Atlas

Routine · 20 min · Mobility

20-Minute Mobility Routine: Hips, Back, Ankles and Shoulders

If you spend long hours sitting, run, play padel or lift, mobility is what keeps your joints healthy and helps you move better. This routine works through your body from top to bottom in 20 minutes, with no equipment. Do it in the morning, as a warm-up before training or on rest days.

Duration20 minutes
EquipmentNone · optional: a broomstick
LevelAll levels
FrequencyDaily or 3-4 times a week
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Spine and breathing

4 minutes

  1. Cat Stretch

    10 slow reps

    Arch and round your back in rhythm with your breath.

  2. Child's Pose

    1 minute, breathing deeply

Hips

7 minutes

  1. The star exercise: hips, hamstrings and spine in one move.

  2. Squeeze the glute of your back leg to feel the stretch more.

  3. Groiners

    8 per side

Legs and ankles

5 minutes

  1. Inchworm

    6 reps
  2. Runner's Stretch

    45 sec per side
  3. Ankle Circles

    10 per side in each direction
  4. Wall Calf Stretch

    45 sec per side

Shoulders and upper back

4 minutes

  1. Arm Circles

    30 sec forward and 30 sec backward
  2. Use a broomstick or a towel.

10-minute express version

Short on time? Just do: cat-cow, world's greatest stretch, kneeling hip flexor stretch, inchworm, wall calf stretch and arm circles. One minute per exercise, and repeat the circuit if you have time left.

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Tips to make it work

Mobility equipment

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Frequently asked questions

Is it better to do mobility in the morning or at night?

It doesn't matter much: what counts is doing it often. In the morning it helps shake off stiffness; at night it helps you relax.

Are mobility and stretching the same thing?

Not exactly. Mobility trains your range of motion with control and through movement; stretching holds a position. This routine combines both.

Does it work as a warm-up?

Yes. Before training, do the dynamic exercises (circles, inchworm, world's greatest stretch, groiners) and shorten the held positions.

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