If you need to maximize the effectiveness of the workouts, mobility training is a must. But what actually is mobility training? In a nutshell, it focuses on the fundamentals that form the backbone of your athletic abilities, including healthy joints, a strong feeling of balance, and adaptability.
The real reason people train for mobility is simple: It helps enhance your stability, amplifies your range of motion, and loosens your muscles so any workout you do can be achieved better still.
And fitness experts are only for it. Based on Nike Master Trainer Joe Holder, mobility training is usually the best way to warm up.
Trust us, we all know that when you’re getting prepared for a run, the very last thing for you to do is plop down on the ground and foam roll it. But the benefits are abundant. Mobility training gets the blood flowing throughout the body, so you’re all ready for your sweat session. Plus, it’ll make your go-to strength-training moves even more effective.
Don’t have a foam roller in your own home? Not a problem. Not every mobility training requires props. For example, you are able to lie lying on your back and do hamstring-strengthening bridges. Or get on all fours and reach opposite arms and legs out to develop balance.
The exercises in this video are made to make your squats deeper as well as your shoulder presses stronger. Follow along as Nike Master Trainers Joe Holder and Kirsty Godso show Health’s senior fitness editor how you can challenge her balance while stretching and dealing the muscles in her own calves, quads, glutes, and more.