Field notes · Mobility and back pain
A 10-minute mobility routine for busy dads
You do not need a yoga class. You need ten minutes, a bit of floor and the discipline to do it most days.
Dai Manuel · Coach Moose · Vancouver
The routine
One minute each, moving slowly and breathing. Cat and cow on hands and knees. Thread the needle, thirty seconds each side. Deep squat hold, holding something if you need to. Half-kneeling hip flexor stretch, thirty seconds each side. Knee-to-wall ankle rocks, thirty seconds each side. Wall slides for the shoulders. World's greatest stretch, thirty seconds each side. Glute bridge holds. Dead hang from a bar or a doorframe pull if you have one, otherwise arm circles. Finish with a minute of slow breathing lying on your back.
When to do it
First thing in the morning, before your phone, works for most dads because nothing else has claimed the time yet. After a long drive or a long day at the desk works too. The best time is the one you will keep.
Make it stick
Attach it to something you already do: after the coffee goes on, or before your shower. That is the 2% idea in practice. A small thing done every day beats a big thing done when you feel like it.
Common questions
- Is 10 minutes of mobility a day enough?
- For most people, yes. Short daily practice combined with strength training through full range is enough to maintain and improve mobility.
- Should I do mobility before or after a workout?
- Gentle mobility works well as part of a warm-up. Longer static holds are usually better after training or as a separate session.
Sources
- Acute effects of muscle stretching on physical performance, range of motion, and injury incidence. Behm et al., Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 2016.