The Mobility Moves Athletes Actually Use
Mobility is a Must, No Matter the Sport
February 21, 2026
Although it has entered the fitness world as a bit of a buzzword, elite athletes know the importance of proper mobility training more than anyone. Reduced risk of injury, increased performance, and a healthier body for longer? Sign us up.
When we talk about mobility, we are talking about training for longevity and keeping up our ability to move with ease and control across seasons. It’s about reaching our full potential, and staying capable and competitive throughout one’s sports career and over a lifetime.
Sounds important, because it is. Let’s look a little deeper into this type of training.
Sounds important, because it is. Let’s look a little deeper into this type of training.
What It Is
Mobility is the capacity to move a joint through its full usable range of motion (ROM) with control and strength. Not to be confused with flexibility, mobility describes the ability for active, controlled movements.Maintaining your mobility is what allows you to move your body with ease and freedom.
Mobility is:
Mobility isn’t:
Across disciplines, mobility training helps prepare the joints for high-speed or high-force movement and maintain full ROM under heavy loads, so it is definitely something you should make time for.
So, How Do We Train For it?
The goal with mobility training is to prepare the body for movement, not exhaust it. Here’s a quick breakdown of the recipe for success, along with some example moves to get inspired.Practical Dosage:
Example Mobility Exercises
In the short clip below, American HYROX athlete and PUMA athlete Megan Jacoby shares a straightforward, repeatable mobility routine that is a key part of her training, helping to prevent any limitations in her movements.patterns across sports
Track & Field: Speed and Elasticity
Karsten Warholm of Team Norway (Photo by Matthias Hangst/Getty Images)
Karsten Warholm, 400m hurdles world record holder, competes in an event that demands extreme hip range, upright posture, and repeatable rhythm at speed. In an interview with LetsRun*, he explained that his mobility focus is about freeing up the hips and spines before technical sessions, often using activation exercises before walking the hurdles to ensure nothing limits those necessary explosive movements.
For pole vaulting champion Armand “Mondo” Duplantis, it’s about elite-level mobility in the hips and shoulders, as well as spinal extension and elastic rebound. According to Runner’s Tribe*, his prep work commonly includes pancake stretches for hip-opening, scapular mobility drills for overhead control, and dynamic stretching routines before every session.
Armand Duplantis of Team Sweden (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images for World Athletics)
Golf: Rotations without Restrictions
Rickie Fowler
Golf as a sport places high demand on rotation and sequencing to move through a swing without limitation. American pro golfer Rickie Fowler knows the importance of mobility, spending 20 to 30 minutes on it before golfing, focusing on the thoracic spine (for rotation) and glute activation for controlled power, as explained in an interview with GOLF Magazine*.
Mobility Myth Busting
Bottom Line
If you like to move it (and keep moving it), mobility work is your best friend. Plan your training strategically, like an elite athlete, and tailor your mobility work to the demands of your sport (or simply to counteract too much sitting time) and you’ll continue to move stronger and longer.*Sources
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