So the idea would be that mobility work represents a component of your warm-up. You work it into the routine when you know your inability to get into certain positions is going to negatively impact your training.

Generally speaking, warm-ups for sports follow a model of having a general warm-up, which consists of some sort of rhythmic exercise to get hot and sweaty, followed by a specific warm-up which includes dynamic drills more specific to your athletic activity.

Now, I’m not a typical athlete. My general warm-up usually looks like a basic barbell complex rather than cycling, running, or jump rope. But it still works in terms of getting a full-body jump start. Then in the specific warm-up I start working in basic progressions and mobility work for the movements I plan on training.

So, for example, yesterday I was doing a squat workout, so I included ankle mobility in my specific warm-up. Since I was already warm, my tissues were better primed to respond to the mobilizations, but I didn’t replace my warm-up with the mobility work.

Consider mobility a tool to make your specific movement preparation more productive; something to be included in a complete warm-up versus being a warm-up all on its own.

I hope that helps.