Boost your mobility and strengthen your core in just 10 minutes
This short bodyweight routine can increase your flexibility and build core strength
Doing some regular mobility work could help boost your overall fitness. But many of us are guilty of skipping this kind of exercise, as we think it will take hours of stretching to see any kind of improvement.
The thing is, you really don't need to blast through an hour-long session everyday. You could try something simple like this 15-minute yoga flow to gently stretch your joints and improve your range of motion. Or, if you're really short on time, you could take on this three-move, bodyweight mobility session from fitness trainer Cass Olholm.
Olholm’s routine is accessible for everyone, and she demonstrates each of the moves below so you can practice them before starting your mobility session.
Watch Cass Olholm’s three-move mobility workout
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This session is a dynamic routine arranged like a yoga flow class, so you’ll transition between moves, rather than staying still and holding poses. You’ll do 12 repetitions of each move, with six on each side for the first two exercises.
Olholm recommends you complete a total of six rounds to get the most from your training, but don’t push beyond what’s comfortable; it’s better to do each exercise with perfect form to work the correct muscles and avoid injury.
Many of the moves are variations on classic exercises like lunges, hip openers, and walking. Mobility exercises like these focus on improving the range of motion and flexibility of your joints and muscles. It's important to work on these areas, as having good mobility could enhance your athletic performance, prevent injuries and reduce overall stiffness.
You'll also be doing some gentle core strengthening exercises with these moves, as the torso twists will require your midbody muscles to fire up. Having a strong core is another way to improve your functional strength, as this area plays a role in everyday movements like squats and lifts.
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Of course, improving your core strength and mobility are two of the many benefits of yoga. If you're trying to work on these areas, we'd also recommend you commit these beginner-friendly yoga stretches to memory, and tag them onto the end of your next workout.
Jessica is an experienced fitness writer with a passion for running. Her career in journalism began in local news and she holds a Masters in journalism. Jessica has previously written for Runners World, penning news and features on fitness, sportswear and nutrition.
When she isn't writing up news and features for Fit&Well covering topics ranging from muscle building, to yoga, to female health and so on, she will be outdoors somewhere, testing out the latest fitness equipment and accessories to help others find top products for their own fitness journeys. Her testing pairs up nicely with her love for running. She recently branched out to running 10Ks and is trying to improve her time before moving on to larger races. Jessica also enjoys building on her strength in the gym and is a believer in health and wellness beginning in the kitchen. She shares all of this on her running Instagram account @jessrunshere which she uses for accountability and for connecting with like-minded fitness lovers.