Being fit and healthy isn’t just about running fast or lifting heavy weights. It’s also about moving easily during your workouts and in everyday life. Exercises that boost flexibility can improve your mobility and help prevent injuries. For example, doing variations of lunges and squats can loosen up tight muscles in your legs, making it easier to move and stay injury-free.
Mobility means being able to move through a full range of motion comfortably. It’s important for doing everyday tasks and staying pain-free as you get older. Flexibility, or the ability to stretch your muscles, ligaments, and tendons, plays a big role in improving mobility.
Laura Miranda, a fitness expert and founder of Pursuit, developed a routine to help you bridge the gap between your current range of motion and where you want to be. Keep reading to discover seven moves that can boost your leg mobility and flexibility.
Benefits
Mobility is all about being able to move easily, while flexibility means stretching your muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Flexibility is part of mobility, which also includes balance, coordination, and strength. If your leg muscles are tight, it can limit how freely you can move your joints.
Improving your mobility and flexibility has several benefits:
- Better Muscle Function: Good mobility helps blood flow to your muscles, making them work better and supporting your movement.
- Stress Relief: Loosening tight muscles can reduce tension and make you feel more relaxed.
- Fewer Falls: Better mobility improves your balance, which is especially important as you age. Good balance can help prevent falls and fractures.
- Improved Posture: Increasing your range of motion can help you stand up straighter and avoid slouching, which helps prevent injuries and back pain.
- Easier Movement: Stretching your muscles and tendons allows your joints to move more freely, making daily activities easier.
- Injury Prevention: Better flexibility reduces the risk of muscle strains, which can cause pain, swelling, and discoloration. Strains often happen when you stretch a muscle too much, causing it to tear.
7 Leg Mobility and Flexibility Exercises
This routine targets your entire body, from neck and shoulders to hips and hamstrings. It includes:
- Reverse Lunge with Side Bend
- Squat to Forward Fold
- Low Lunge with Rotation
- Shin Box to Forward Step
- Lateral Lunge to Plank Walkout
- Wide Squat with Internal Rotation
- Single-Leg Deadlift to Knee Drive
These moves help get your blood pumping and your muscles ready for action. Try using this routine as a warm-up before heavy lifting or high-intensity workouts. You can also do these exercises in the middle of the day for a quick stretch.
For each exercise, hold each position for about two to three seconds or one full breath. Repeat each move two or three times before switching sides or moving to the next pose. On the last rep of each exercise, hold the final position for 10 seconds to boost strength and stability.
Focus on moving slowly and feeling good. Breathe deeply in each pose, engage your core, and keep your spine neutral. The end range of each move should be challenging but not painful. If your breath or form starts to slip, readjust as needed.
1. Reverse Lunge With Side Bend
Mobility for: Hip Flexors and Lower Back
Here’s how to do a reverse lunge with a side bend:
- Start by standing with your feet together.
- Step your right leg back into a reverse lunge. Keep both knees bent, tuck your pelvis forward, and squeeze your right glute.
- Reach your right arm overhead. Then, bend your torso to the left and reach your left arm across your body. Hold this position for 10 seconds on the last rep.
- Repeat twice, then switch sides.
Give it a try and feel those hip flexors and lower back stretch!
2. Squat to Forward Fold
Mobility for: Hamstrings, lower back, ankles, shoulder, and neck
Here’s how to do a squat to forward fold:
- Start by standing with your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart. Bend forward and grab your toes or ankles.
- Drop into a deep squat, keeping your chest up and engaging your hamstrings as you lower down.
- Use your elbows to gently push against your knees. This will help create tension in your glutes and hamstrings. Hold this position for 10 seconds on the last rep.
- Tuck your head down and lift your hips up, straightening your legs as much as you can without letting go of your toes or ankles.
- Repeat the move two more times.
Give this a try to feel a good stretch and strengthen those muscles!
3. Low Lunge With Rotation
Mobility for: Hip flexors, mid back, neck, and shoulders
Here’s how to do a low lunge with rotation:
- Start in a plank position with your shoulders over your wrists and your body in a straight line from neck to hips.
- Step your left foot forward, placing it outside your left hand. Keep your right leg extended, with your knee off the ground and your glute squeezed.
- Put your left hand behind your head. Slowly rotate to the left, reaching your left elbow up toward the sky. Move through your mid-back.
- Press into the floor with your right hand. Rotate your left elbow down and toward your right elbow. Hold this position for 10 seconds on the last rep.
- Put your left hand back down and step your left foot back to return to the plank position.
- Repeat this two times, then switch sides.
This move will help stretch and strengthen your muscles while improving your flexibility!
4. Shin Box to Forward Step
Mobility for: Hips and glutes
Here’s how to do a shin box to forward step:
- Sit on the floor with your right leg bent at about 90 degrees in front of you and your left leg bent at 90 degrees to the side.
- Lean forward from your hips, keeping your back straight and facing forward.
- Squeeze your glutes to lift your hips off the ground.
- Put weight on your right knee and step your left foot forward into a half-kneeling position. Stretch forward into your right hip flexor and squeeze your right glute. Hold this position for 10 seconds on the last rep.
- Step your left foot back to the starting position and lower your hips to the ground.
- Repeat this two times, then switch sides.
This move helps stretch your hips and improve mobility!
5. Lateral Lunge to Plank Walkout
Mobility for: Inner thighs
Here’s how to do a lateral lunge to plank walkout:
- Stand with your feet about 6 to 10 inches wider than your hips and your core engaged.
- Bend your right knee and lean into your right hip, keeping your back flat and your left leg straight.
- Push back to the starting position and then switch sides.
- Reach forward from a standing position, keeping your back straight until your palms touch the floor. Hold this for 10 seconds on the last rep.
- Walk your hands out to a wide-leg plank position, making sure your shoulders are over your wrists, your knees are straight, and your spine is aligned from your neck to your hips. Tuck your head and walk your hands back to your feet.
- Repeat this sequence twice.
This exercise helps with flexibility and core strength!
6. Wide Squat With Internal Rotation
Mobility for: Hips
Here’s how to do a wide squat with internal rotation:
- Stand with your feet wider than hip-width apart. Keep your shoulders stacked over your hips and engage your core.
- Extend your arms straight out in front of you and lower into a squat.
- Rotate your right leg by turning your foot, knee, and hip inward, while keeping your left leg still. Hold this position for 10 seconds on the last rep.
- Engage your left glute to help with the internal rotation of your right hip. Rotate your right leg back to the squat position, then stand up.
- Repeat the exercise two more times, then switch to the other side.
This move helps improve hip flexibility and strength!
7. Single-Leg Deadlift to Knee Drive
Mobility for: Hamstrings, lower back, and glutes
Here’s how to do a single-leg deadlift to knee drive:
- Stand on your left leg, tightening your glute.
- Hinge at your hips, lean your torso forward, and extend your right leg straight out behind you. Your body should form a straight line. Hold this position for 10 seconds on the last rep.
- Drive through your left glute to stand back up. Engage your abs and lift your right knee towards your chest. Squeeze until you feel a stretch in your glute.
- Repeat two times, then switch to the other side.
This exercise is great for building balance and strength!
Who Should Avoid
These leg mobility and flexibility exercises are usually safe for everyone. If you’re new to stretching, it’s normal to feel some tightness. But if the exercises are painful or the tightness doesn’t improve, it might be a good idea to see a healthcare provider.
If you have an injury or joint issues like arthritis, talking to a physical therapist can be really helpful. They can create a plan that protects your joints and show you modifications to make these exercises easier.
