Weekly workout with Core Collective: Mobility flow
While the start of a new year is a great time to set your fitness intentions and goals for the year ahead, it’s important to do so mindfully and not to push your body too far, too fast. There is such a thing as over-training, and it will actually hinder your progression.
Effective mobility-focused warm ups and taking time to stretch it out post-workout are an essential way to keep you feeling great, rather than sore and overtired.
Fitness studio Core Collective’s Head Trainer Paddy Colman has created a special 10-15 minute “mobility flow” routine that can be used pre/post-workout or even on its own. Aim to complete this flow at least three times a week to ensure maximum benefits.
Paddy’s 15-20 minute mobility warm up flow
Complete between 2-4 rounds of the below.
5 x straight leg walk outs with shoulder taps – From standing walk to a high plank, keeping the hips level, and perform 4 shoulder taps. Return to standing and complete again.
5x bodyweight squat into sit squat hold – Work on the slow lowering phase of your squat (count to 3 as you lower). At the bottom of your range, you should hold a sit squat position for 5-10 seconds each time.
5x straight leg walk outs into toe taps – Walk out to a high plank. From here you want to touch your left foot with your right hand, and then the same on the other side. Do this twice on each side, and then return to standing.
5x bodyweight good mornings – Pin your hands behind your head into a prisoner position by drawing elbows back and squeezing shoulder blades together. Hinge yourself forward from the hips until your shoulders come no further than parallel to the hips and you feel a slight pull down the hamstrings. Extend to standing and squeeze the glutes at the top.
10x prisoner forward lunges with a twist – Keeping your hands in the prisoner position, step forward into a lunge and twist your torso over the front knee. When lunging, ensure the front knee is in alignment with the toes and the back knee is in line with the hip. Alternate between sides.
4 x hip flexor mobilisation (2 per side) – Walk into a high plank position, ensuring the shoulders are over the wrists and core is drawn tight. Send your left foot outside the left hand into a plank lunge. From here, draw three big circles over the wrists and then change the direction of the rotation. Once complete, extend the hand nearest the foot up and then drop the elbow towards the foot, repeat three times. Switch sides and complete complex on the opposite side of the body.
8x upward dog to downward dog (4 up, 4 down) – From your high plank position, send the hips towards the floor, driving your shoulders down and away from the ears and ensuring the toes are lying flat against the floor. Hold this position for 5-10 seconds. Proceed to tuck the toes under, articulating through the spine, one vertebrate at a time. Drive your chest towards the hips into a downward dog position, pedal the feet from side to side before returning back into the upward facing dog. Repeat.