during the swing. For runners, this may mean ankle range of motion to reduce the total stress placed on the lower limb. Each sport has its own unique needs, and therefore the content should be tailored appropriately.

There are common themes in most sports, however, which is a need for good joint range at the hip, ankle, and thoracic spine. This can be extended to include the shoulder, the wrist and even the neck, but for simplicity, we’ll focus on these three key joints.

Below are some great exercises for each of these three:

Ankle mobility exercises

Downward dog
Lunge with floor sweep
Ankle rockers
Standing calf stretch
Curtsey lunge

Hip mobility exercises

Spiderman rotation
Lunge and reach
Lateral lunges
Knee cradles
Single leg arabesque

Thoracic mobility exercises

Child's pose
Thoracic rotations
Side-lying 90/90 stretch
Wall lat stretch
World’s greatest stretch

How to complete these exercises differs slightly, when doing them pre and post-training. Pre training mobility should be dynamic, aiming to prepare for performance. Aim to complete 2-3 sets of 15-20 repetitions or 20-30 seconds per exercise, performing each exercise dynamically through full ranges of motion.

Post-training mobility should be a little more restorative in nature, aiming to accelerate post-performance recovery and return to normal ranges of motion. Static stretching has been shown to increase short term flexibility, although the exact mechanisms for this are unclear (Freitas et al., 2015). Aim to complete static stretches in the exercises listed for anywhere up to 60 seconds, trying to focus on key areas of tightness. There is little evidence that this reduces soreness, but can be helpful for short term flexibility gains.

Short term benefits of establishing a mobility routine are increased flexibility and hopefully a reduction in short term injury risk. However, if you continue this routine for long enough you can begin to improve technical positions too, as you’ll be able to achieve better ranges of motion.

Mobility is something that requires consistency, so start by doing even 5 minutes per day to help you achieve this in the longer term.

In terms of frequency, try to get into a routine of 2-3 mobility sessions per week. This doesn’t need to be any more than around 20-30 minutes.

Consistency is king!

Henry

References

Fenety A, Kumar S. Isokinetic trunk strength and lumbosacral range of motion in elite female field hockey players reporting low back pain. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 1992;16(3):129-35. doi: 10.2519/jospt.1992.16.3.129. PMID: 18796763.

Freitas SR, Vilarinho D, Vaz JR et al (2015) Responses to static stretching are dependent on stretch intensity and duration. Clin Physiol Funct Imaging 35:478–484.

Gamboa, J. M., Roberts, L. A., Maring, J, et al. (2008). Injury patterns in elite preprofessional ballet dancers and the utility of screening programs to identify risk characteristics. J. Orthop. Sports Phys. Ther. 38, 126–136. doi: 10.2519/jospt.2008.2390

Steinberg, N., Siev-Ner, I., Peleg, S., Dar, G., Masharawi, Y., Zeev, A., et al. (2013). Injuries in female dancers aged 8 to 16 years. J. Athl. Train. 48, 118–123.

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