You don’t have to be an athlete to face daily athletic challenges. Whether lifting your luggage into an overhead compartment or squatting on the floor to play with your kids, many daily movements require a combination of strength, stability and flexibility.
And like an athlete, you have to train if you want to do these things without injury. But life is busy. If you’re short on time, consider a workout that focuses on mobility, or how strong a joint is through its entire range.
“When we think of mobility, we think about movement,” said Cedric Bryant, the president of the American Council on Exercise. This means focusing on dynamic moves, like lunges, that work groups of muscles, rather than individual ones.
It also means focusing on important joints — like the shoulders, hips and spine. Those areas are crucial for reaching, lifting and pulling, said Jessica Valant, a physical therapist and Pilates instructor in Denver. “If you can work to keep those mobile, you are going to help yourself with 90 percent of the activities that you do every day.”
These five exercises will help build full-body strength and can allow you to feel more capable and agile. To get the full benefit, combine these exercises with 30 minutes a day of other physical activity, such as walking or jogging.
Overview
Time: 10 minutes
Intensity: Low
Rounds: Do each exercise for one minute, then move to the next exercise. Complete the full sequence twice.
What you’ll need
• No gear necessary
How often
Doing this workout just once can be helpful in easing stiff joints and feeling more limber. But doing it three times a week will begin to build and maintain strength and mobility as well as help start an exercise habit.
Adjust for you
Each exercise can be modified to be easier or more difficult. For example, you can use a chair or the wall for balance, or add hand weights to make the movements more challenging.
Lunges
Targets: Glutes, quads, hamstrings and hips
Repetitions: 10 to 20 repetitions
Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Take a long step backward, bending your back leg until your knee is only several inches above the ground and your heel is lifted. Bring your leg back to the starting position. Repeat with the other leg.
Squats
Targets: Glutes and quads
Repetitions: 10 to 20 repetitions
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, your toes pointed out at a slight angle. As you squat, your knees should move in alignment with your toes. Go down as far as you can comfortably. If you have trouble doing a full squat, you can lower yourself down onto a chair, then come back up.
Glute bridges
Targets: Glutes and lower spine
Repetitions: 10 to 15 repetitions
Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Push your hips up off the ground, contracting your glutes as you do so. Avoid arching your back. Then bring your hips back down to the ground. If this is too uncomfortable, an alternative is the pelvic tilt.
Pointers
Targets: Core, lower back and legs
Repetitions: Six to 10
Begin on your hands and knees. Fully extend your right arm and left leg, being careful not to arch your back. Then bring your arm and leg to the center of your body, trying to touch your right elbow to your left knee. Repeat that, using your left arm and right leg. If coordinating your arm and leg is too hard, start by just moving one at a time.
Y-T-W-L formation
Targets: Shoulders and arms
Repetitions: Three to five repetitions per position
This exercise can be done lying down, if you’re a beginner, or in a standing position. The goal is to move your arms and shoulders through four basic functional movements.
Y position: Hold your arms above your head, at an angle, in the shape of a Y. Bring your arms down to your thighs, then back above your head.
T position: Hold your arms out at a 90-degree angle and bring your hands together. Make sure to keep your arms straight.
W position: Hold your arms out at a similar 90-degree angle, but bend your elbows to create right angles and hold your hands up. Bring your arms above your body, touching your fingers together, like you’re preparing to dive, then bring them back down to re-form the W shape.
L position: Hold your arms out to your side in a bent position in the shape of two Ls. Holding your elbows at 90 degrees, bring your hands down to your chest or, if it’s comfortable, all the way to the floor by your hips.
Rachel Fairbank is a freelance science writer based in Texas.
On-set trainer: Amanda Katz
