Keep yourself fresh, sharp and injury free with mobility training…
What is mobility?
Mobility refers to how much movement and range we have for given muscle groups. For example, if you can’t touch your toes, you may have poor mobility in your hamstrings.
Most footballers know how important proper warm ups are before training or a game, and how important stretching after is.
Mobility exercises (also known as dynamic stretching) are often performed in football warm ups, and throughout the training day.
It is well known that Ryan Giggs spent countless hours performing mobility exercises in the form of Yoga, and kept himself ready and injury-free for most of his career.
If we perform mobility exercises well, this can –
- Warm up and prime our bodies for training and matches
- Improve our movement, strength and speed
- Help to reduce our chances of injury
- Help to recover from training sessions
How can I improve my mobility?
In this article, we will discuss three of our favourite hip mobility and movement exercises for football. You should perform these as a circuit, repeated for three sets – 3-5 times per week.
Mobility training should be performed in a slow and controlled manner, to get the most out of it.
This mobility and movement circuit can be performed at any time throughout the day, or as part of a warm up for a training session.
3 Hip Mobility drills for Football
Spiderman Rotations
Why? – Having a strong, developed upper body is really important for being strong on the ball. Holding off the opposition and being strong around the torso is a real advantage for a footballer.
How?
- Begin in a press up position, with the hands under the shoulders
- Place the left foot on the outside of the left hand
- Rotate up and towards the ceiling with left hand (eyes follow hands)
- Come back into Press up position and repeat on other side.
- 8 reps each side.
Lateral Lunge and reach
This exercise develops the mobility of the adductor muscles, which sit at the groin/hips.
These muscles are really important for moving side to side, and changing direction quickly. This is especially important for central defenders and midfielders.
How?
- Begin with the feet hip width apart and step to one side, bending the lead leg, and keeping the trail leg straight.
- Keep both sets of toes facing forwards, sit the hips back and across towards the bent knee.
- Reach past the toe with the opposite hand. Do this by rotating the upper body and shoulders, rather than bending at the back.
- Return to the start position and repeat the movement on both sides.
- 8 reps each side.
Forward Lunge and Rotate
Why?
This exercise develops the mobility of the muscles around the hips and knees. Footballers need strong and mobile hips and knee joints, for sprinting, jumping, and changing direction.
How?
- Begin with the feet hip width apart and step forwards, bending both the front and back knees.
- Keep the hips, knees and feet in line, and avoid leaning towards one side.
- Keep the upper body stacked over the hips, and rotate your upper body so your forearms move over your knees, pause, then return back to the middle position.
- Return to the start position and repeat the movement on both sides.
Summary
- Mobility training is really important for footballers. It can help to improve speed, strength and movement. Most importantly, it can reduce the chances of injury.
- Mobility training should be performed 3-5 x per week, and can be performed on it’s own, or as part of a warm up. Movements should be slow and controlled.
- This article introduced 3 hip mobility drills, which you can introduce into your own training straight away.
FASTER STRONGER FITTER 