What follows are what I would call high value mobility exercises - movements that yield immense physical health benefits per second of time and calorie of energy invested.
Please note that you should feel free to modify such exercises to suit your circumstances. For example, if you can't be on all fours to mobilize your wrists, you can do the same movements standing with your hands against a wall. Read more
Here, I am using a makeshift back strap anchored to stall bars to work on spinal extension.
If you don't have access to these tools, you can use a gym ball for the initial passive stretch, or even a large ottoman or workout bench.
For the active extension exercises, you can use a back extension machine at a local gym or have a friend anchor your legs to a stable surface while your upper body hinges over it. Read more
This is a highly effective mobility exercise to improve rotation through the lumbar and lower thoracic spinal regions.
Begin face down on a comfortable surface. Raise your right leg behind you and try to touch the ground to your left with your right foot - you can use your arms for balance and support as you do this. Repeat with your left foot, then alternate for several repetitions. Read more
This video demonstrates some movement patterns that you can do with a long stick or dowel.
Using a stick to take your shoulders through these and other movements can help you identify and work through restrictions in joint mobility. Read more
Plyometric jumps are typically used to improve explosive strength.
I find they are excellent for improving balance and the ability to sit in a deep squat, which is helpful for hip and ankle mobility.
Let the focus be landing softly with balance - you should make first contact with the balls of your feet and end with your heels in contact with your landing surface. Aim to maintain your balance in a deep squat for several seconds upon landing. Read more
For an overview of exercise progressions that you can work at to improve your mobility and balance in a systematic way, please feel free to visit our Mobility Exercise Progressions page here:
This is an excellent exercise for improving extension through the spine. Insufficient extension is a common root issue for those who experience chronic back stiffness and recurrent pulls throughout the back.
Start on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the ground. Read more
Often used in gymnastics, Around the World is an effective way of improving spinal mobility and hamstring flexibility.
Each time you bend down to your side or straight forward, when you reach the end of your natural range, gently bounce two or three times to induce a little more downward movement. Read more
There is a primal reassurance in being touched, in knowing that someone else, someone close to you, wants to be touching you. There is a bone-deep security that goes with the brush of a human hand, a silent, reflex-level affirmation that someone is near, that someone cares.