your go-to recovery focused MOBILITY routine

If you are feeling sore and achey from hard training sessions, intensive camps or a big competition here’s my go to full-body mobility routine. Starting with foam rolling which helps to decrease tenderness in the muscles, increase blood flow to the area and improve range of motion, followed by mobility movements which help restore movement in your muscles AND joints. Pair this routine with a “flush” type workout like swimming, biking or walking and you’re well on your way to a strong recovery!

FOAM ROLLING

Using a solid foam roller, roll over the following areas for approximately 30 seconds - 1 minute.
P.S. the smooth ones work great, you don’t have to torture yourself with the spikey, bumpy ones … unless you really want to!

HAMSTRINGS

Hits the HAMSTRING muscle group on the back of your leg. Use your opposite leg to get a bit more pressure and intensity if you’d like!

GLUTES

By crossing over your leg, you open up the glute muscles allowing a deep stretch and roll. Rotate your leg to hit all aspects of the glute muscles.

BACK

Hits the ERECTOR SPINAE and LATISSIMUS DORSI muscles. Make sure to engage your core to avoid arching through your low back. Don’t forget to do the entire length of your back.

LATS & PECS

Focus the roller on the sides of your back, alongside your armpits. You can rotate your arm to get a deeper stretch. Roll over onto your front to hit your pec muscles to help open up your chest!

QUADS

You can do 1 leg or both legs at the same time. Make sure you hit the inside, outside and middle of your thigh to get all the quads!

ANKLE MOBILITY

1/2 Kneeling Ankle Dorsiflexion

You are mobilizing the front leg. Start in a supported lunge position. Slowly rock forward, keeping your foot planted, trying to get your knee over your toes. Hold for 5s and repeat 10x on each side.

Additionally move towards the big toe or pinky toe to move the ankle in different ways.

Heel Drops

Standing at the edge of a step or stair, slowly let your heels drop below the step, feeling a stretch in your ankle and back of your achilles/calf. Hold for 5s and then return to standing on your tippy toes, doing a full heel raise before repeating 10 times.

HIP MOBILITY

HIP FLEXOR

If the front of, or your hips are tight in general, this one is for you. Starting in a kneeling position, tuck your tail underneath of you and raise the same side arm up over your head. This puts your hip flexors on extra stretch. Now lean forward until you feel a pull in the front of your hip. Hold for 5s and then move into the hamstring stretch below.

HAMSTRING

Starting from the hip flexor stretch above, sit back on your heel and reach for your opposite leg until you feel a stretch on the back of your leg. Hold for 5s before flowing back to the first position.

This flossing type movement back and forth is great for your muscle, fascia and nerve connections to loosen and free up your hips,

ADDUCTORS

These hits perfectly on the inside of your thigh. Rock back and forth onto your heel to deepen the stretch. Hold for 5s at the bottom before moving back to the start.

HIP 90 90s

My personal favourite hip opener. Start with both your legs bent to 90 degrees at your hips and knees. Slowly lean forward over your top leg, hold for 5s and then switch to the other side.

THORACIC MOBILITY

Thoracic Openers

Make sure you are up against the wall to give yourself some leverage. Start with both hands together at the wall, take a deep breathe in and then on your exhale, open up like a book and follow with your eyes. Hold for 5s before going back to the start. Repeat on both sides

WINDMILLS

This time you will rotate the opposite direction. Slide your bottom arm up and open to get a good twist in your back. Again inhale first, exhale and then move. Hold for 5s before coming back to the start

CAT COW

Arch and curl! Make sure to tuck your chin to chest as you curl and look up towards the ceiling on your arch. Inhale arch, exhale curl. Hold each position for 5s.

SHOULDER MOBILITY

SHOULDERS

Lay over a pillow, foam roller or rolled up mat. This should sit around your mid back at the bottom of your shoulder blades. Start with the stick in your hands positioned at your hips. Inhale and lift the stick, exhale bring it up over your head. Take a set of deep breathes here and then move back to your hips. You should feel this in your shoulders and mid back. Keep your knees bent to avoid pressure on your low back.

BANDED DISLOCATES

You can also do this movement with a stick, but I love the added muscle activation and stability you get from using a band. Start with your arms shoulder width apart with some tension on the band. Next bring your arms all the way overhead and try to get them behind you (without bending your elbows). The goal is to move slowly through the entire range of motion.

Perform each exercise 10x on each side holding for 5s. You can repeat for 2-3 sets depending on what you need!