Kelly Starrett’s 10-Minute Morning Full-Body Mobility Routine

Here at The Ready State, I am asked two questions a lot:

  1. Do you have a simple and quick 10 minute morning mobility full-body routine?
  2. What does your morning look like?

The answer to both is actually the same. But before I dive into the goods, let me quickly explain how my morning “practice” has evolved.

Sun Salutation Wasn’t A Gimmick

People have always strived to build a better mousetrap as soon as there were proverbial mice. The Virtual Mobility Coach program is just the latest rendition of this. Humans are clever. It has always been so.

There are references to the ancient sequence of movements that have become the modern Yoga “Surya Namaskar” or “salutation to the sun” as far back as the 13th century.

In Mark Singleton’s “The Yoga Body”, he argues that the modern version of the ancient morning movement ritual known as Sun Salutation is a bit like “medical gymnastics.” I love this idea, it’s like a minimal-effective dose of a “movement vitamin,” which is one of the core tenants of The Ready State.

But don’t worry, while I have done my fair share of downward dog in the morning, this early a.m. yoga movement practice didn’t do it for me.

But, I brought it up to honor the fact that people have been thinking about this for a minute.

Looking for a better way to get up out of bed, instead of getting on the internet and checking out who hit me, get up!

-Macklemore and Ryan Lewis 

One reason I practiced a quick good morning mobility spin up wasn’t to achieve transcendent mind-body integration.

I just couldn’t get myself appropriately opened up and ready to go at the base of the mountain, the beach, or even the changing room. There was even a time when Spartan founder Joe De Sena suddenly announced we were running in the clothes we were wearing for a Spartan Race.

I realized that just 10 minutes of moving in a time and environment I could control before it really mattered was a game changer. If I could control before it really mattered, I ended up feeling better when it did matter.

Like the time I spent two hours sitting in the worst position of all time ever strapped to an elite soldier while waiting to jump out of an airplane. Then, I got to perform a “dynamic landing.”

Obviously luck played a factor in coming out of that experience unharmed. But at least the landing wasn’t the first time that day I let my brain and body know that I might end up exposing some of my joints and tissues to a significant range of motion.

Reality? Meet Actuality…

Another reason I frontload my day with intentional behaviors is because, as soon as Juliet and I leave the door, it is game on.

Our goal is not to set the tone for the day or make us more grateful or present. We’re like so many other people struggling to manage the details of work/family/kids/friends/life. We often have to surrender our best-laid plans to the reality of our full lives.

We do, however, feel like we have some modicum of control over our lives right up until we have to leave the house.  On days when the schedule collapses on us into catastrophic mayhem, we still feel like we’ve engaged in some movement/physical practice.

This means, tomorrow when the window opens for us to actually move, we will be more easily ready to quickly spin up and go. I also add in 10-15 min of soft tissue mobilization from The Virtual Mobility Coach before I go to sleep on busy days.

So Here Is Your 10 Minute Mobility Routine

For the next seven days, choose one of the morning mobility stretches:

1. Breathing Practice Spin-Up

OR

2. The Lower Body Spin-Up

Pro Tip: Don’t forget to switch sides. It’s easy to focus on problem areas. But this mobility work behavior won’t do you good in the long run.

Do them both..Choose the one that is more difficult and makes you uncomfortable. Use these mobility workouts alongside the Virtual Mobility Coach to open your day.

 

It won’t matter. Remember: The best morning mobility routine is one that lets you leave the house, ready.

Daily Mobility Routine FAQs

Should I do full body mobility every day?

Like all physical activities, it depends on many factors. Consider your individual needs, goals, and current level of mobility.

Daily good morning mobility exercises should often be light and gentle. But the more strenuous mobility stretch routines call for rest days in between.

How do you structure a mobility stretch routine?

Following are some general guidelines for structuring a mobility session. Tweak them based on your needs:

  • Warm up to increase blood flow to your muscles
  • Perform joint rotation exercises involving each major joint
  • Incorporate dynamic stretches to improve functional range of motion.
  • Perform mobility drills or exercises that target your problem areas or areas you wish to improve. Common examples such as the hip flexors or the shoulder blades.
  • Wrap up with a cool down exercises to relax your muscles

When building a full body morning mobility routine, ALWAYS listen to your body. Observe how your body responds to daily mobility routine.

What is the best mobility training program?

The “best” mobility stretching routine is up to your body and its needs. Yoga and customized plans are some of the best options. Our app The Virtual Mobility Coach gives you individualized mobility exercises to relieve pain, reduce injury risk, and enhance performance. Or you can start slow by trying my 10-minute morning movement routine and see how you feel after that.

What should I do to increase mobility?

My favorite question! Having a morning stretch routine can help, just like any other form of exercise. Follow a consistent practice and a full-body approach to improve your full range of motion.

Also, do things slowly. Check what your body can bear. Once you’re used to certain daily stretches for mobility, feel free to gradually increase their complexity and intensity.

One thought on “Kelly Starrett’s 10-Minute Morning Full-Body Mobility Routine

  1. Avatar
    Andrew Mckenna says:

    Hi Guys, love what you do and have followed you for years, I find your information very detailed and to the point, the one issue I’m having with the ready state app when I signed up for the free trial was the amount of information for targeting muscles, I do have an issue with my hamstring from an ACL replacement (graft) but I’m looking to set up my day with a morning stretch that I can do before work (im a builder so need to get loose) this needs to be something I can do that hits everything and sets me up for the day. the other is a stretch that I can do before I hit the weights after work, again another straight forward full body stretch. There is so much information and options for targeted stretches on TRS, but do you have any recommended stretches for the above?

    much appreciated

    Andy

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