Life is defined by how we move, whether it’s physically, mentally or emotionally. Progress involves going forward, which means we need to avoid getting stuck in place. Loosening up may involve things like exercises to stretch out our muscles, but we also need to be in the right headspace.

You’ll never know just how far you can go until you try. Sometimes we find ourselves believing it’s impossible for us to go any further than we have already. That stops us from making the effort. We need to encourage ourselves to push on, even when it looks difficult.

Sometimes this means breaking things down into smaller steps and more realistic goals. Other times we might need assistance, whether it’s from a teacher or trainer who can help us learn the most effective techniques or a friend who can meet the challenge with us and make us feel like we’re not alone.

Once we get going, we have to find a way to keep it up. You complete the first stage, you stretch that little bit further than before, and then you might be tempted to say “that’s it” like you’ve finished. There’s always room for improvement, and that means you need to keep finding new ways to motivate yourself.

There will be slip-ups along the way. Perhaps you’ll get an injury, or maybe you’ll lose someone important to you and it will completely throw you off. Now you don’t just have to work to improve; you have to work to get back where you started. It’s easy to despair when it feels like all your progress is going down the drain.

These are the times when mindset is most important and you have to be patient with yourself. No one expects you to jump straight to the finish line. Again, it’s the little things that make all the difference. As long as you keep doing something, no matter how small, you can feel like you’re still fighting.

Whatever mobility means to you, it’s always something that can be improved if you approach it in the right way.

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There are ways you can mitigate some of these effects, however. The healthier your lifestyle, the longer you’ll be able to maintain your mobility and the better you’ll feel generally. That starts with hydration. If you don’t get enough fluids, nothing in your body will work properly, including your muscles, ligaments and joints.

Just like mobility, hydration is something that gets more difficult as we grow older. As you age, you need to drink more. Nearly every one of the body’s systems is affected by your water intake. It keeps the digestive system working, it helps carry oxygen and nutrients around the body, it’s essential to healthy skin, and perhaps most relevant to your mobility, it can lubricate your joints.

Not only that, when you’re properly hydrated, you’re going to feel better mentally. You’ll be able to concentrate and feel more energized, meaning you’re better equipped for another essential part of the quest to at least maintain if not improve your mobility: exercise.

This doesn’t just mean yoga, although that does include a particular focus on flexibility. Stretching can be incorporated into any larger fitness routine as part of your warm-up or cool-down, whether you’re lifting weights in the gym or going for a cross-country run. Mobility may not be as glamorous as strength or endurance, but different types of training can work together to make you the best you can be.

Another thing you need to make sure that your exercise regimen is as efficient as possible, and therefore helps keep your body and mobility in top shape, is proper nutrition. You can get some water from food, but you also get the carbs, protein, vitamins and minerals that you need to increase energy levels, build muscle, repair injuries and generally keep all your systems functioning properly.

Maintaining mobility may get more difficult as you age, especially if you have injuries or other health conditions that make you less flexible. You need to adapt your routine so you don’t cause yourself more damage while ensuring you maintain a relatively consistent routine when it comes to exercise. It doesn’t even have to be particularly strenuous training; even some light stretching, if you do it every day, can do a lot of good. Just make sure you consult with your doctor or physiotherapist first to determine what’s best for you.

You can’t do anything about aging itself, but you can influence the things that go with it. The more effort you put in when you’re young and the more aware you are of the way your body changes as you grow older, the better your overall health will be. That includes your mobility, which in turn will make it easier to remain strong and active in general while helping you feel better mentally.

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Think about taking a single step. Your knee, ankle, and hip are all in motion. If your arm is swinging, your elbow, wrist and shoulder may be involved as well. The thing these body parts have in common is that they’re all joints that hold your skeleton together. When we talk about mobility, we mean how well you move, and the bulk of that movement comes from the joints, with muscles and ligaments also making a contribution.

Someone who has good mobility may be described as flexible. Sometimes that’s just because they naturally have a greater range of motion than other people. In other cases, it’s because they’ve worked hard at the exercises that improve mobility, such as stretching. Yoga and Pilates are two forms of exercises that pay particular attention to flexibility and stretching.

Stretching may not have the glamour of lifting the heaviest weights or running the fastest mile, but it makes your body perform better in all contexts. It’s an important part of both warming up (though it shouldn’t be the first part of your routine) and cooling down, because it means you’re less likely to injure yourself and other exercises will be more effective.

Now, you do need to be careful when stretching. Pushing too hard, especially on cold muscles, can cause damage. This is especially true if you have pre-existing injuries or conditions like arthritis that are also associated with mobility problems. In these cases, it is best to talk to your doctor or physical therapist before embarking on any exercise plan, and make sure that any fitness instructor is aware of your condition and is willing to adapt their usual program to suit your needs.

At its most basic, however, stretching is something we do every day. It’s probably the first thing you do when you get out of bed, and then again every time you stand up in the office after a long period bent over the computer. You lengthen your muscles as far as they’ll go and hold them for a moment, feeling that pressure.

You can do similar static stretches as part of your fitness routine, or try more dynamic exercises that involve stretching, such as lunging. If your mobility is poor to start with and you need a little help, blocks, straps and other equipment can be used to make it a little bit easier. With practice, you may find yourself able to go further than you ever thought possible.

Whatever kind of stretching you do and however you incorporate it into a wider exercise routine, it’s important if you want to maintain your mobility, let alone improve it. That’s how you make sure that age and injury don’t stop you from moving in the way you want for a long time to come.

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When it comes to exercise, the attention often focuses on the high-impact cardio or the power needed to lift the heaviest weights. Mobility training may fall by the wayside. It’s mobility, however, that improves the overall performance of your bones and muscles, making everything else in your body work better. Without it, you’re more likely to experience aches and pains at a younger age.

So what, exactly, is mobility? Well, in the physical and health context, it’s about the movement and flexibility of the body. It’s particularly relevant to the joints, the connections that hold your bones together. Ankles, knees, hips, wrists, elbows, and shoulders are all joints that allow the body to move. Muscles, tendons and ligaments are also involved.

Everyone has a different, natural range of motion in their joints. There is a point at which you can’t push them any further, and that’s fine. As you get older, this point is likely to reduce. Normal wear and tear can slow you down, as can conditions such as arthritis. Meanwhile, those who constantly work on improving flexibility, such as gymnasts, have a range of motion that can look extraordinary from the outside.

The most important exercises when it comes to mobility and flexibility are stretches. You should never stretch cold muscles; after you’ve warmed up and before you start the main bulk of your exercise is the perfect time. It doesn’t only improve mobility, it also means you’re less likely to injure yourself during the more high-impact stuff. Stretch again after your session as part of the cooldown.

You probably do some stretching in your day-to-day life anyway. It’s a natural response when you first wake up or when moving for the first time after a long time seated in the same position. When stretching as part of an exercise routine, however, you do need to be careful. Doing it wrong or pushing too hard can cause damage.

Stretching is often divided into static and dynamic exercises. Static is when you stand still as you stretch your muscle to its furthest point and hold it. Dynamic stretches include movement such as lunges, which help increase blood flow. You can use external equipment, such as bands and blocks, to help you stretch.

In yoga or Pilates, stretching is likely to form a central part of your session. Most types of exercise, however, can benefit from some stretching as part of warming up or cooling down before and afterward. This includes running, swimming and work in the gym. However you do it, it’s best to consult with a professional trainer or instructor who can help you get it right. If you’re recovering from an injury, talk to your doctor or physical therapist first.

Mobility is incredibly important, and it requires a conscious effort if you want to maintain or even improve it.

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Fortunately, you can take some steps to get your movement back. Try these four easy mobility exercises that you can do right from your own home without pricey equipment.

Use balls to release tension

Roll an area of tension around on a ball with some slight pressure until that tension releases. It works like a charm, and it’s that simple. Although you can buy branded balls intended just for this purpose, many people find that tennis, lacrosse and even those bouncy balls for kids work just fine for this.

Try a foam roller

A foam roller is a little more extreme, so to speak, than a ball, and it is useful for areas like your back. You’ll find both hard and soft foam rollers available for this purpose, so try both and decide which fits your needs best. Some people discover that the hard rollers are just too hard and uncomfortable, while others find softer ones too pliable to handle the pressure from rolling a particularly tense area.

Get ready to use resistance bands

You can use resistance bands to apply some traction to your joint to open it up, and these are also great for adding some resistance to your typical exercises. You’ll find a wide variety of bands out there on the market, so as with the foam roller, there may be some trial and error here.

Test a trigger point massager

These inexpensive sticks can really do great work on your trigger points and help you relieve tension in many common trouble spots, including your back and neck. The key with this type of massager is to get the movements for use correct, so be sure to follow any guide or instructions that comes with your stick.

In addition to the exercises above, do not forget to watch your posture. Poor posture can create a lot of tension, especially in your shoulders, neck and arms. If you find yourself slouching often, it may be time to add some posture-improving exercises into your normal daily routine.

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If you’re new to the mobility game, you’ve probably got questions. Luckily for you, I have some answers!

When do I mobilize what?

There’s actually no perfect time for mobility work in most cases. The most important thing is that you are setting aside time to do the work to begin with!

If you’re training, consider doing some warm-ups on training days that get the heart rate up and muscles warm, and also add in some lighter or unloaded versions of the movements you’ll be doing during the training. If you have any trouble areas related to mobility, focus on those joints or those just adjacent to those stiffer joint areas.

How often should I do mobility work?

The general rule is that you should spend around two minutes working on any given area during your mobility work, doing this once each day. Try to spend around 15 minutes each day doing intentional and targeted mobility work. If you’re training, aim for 15 minutes of mobility work for each hour of training you’ll be doing.

What should I do afterward?

Once you’ve mobilized an area, follow that up with some type of regional stability exercise. It doesn’t matter what type as long as you are using the area you recently mobilized and are making that area shake a bit.

Should I stop if it hurts?

Mobility work is often uncomfortable. However, keep in mind that you can injure yourself if you’re not listening to your body.

If your mobility work is causing you to experience some achy discomfort that improves as you make more passes, you may be able to push through. If, however, it’s causing sharp pain, you should stop immediately. The same applies if you find the pain increases as you work or that your mobility work is causing pain after you finish. Don’t continue to do mobility exercises that cause lingering or worsening pain. In those cases, you may need to try another type of exercise for that area.

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The idea of mobility in fitness is simple: by improving your ability to move, you’ll become stronger, fitter and healthier. You may have already done some warm-up drills that fall under “mobility work” if you play sports, including arm circles, wrist circles and ankle circles. The goal is to reach and keep a full motion range in every joint in your body.

The more mobility you have, the less likely you are to injure yourself when you work out, and you’ll also have greater body control. As you expand–or add!–mobility work to your routine, here are some tips to get better results.

Make your movements more complex

A straight line is the simplest of movements, with a more complex movement being a circle. If you are already a moving a body part in straight lines, such as side to side, add in some circular movement for more complexity. A figure-eight pattern is even more complex, and you can even graduate to complicated maneuvers such as making the alphabet with your body.

Boost your coordination

Mobility work can also improve your coordination. Since all exercise involves coordination, you’ll get a better performance when your joints are more coordinated. Moving more than one body part at a time in different directions, for instance, will help increase your coordination.

Alter the speed

Mobility is usually done at a speed that is natural so synovial fluid goes into the joint. While slow movements are fine, you can introduce some faster ones as a sort of warm-up to help bring more fluid to these areas.

Try new positions

Mobility work is usually done standing. However, if you change your position, you’ll get a different feel. You can do drills sitting, lying on your back or stomach, or even on all fours.

Trust your intuition

Mobility work usually goes from toes to head and then to fingertips, with the same whole-body routine. Although having a good routine to follow is important, you should take note of the joints that seem to give you the most trouble. This way, you can add in work or alter your routine so you can focus on improving the range of motion in those trouble spots.

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