Mobility is the ability to move freely. Our bodies feel sore and tight the day after a challenging workout. It’s common for exercisers to experience one or more of the following after a tough workout session: delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), muscle damage (small microscopic tears that can occur when a muscle is stressed beyond what it’s used to), inflammation, and a feeling of physical fatigue.
When you’re super sore after a workout, it is tempting to lie down and binge-watch your favorite show to avoid any unnecessary muscle contractions. However, research suggests that doing absolutely nothing might not be the best recovery technique. Hence the need for active recovery workouts, like a 15-minute mobility workout. Mobility drills get you moving just enough to circulate fresh blood throughout your body and warm tissues up gradually, which really helps decrease inflammation in the tissue and speed the recovery process.
15-Minute Mobility Drill for Rest Days
You can increase flexibility and muscle recovery with this mobility drill workout. Also, provide a great post-workout cool-down routine.
Child’s Pose
- Come to your hands and knees on the yoga mat.
- Spread your knees as wide as your mat, keeping the tops of your feet on the floor with the big toes touching.
- Rest your belly between your thighs and root your forehead to the floor. Relax the shoulders, jaw, and eyes. If it is not comfortable to place the forehead on the floor, rest it on a block or two stacked fists. There is an energy point at the center of the forehead in between the eyebrows that stimulates the vagus nerve and support a “rest and digest” response. Finding a comfortable place for the forehead is key to gaining this soothing benefit.
- Stretch your arms in front of you with the palms toward the floor or bring your arms back alongside your thighs with the palms facing upwards.
- Stay here for some time reconnecting with the steady inhales and exhales of your breath.
Cat-Cow
- Start on your hands and knees with your wrists directly under your shoulders, and your knees directly under your hips. Point your fingertips to the top of your mat. Place your shins and knees hip-width apart. Center your head in a neutral position and soften your gaze downward.
- Begin by moving into Cow Pose: Inhale as you drop your belly towards the mat. Lift your chin and chest, and gaze up toward the ceiling.
- Broaden across your shoulder blades and draw your shoulders away from your ears.
- Next, move into Cat Pose: As you exhale, draw your belly to your spine and round your back toward the ceiling. The pose should look like a cat stretching its back.
- Release the crown of your head toward the floor, but don’t force your chin to your chest.
- Inhale, coming back into Cow Pose, and then exhale as you return to Cat Pose.
- Repeat 5-20 times, and then rest by sitting back on your heels with your torso upright.
T Spine Stretch
- The bench T-spine stretch will require you to kneel in front of a box or a bench and keep your arms in a “V” position.
- This means you have to keep your elbows together while you sit back on your heels and drop your chest to the ground.
- Bend the elbows to pull up your elbows behind your head and take 5 deep breaths in and out.
- Lower your ribs and reverse the motion to repeat.
Figure 4 Stretch
- Lie on your back.
- Cross your right foot over your left thigh and bend your left knee.
- Pull the back of your left leg gently toward your chest.
- When you feel comfortable stretch, and hold for 30 seconds.
- Switch sides and repeat.
Low Lunge + Chest Expansion
- From Downward Facing Dog, step your right foot to the inside of your right hand. If your foot doesn’t make it to the front of your mat, use your right hand to help it along.
- Lower your left knee to the mat. If you find pressure on your knees uncomfortable in kneeling postures, take some extra padding under your left knee here. (A Yoga Pad is ideal for this purpose!)
- Release the top of your left foot to your mat.
- Lift your hands from the floor and place them on your hips or on top of your right thigh.
- Move your hips toward the front of your mat any amount to intensify the stretch along the front of your left hip and thigh. Simultaneously, press strongly down through the top of your left foot and the sole of your right foot to bring tone to the muscles you are stretching. Lightly engage your glutes and Isometrically draw the left and right feet toward one another.
- On an inhalation, lift your arms out to the sides and up toward the ceiling, taking your gaze up toward your thumbs. You can bring your palms to touch overhead or keep them shoulder distance apart.
- On an exhalation, lift your sternum and extend your spine to come into a backbend.
- Hold for several breaths before releasing and coming to the other side.
Half Splits
- Begin in a low lunge with the right leg forward and the back knee resting on the floor. Rest the fingertips on the floor.
- Move the hands back as you extend the right leg forward. Rest the right heel on the floor and flex the foot. Try to keep the hips in line with the back knee.
- Exhale and fold the torso forward. Breathe while holding the pose.
- Inhale and release.
Standing Hurdlers Stretch
- Place your left foot on a bench or couch.
- Keeping both legs straight and your hips square to the front, slowly bend from your waist to feel a stretch in your left hamstring.
- Breathe and switch sides.
- For a deeper stretch, bend your standing knee and hinge your hips back further.
Lateral Squat Stretch
- Stand with both feet wide and toes pointed straight ahead.
- Slowly hinge your hips back and slide them to the left as you bend your left knee, keeping your weight in your heels and your opposite leg straight.
- You should feel a stretch in your left inner thigh.
- Switch sides and repeat.
Sumo Squat Active Mobility
- Stand in a slightly wide squat stance with your feet pointed straight ahead.
- Slowly hinge at your hips and drop into a squat as you reach down to grab your toes.
- Keep your arms inside your knees and your back flat and look straight ahead at the bottom of the movement.
- Push through your heels, driving your hips back up into a standing position while you continue to hold onto your toes.
Pair this routine with a light 20-minute walk for the ultimate recovery day.