A basic 10-minute mobility workout

You don’t have to be an athlete to face everyday sports challenges. Whether you’re lifting luggage into the overhead bin or crouching on the floor to play with your kids, many everyday movements require a combination of strength, stability and flexibility.

Just like an athlete, you need to train if you want to do these things without getting injured. But life is busy. If you’re low on time, consider training that focuses on full-range joint mobility or strength.

“When we think about mobility, we think about movement,” said Cedric Bryant, president of the American Council on Exercise. This means focusing on lively movements, such as lunges, that work groups of muscles rather than individual ones.

This also means focusing on significant joints – such as the shoulders, hips and spine. These areas are crucial for reaching, lifting and pulling, said Jessica Valant, a physical therapist and Pilates instructor in Denver. “If you can keep them mobile, it will lend a hand you with 90 percent of your daily activities.”

These five exercises will lend a hand you build total body strength and make you feel more fit and agile. To get the full benefits, combine these exercises with 30 minutes a day of other physical activity, such as walking or jogging.

Review

Time: 10 minutes

Intensity: Tiny

Rounds: Do each exercise for one minute and then move on to the next exercise. Perform the complete sequence twice.

What you will need

• No equipment required

How often

Doing this workout once can lend a hand relieve joint stiffness and make you feel more agile. But doing it three times a week will begin to build and maintain strength and mobility, and will also lend a hand you start an exercise habit.

Adapt to yourself

Each exercise can be modified to make it easier or more complex. For example, you can apply a chair or wall to keep your balance, or add hand weights to make the movements more challenging.

He lunges

Goals: Glutes, quads, hamstrings and hips

Repetitions: 10 to 20 repetitions

Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Take a long step back, bending your back leg until your knee is just a few inches off the ground and your heel is lifted. Return your leg to the starting position. Repeat with the other leg.

Squats

Goals: Buttocks and quadriceps muscles

Repetitions: 10 to 20 repetitions

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your toes pointed at a slight angle. During the squat, your knees should move in line with your toes. Go as low as you can comfortably. If you have trouble getting into a full squat, you can drop into a chair and then come back up.

Gluteal bridges

Goals: Buttocks 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 off the ground while squeezing your glutes. Avoid arching your back. Then lower your hips back to the ground. If this is too uncomfortable, there is an alternative pelvic tilt.

Indicators

Goals: Core, lower back and legs

Repetitions: Six to 10

Start with your hands and knees. Fully straighten your right arm and left leg, being careful not to arch your back. Then move your arm and leg to the center of your body, trying to touch your left knee with your right elbow. Repeat this using your left arm and right leg. If arm and leg coordination is too complex, start with one movement at a time.

YTWL formation

Goals: Arms and arms

Repetitions: Three to five repetitions for each position

This exercise can be done lying down if you are a beginner, or lying down 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 a Y shape. Lower your arms to your thighs, then back above your head.

T-position: Keep your arms at a 90-degree angle and press your palms together. Remember to keep your arms straight.

Position W: Keep your arms at a similar 90-degree angle, but bend your elbows to create a right angle and keep your arms up. Raise your arms above your body, touching your toes together as if preparing to dive, then lower them back down to form a W shape.

Position L: Extend your arms out to the sides in a two L bent position. Keeping your elbows at a 90-degree angle, lower your arms to your chest or, if comfortable, down to the floor at your hips.

Rachel Fairbank is a freelance science writer based in Texas.

Coach on set: Amanda Katz