What runner isn't guilty of prioritising running above all the other stuff – like recovery, strength and conditioning or mobility? Repeat five times on the right leg, then switch so the left leg performs five pulls yoga poses, then think again. Mobility is really important for good running form, and it helps prevent injuries then think again. Mobility is really important for good running form, and it helps.

By contrast, if you have poor mobility, your joints and muscles won't move through their full range of motion, and that, in turn, will make you less efficient as a runner and also place greater strain on muscles and tendons to pick up the slack. So your injury risk will increase significantly – and no runner wants time on the injury Get back to the starting position and go into full standing.

Luckily, mobility is something that's very easy and simple to work on and see good progress within a relatively short time. And it doesn't require a lot of time or a lot of equipment. This simple routine has been put together by Alex Dudley, a strength and conditioning coach who is director of development at Pliability, which offers daily mobility routines.

What everyone's reading

All you need is a few spare minutes and somewhere you can stretch out a bit, like a yoga mat or towel placed on the floor. Try it a few times a week, and you'll soon notice the effects.

7 move mobility flow for runners

flexbility and mobility are crucial for runners ankle circles
Ankle circles

Foot Circles

  • What everyones reading
  • Slowly transfer your weight to your toes, then the inside edge, heels, and back to the outside edge in a circular motion
  • Repeat circles five times then switch directions, starting with the weight on the inside edge of your feet
  • Slowly transfer your weight to your toes, the outside edge, the heels, and back to the inside edge of your feet in a circular motion
  • Repeat circles five times.

Down Dog to Seal

flexbility and mobility are crucial for runners downdog to seal or cobra
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  • Standing with feet shoulder-width apart, hinge at the hips, placing your hands on the floor, shoulder-width apart
  • Actively press the hands into the floor, and the heels to the ground – in downward dog – hold for five seconds
  • Drop your chest and hips to the ground, then press up through the hands, extending the arms, this is also known as 'seal'
  • Does running count as leg day
  • A series of simple moves, perfect for keep runners flexible and mobile.

Runners Stretch to Samson

flexbility and mobility are crucial for runners runners stretch to samson
Runners stretch to Samson
  • bench if they can avoid it
  • Reach one leg behind you, keeping the heel on the ground to stretch the back of the calf in a runner's pose
  • Now, slowly bend that back knee down to the ground to sink the hips to the ground
  • Repeat five times on each side
  • After a couple of breaths, press through the front heel to 'press' the hips up and back to return to the runner's stretch.

Knee Hug to Lunge

flexbility and mobility are crucial for runners knee hug to lunge
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  • bench if they can avoid it
  • Repeat 10 times each side
  • Does running count as leg day
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  • Hold for five seconds and push your right leg back to standing
  • Repeat circles five times.

Hip Airplanes

flexbility and mobility are crucial for runners hip airplanes
Hip airplanes
  • How to add curtsy lunges to your strength workouts
  • Now, balance on one leg and with one straight line from the head to the opposite toes, lean forward at the hip. Feel a strong stretching sensation through the hamstrings on the down leg, making sure to keep the pelvis parallel to the ground (not opening or closing the hip). To help keep the pelvis square to the ground, think about reaching the pointer finger of the non-working side towards the big toe of the down leg
  • At the end range of motion, maintain balance and attempt to "rotate" to "open" the entire body on that down leg
  • Now, slowly control back to the starting position and attempt to "close" the body down to get the chest and pelvis to face the opposite wall
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  • A series of simple moves, perfect for keep runners flexible and mobile on each side.

Standing Leg Swings

flexbility and mobility are crucial for runners standing leg swings
Runners stretch to Samson
  • What everyones reading
  • Now, stand on one leg, keeping the other leg straight and swing it back and forth pointing the toes towards the direction you are swinging
  • bench if they can avoid it
  • Hold for five seconds and push your right leg back to standing
  • Now, stand sideways to the wall, once again using handheld support.
  • Take the leg closest to the wall and swing back and forth with a straight leg to feel a strong stretch in the back of the leg
  • Feel a strong stretch, no pain in the lower back, hip, or down the leg.
figure 4 pulls
V-up variations to build a strong core

Fig 4 Pulls

  • Standing with feet shoulder-width apart, slowly begin to bounce on the toes of each foot, alternating sides
  • Once you had established a bouncing rhythm, your right toe tap will spring up to a figure four running position, high knee, right foot inline with left knee
  • then think again. Mobility is really important for good running form, and it helps
  • A series of simple moves, perfect for keep runners flexible and mobile on the right leg, then switch so the left leg performs five pulls.

Alex Dudley is a strength and conditioning coach who has worked with the Special Olympics Powerlifting Team and is now director of development at Pliability.