Latest and greatest mobility exercise plans? Seeking most bang for buck.

January 1, 2025 10:15 PM

What have folks found to be the most effective and efficient approaches?

As a regular free weight and body weight exerciser, cyclist, and impromptu practitioner of Parkour Lite (TM), I'm in "good shape", but I've never been happy with my mobility. My hips and hamstrings are tight AF from eons of desk work, and I get some knee and back pain.

4 or 5 mornings per week I do 20-40 minutes of yoga, foam rolling/soft tissue balls, a little animal flow, just enough to loosen things up a bit. But I'd really like to find a program which:

* Is backed by research.
* Isn't too complicated or time consuming.
* Can make genuine improvements in my mobility and range of motion.
* Doesn't have too much hand/wrist involvement, handstands and cartwheels. I love 'em, but my wrists don't.

I'm not aiming for full splits or tae kwon do head kicks, but I'd sure like to get at least halfway there. Bonus points for programs that address knee and low back pain.

I can commit those same 20-40 mins, 4 or 5 times per week.

What has worked for folks? I'm not opposed to paying for a program if it gets results, especially if it lets me avoid YouTube.

Finally, I consider this separate from strength training, I've got that covered.

Thanks, Hive Mind!

posted by 4midori to Health & Fitness (12 answers total)

No direct personal experience however at least several years ago when I was heavily into fitness / strength training Kelly Starrett's Becoming a Supple Leopard was the gold standard among people I knew and trained with.
posted by firefly5 at 4:48 AM on January 2

I'm a simple guy.
I have a heavy-duty wheelbarrow in my yard.
It's full of bricks and I push it up a hill.
posted by superelastic at 5:56 AM on January 2 [1 favorite]

Mobility and flexibility are different goals. Are you interested in keeping a full range of motion or in being able to bend over without hearing a million joints creak?
posted by fiercekitten at 8:35 AM on January 2

Best answer: "Flexibility Plans" are going mostly be generic, and aimed at beginners (especially this time of year!). You're well past that. You already exercise, so you don't need a plan to start doing that. You also have already identified your strengths and weaknesses, so you'd likely be frustrated with a "Plan" that doesn't match those.

What you want, as you describe it, is to work with a physical therapist or trainer -- highly trained eyeballs -- on hip and hamstring flexibility. This is exactly: 40ish minutes, a few times a week, backed by research, not complicated, aimed at measurable improvements and tailored to your specific body and goals. Importantly, do some work to find one that works with athletes, or you'll end up in beginner territory again. From PT, you'll end up with some exercises that you can work into your own yoga / bodywork practice.
posted by Dashy at 9:43 AM on January 2 [2 favorites]

To improve flexibility, you need to be holding stretches for 20-30 seconds, are you doing that?

If that's handled and you're still stiff after regularly doing the routine described, physical therapist. You're doing the right basic stuff, they can show you the one weird thing you're missing. Can possibly substitute a recommended trainer.

I did a few sessions of PT for shoulder stuff a decade ago, and I still use those exercises when I get stiff / sore. I also did one session of PT for achilles tendinopathy a few years ago, with similar results. You'll learn stuff about your particular body that you can apply long-term, totally worth it.
posted by momus_window at 11:07 AM on January 2

I would suggest looking around your area at yoga studios and see if they offer a program similar to the one in my neighborhood called "Self-Myofascial-Release for Athletes". Unfortunately it's not an online class, but perhaps by borrowing some of the terms used in the class description you can find one that's accessible to you.

What I like about this class is they always integrate assessments into the program, so you do "a thing" at the beginning (standing on one leg or whatever), then go through the exercises, and then do "the thing" again toward the end and (hopefully) witness the improvement.
posted by jeremias at 12:01 PM on January 2

I would say yes, pay for a 30-45 minute one-on-one consult with a PT or yoga studio instructor and get their feedback on exactly what you're doing and how you can change it. One session like this should get you six months of improvement, after which you can get another one if you want.
posted by seanmpuckett at 1:09 PM on January 2

I found gmb through this site, and am very pleased with feeling both stronger and more mobile. I'd historically never been able to do a full squat or touch my toes regularly, and I can now do both with ease. The elements program might be a bit too wrist-intensive for you, but they have enough free content that you can see if it might work for you. Now that I have finished their elements program, I sometimes do the parts that work the best for me (so I have created a little routine I like) and sometimes do some of their other content.
posted by lab.beetle at 1:36 PM on January 2 [1 favorite]

Best answer: I highly recommend "Classical Stretch" with Miranda Esmonde-White (available on most PBS channels, as well as DVD and streaming from her site).

She works with PT and combines actual neuromuscular techniques (research - check!) with a variety of full-body movements, in a 20 minute episode filmed in a lovely location. I've had low back pain, and her episodes specifically on "low back pain" were helpful.

The workouts are gentle (although my thighs scream from the squat/plies), but incredibly effective for increasing range of motion throughout the entire body. No pressure/weight on wrists or hands, but there are exercises for them.

Each filmed season consists of 30 episodes (18 more recently), which works great for a workout a day. I've been rotating between seasons 9 and 10 and get the most out of it when I can do the workouts daily.

(FYI: she trains Olympic and professional athletes. And ignore the season 'themes' -- they all have content that relates to pain relief, flexibility, 'weight loss' etc.)
posted by sazanka at 6:34 PM on January 2 [2 favorites]

Best answer: I like Tom Morrison's Simplistic Mobility Method (aka SMM). The exercises are done in a specific order, and there's only a couple that require putting weight on one's wrists[1]. Since you're already fit, some of the exercises may be pretty easy, but some will probably be surprisingly difficult. The program includes stretching and strengthening and there's a follow-up program you can purchase once you find SMM too easy. The programs are one-time purchases, not subscriptions, which is nice too.

Tom Morrison shares a lot of YouTube videos, so you can see if you like his style before committing.

[1] I, too, have sensitive wrists, so this was a big selling point for me.
posted by burntflowers at 6:45 PM on January 3

Best answer: I've used Pliability for two years now and have seen great improvement in my hip and hamstring flexibility. The app has a daily routine that is different every day - 20 minutes six days a week and one 40 minute routine. The routine is yin yoga, so each pose is held for 3-5 minutes. It's mentally challenging but feels incredible.
posted by airplant at 7:09 PM on January 6

Response by poster: So many great ideas! Thanks, hive mind!
posted by 4midori at 11:24 AM on January 7