Top 25 Squat Mobility Exercises for Better Squat Depth and Strength

You're not alone if you struggle to achieve a deep squat or find the movement uncomfortable. Many people experience tightness in the hips, ankles, and lower back, limiting their squat depth and range of motion. But the good news is that you can improve your squat with a targeted approach to mobility training. In this article, we'll explore squat mobility exercises and how they can help you achieve deeper, stronger squats with a full range of motion, improve your flexibility, and reduce your risk of injury.

To support your efforts, Pliability’s mobility app offers an extensive library of targeted squat mobility exercises to help you reach your goals.

What is Squat Mobility & Why is it Important?

Squat mobility refers to your ability to bend low in the squat position. The closer you get your bottom to the floor without touching, the more your body will benefit.  It’s not just about getting stronger or being able to lift heavier items. Improving your squat mobility will help you in daily life. 

Poor squat mobility means you’ll only manage shallow squats. You’ve likely got some muscle weakness or imbalance. You may also have tight hips, leading to various other issues as you age. One of the most common reasons for this is a sedentary lifestyle. Focusing on increasing squat mobility and the best squat mobility exercises or drills for squats means you’ll notice the following benefits.

Squat Mobility Enhances Strength and Stability in Key Muscle Groups

Squats involve you bending your knees while keeping your back straight. Initially, most people start without weights. As you get more confident, you’ll add dumbbells and eventually use a barbell. 

That’s when it’s essential to have proper form. The squat targets the glutes, quads, hamstrings, and calves. This will help you lift heavier, run faster, and perform daily tasks, such as climbing stairs, better. According to studies, it will improve the strength and stability of your lower body. 

Improved Squat Mobility Boosts Athletic Performance

Stronger legs mean you’ll be able to jump higher. That’s useful in sports but can also be practical in various situations. Studies show that increased squat mobility leads to deeper squats. This improves your body’s ability to develop force.

Squat Mobility Improves Core Function

The squat works multiple muscles, and weighted squats increase the tension in your body. In both scenarios, your body works hard to maintain balance while completing the movement. That means the squat directly affects your core and strengthens your lower back. Naturally, a stronger core will help you retain balance, making you less likely to fall over and injure yourself.

Squat Mobility Boosts Fat Burning

Burning excess fat is essential if you want to maintain peak physical fitness. Most compound exercises, including the squat, can help you burn fat. The squat is particularly effective as it works many muscles and burns many calories. But it also encourages the maintenance of lean muscle, which increases your metabolic rate and fat-burning ability, even when you’re not exercising.

Squat Mobility Reduces Injury Risk

Injuries are often caused by falls or incorrect technique when squatting or exercising. Learning how to increase squat mobility will improve the stability of your knee and hip joints. This can resolve many imbalances in your body and reduce the likelihood of injury. 

It’s worth noting that the squat can also identify imbalances and deficits in mobility. Knowing what the issues are makes it easier to rectify them. Of course, once you start building stronger joints and experiencing these benefits, you’ll also feel more confident. That can help you conquer a variety of social situations. 

Principles of Squat Mobility

Before we get started, I want to outline a few vital principles of squat mobility that we should understand before we discuss the subject in depth. 

Regional Interdependence

Regional interdependence is just a fancy term that means joints and muscles distant from the problem area can be the reason for the problem. In the squat, we need motion coming from many areas: If we're missing mobility in the ankle, you might find the shoulders flexing excessively in the snatch to make up for the problem downstream. 

You may think you've got a shoulder mobility issue because they feel so tight and naturally feel like you need to stretch your shoulders. This is a big mistake; the last thing your shoulder needs is more motion; the ankle is the culprit. This is beyond this article's scope, but mobility limitations in one area can sometimes lead to pain problems at another joint or muscle somewhere else in the body. 

Accuracy

Building on the last concept, let's talk about accuracy. We want to be very accurate in our diagnosis of where mobility limitations lie. This way, we can efficiently apply the correct mobilization and not just a shotgun approach to mobility for people. Think about it. Suppose you only have someone with an ankle mobility limitation and give them a laundry list of hip mobility exercises (because you know their squat stinks but have yet to go through the assessment process first). 

You're just wasting their time. You should have found the mobility limitation and tackled that. Besides, who wants to spend the majority of their free time mobilizing? We should be spending our time squatting and getting stronger. For this reason, we'll be going over a few specific areas that can limit the squat: 
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• The Spine
• The Hips
• The Knees
• The Foot
• The Ankle
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Mobility vs. Strength vs. Technique

We want to ensure someone is dealing with a mobility issue, not a strength or technique issue. Not every reason for poor technique in the gym is mobility restriction. If we're trying to apply mobility exercises to fix someone's technique and they're dealing with a strength issue, we're wasting their time.

We want to be efficient and help people, so accurately diagnosing their problems is essential. We will review several different assessments to help determine whether or not people have mobility restrictions, so keep reading to learn more.

Choosing the Right Mobility Drills

We want to apply the correct mobility drills to change our mobility. You can find so many drills online that it will make your head spin. These drills are often super popular on Instagram but widely ineffective for fixing the problem! Let's not fall into this trap. I use an evidence-based approach to mobility that includes: 
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• Soft tissue work (foam rolling)
• Static stretching
• Eccentrics
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I’ll also show you some of your favorite mobilizations, which I’ve used over time and have worked well for your clients and me. 

Assessing and Reassessing

I can't tell you how often people have told me I tried mobility, but it didn't work. When I ask if they measured their mobility beforehand and after trying a mobility program, the answer is almost always no. That's like saying I tried losing weight, and it didn't work, but you never even weighed yourself before and after to see if your weight changed. Mobility is no different. 

We need to have a test beforehand and then re-test later to see if a change was made. Flexibility exercises often produce both short-term (immediately following the mobility) and long-term (when performed consistently for several weeks) effects. I recommend people assess and reassess their mobility after consistently mobilizing for at least four weeks to see whether or not they're making a long-term change.

How to Test Your Squat Mobility?

The hip screen is a simple test to assess your hips' mobility. Hips are an integral part of your squat. If your hips aren’t mobile, your knees will start to bow inward, and you’ll struggle to keep a straight back.

The screen is straightforward:
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• Lie on your back on a bench or the floor. Keep your knees bent, allowing your feet to dangle without touching the floor.
• Bring one knee up to your chest and hold for several seconds.
• Switch legs and bring the other knee to your chest.
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There are four elements you need to verify:
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• Your knee makes it to your chest.
• The other leg stays flat on the bench through the movement.
• Your non-bending leg remains straight.
• The knee of the hanging leg remains relaxed.
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If you get all four, you’ve got good hip mobility for your squat. 

Ankle Mobility Test: A Quick Assessment of Squat Readiness

Your ankles play an essential part in your squat. Good strength and mobility in an ankle prevent your knees from bowing inward. That’s not just bad form; it can cause an injury.
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• Kneel on one knee in front of a chair with a straight leg. If you don’t have such a chair, use the wall.
• Ensure your other leg is bent at the knee with your foot flat on the floor. It should be four or five inches from the chair.
• Gently move your knee toward the chair. You want the knee to touch, but your foot must remain flat on the floor.
• Ensure your hip doesn’t rotate out; keep your leg in the same line.
• Repeat for the other leg.
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If you can’t get your knee to the chair, bring the chair closer and try again until you can. If you can’t do it at four to five inches, you have an ankle mobility issue.

Testing Thoracic Mobility: Checking the Upper Back for Squat Performance

Your back needs to stay straight as you squat. To ensure this, you need upper back mobility, which the thoracic mobility test checks. 
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• Sit on your knees on the floor with your bottom touching your heels.
• Lean forward and place one forearm on the ground in front of you. Keep your bottom against your knees.
• Put your other arm behind your back.
• Rotate your body toward the hand behind your back.
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You have good upper back mobility if you rotate 50° from the ground. Repeat for the other arm.

Pliability Benefits

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If you're feeling limited by pain or your ability to move, Pliability aims to:
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• Complement your existing fitness routine 
• Help you move better
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Sign up today for seven days free on iPhone, iPad, Android, or our website to use our mobility app to improve flexibility, aid recovery, reduce pain, and enhance range of motion.

Related Reading

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• Ankle Mobility Exercises
• Shoulder Mobility Exercises
• Hip Mobility Exercises
• How To Improve Flexibility
• Thoracic Mobility Exercises
• Stretch Before Or After Workout
• Wrist Mobility Exercises
• Mobility Exercises For Beginners
• Best Stretching Routine
• Back Mobility Exercises
• Lower Body Mobility Exercises
• Leg Mobility Exercises
• Mobility Exercises For Athletes
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What Does a Good Squat Look Like?

Squats are one of the most straightforward additions to a workout routine, and to some extent, they are. But it’s also critical to learn to do them correctly to prevent injuries and maximize your results. Squats are integral to athletic training programs, enhancing:
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• Speed
• Agility
• Strength
• Power
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Across various sports disciplines, says sports and exercise medicine physician Matthew Kampert, DO. 

He explains the benefits of standard squats and then walks us through how to do them. If regular squats aren’t entirely within your capacity, he shares modifications to make them feasible. Squats primarily target the muscles in the thighs, hips, and buttocks, leading to enhanced stability, balance, and overall lower body strength, Dr. Kampert explains. But that’s not all. 

Squats Work Major Muscle Groups

There’s a reason squats are such a popular exercise and why doing them can be so exhausting! Squatting engages multiple major muscle groups: 
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• Core muscles: These muscles include the rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, and obliques. They stabilize your trunk and pelvis as you squat. A strong core is essential for maintaining proper form and preventing injury, Dr. Kampert says. 
• Glutes: Your gluteus maximus, which makes up most of your butt muscle, is the largest muscle in your body. During squats, it’s activated to extend the hips and bring the body back to an upright position, Dr. Kampert says. 
• Hamstrings: Located at the back of your thighs, your hamstrings work with the glutes to extend your hips during the upward phase of squatting. They also help stabilize your knee joint throughout the movement. 
• Hip flexors: Two of your hip flexor muscles, your iliopsoas and rectus femoris, help you maintain balance and stability while lowering you into a squatting position. 
• Quads: Your quadriceps muscles at the front of your thighs are responsible for extending your knee joint. When you squat, you engage them in two ways: eccentrically as you lower and concentrically as you stand. 
• Adductors: The descent phase of a squat engages these inner thigh muscles to help stabilize your hips and knees. 
• Calves: Did you know that the so-called calf muscle is two separate muscles? The gastrocnemius and soleus help stabilize your ankle joint as you squat into position and push back up. If these muscles get too tight, they can limit your ability to move your ankle upward (dorsiflexion). 
• Back muscles: Squatting engages a group of back muscles collectively known as the erector spinae, which run along either side of your spinal column. These muscles stabilize your spine and help you maintain your posture as you squat. They also keep you from leaning too far forward or backward. 
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How to Properly Do a Squat

Ready to start squatting? First, an important reminder: Keep your head facing forward, your chest up, and your core engaged throughout the movement, Dr. Kampert instructs. 

He walks you through the steps of doing a basic squat: 
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• Get in position by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and your toes pointed slightly outward.
• Hinge at the hips and push your buttocks back, like you're sitting back into a chair. 
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This movement engages your glutes and hamstrings and helps maintain balance, Dr. Kampert explains. 
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• Keep your knees wide, and don’t let them collapse inward (a condition known as knee valgus) as you squat.
• Lower your body by bending your knees, keeping your chest up and your back straight.
• Aim to lower your hips until your thighs are parallel to the ground or slightly below, keeping your knees aligned with your toes. If you have ankle mobility, it’s OK for your knees to extend beyond your toes, Dr. Kampert says. 
• Keep your weight on your heels and midfoot, not your toes. Maintain a neutral spine to prevent strain on your lower back. Don’t excessively round or arch your back, and engage your core muscles to stabilize your spine, Dr. Kampert says. 
• Squat as low as your flexibility allows without compromising your form once you reach your desired depth.
• Return to the starting position by pushing through your heels to drive your body back up. 
• Dr. Kampert says to press the floor away from you and simultaneously engage your glutes and quadriceps to extend your hips and knees. 
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Reset your posture and alignment to prepare for your next repetition. Don’t forget to breathe! Inhale as you lower and exhale as you push back up. This breathing pattern helps stabilize your core and carry oxygen to your muscles. Finish your set with consistent form and technique.

Related Reading

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• Golf Mobility Exercises
• Upper Body Mobility Exercises
• Mobility Exercises For Runners
• Can You Over Stretch
• Squat Mobility Exercises
• Functional Mobility Exercises
• Why Stretching Is Important
• Foot Mobility Exercises
• Arm Mobility Exercises
• Hamstring Mobility Exercises
• Elbow Mobility Exercises
• Rotator Cuff Mobility Exercises
• Bed Mobility Exercises
  
• What Are Mobility Exercises
  
• Full Body Mobility Exercises

What Squats With Poor Mobility Look Like

Lacking depth is the first and most glaring issue with poor squat mobility. This simply means needing more range of motion to get into a deep squat. To maximize our potential for the clean and snatch, we must get as deep as possible in the squat.  

Potential Mobility Reasons for Lacking Depth:  
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• Ankle stiffness  
• Knee stiffness  
• Hip stiffness  
• Thoracic spine stiffness  
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Foot Spin Out: Why Do Your Feet Turn Out When Squatting? 

Here's another common problem. This issue generally happens as you descend towards the bottom of the squat. You may notice that your feet spin out to get that extra depth. Sometimes, this one is combined with taking an excessively wide stance. 

Generally speaking, the body is trying to find a position that grants extra mobility, usually from the ankle and hip. 
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• At the hip, we're going into hip abduction and external rotation, which will grant extra motion (flexion) for most folks, and this causes the feet to spin out. 
• At the ankle, we turn out the feet to reduce the motion required at the talocrural joint, and the subtalar joint can move more as well, flattening out the foot (pronating) to grant extra depth in the squat, which also causes the foot to spin out.
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If someone lacks tibial internal rotation, the feet will naturally stay spun out, which we'll review more in-depth later. Potential Mobility Reasons for Foot Spin Out:  
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• Ankle stiffness  
• Knee stiffness  
• Hip stiffness  
• Thoracic spine stiffness  
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Excessive Forward Torso Lean: What Causes Your Chest to Drop When Squatting? 

Here is another technique fault that worsens as we descend to the bottom of a squat. With adequate mobility, the torso stays upright at the bottom of the squat. This allows us to receive the bar in the clean or snatch in an ideal position. If we lack mobility somewhere, the torso just tends to incline more and more as we try our best to get to the bottom of the squat.  

Potential Mobility Reasons for Excessive Torso Inclination:  
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• Ankle stiffness  
• Knee stiffness  
• Hip stiffness  
• Thoracic spine stiffness  
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Excessive Spinal Flexion: What Is Butt Wink and Why Should I Care? 

A lack of motion from the ankle, knee or hip will force the spine to compensate for the lack of motion downstream by flexing or rounding. This is more commonly known as "buttwink" in the squat. 

While having some butt wink is a natural occurrence, having a lot of it will lead to problems elsewhere, especially if the thoracic spine doesn't have adequate mobility to maintain an upright torso at the bottom of the squat. Injury risk aside, excessive butt wink will undoubtedly make it challenging to perform cleans and snatches.  

Potential mobility reasons for poor form:  
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• Ankle stiffness  
• Knee stiffness  
• Hip stiffness  
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Notice a Trend? 

Hopefully, you noticed that the same mobility issues can cause every fault listed above. This is why assessing is so important to finding the actual root cause of the problem. It's unfair to watch someone squat, notice a fault, and immediately say it's an ankle mobility issue. I can watch someone from the side and get an idea of which joint may not be moving as much as I'd like, but this takes a very practiced eye. 

If you notice a lack of ankle dorsiflexion while coaching a squat, it is reasonable to cue that athlete to use their ankle mobility. Bringing those knees forward can sometimes fix the problem on the spot. If cues aren't effective, it is most likely a mobility issue. We'll want to assess to be accurate and get a starting point to measure our improvements over time.   

How to Improve Your Squat Depth

To deepen your squat, try a combination of stretching, joint mobility drills, and progressive loading. Stretching the muscles in squatting helps alleviate tightness that can limit your depth. 

Mobility drills for the joints involved in squatting, especially the ankles, hips, and thoracic spine, can further improve your range of motion. Progressive loading teaches muscles to control and stabilize deeper squats to optimize strength at varying depths. 

Actionable Tips to Improve Squat Depth

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• Use Props: Heel wedges can help improve squat depth by decreasing the demands on ankle mobility. This can help you squat more comfortably while improving your range of motion.
• Adjust Foot Stance: Squatting with a broader foot stance targets the adductors, which can help improve squat depth and control. 
• Focus on Specific Muscle Groups: Targeting the calves, hamstrings, and adductors can help improve your squat depth. Stretching these muscle groups and strengthening them with exercises that isolate them will help improve your mobility. 
• Be Patient: Improving your squat depth takes time and consistency. Celebrate minor improvements along the way. 
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Proper Squatting Form: Tips to Avoid Injury

Maintaining proper form as you work on your squat depth is essential. Dr. Kampert explains some of the biggest mistakes people make during squats and how to avoid them. 
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• Start with Bodyweight Squats: There are many variations on squats, but if you’re new to them, start with the standard kind. Work your way toward others as your strength and technique improve. 
• Don’t Go Too Deep: If you can’t get parallel to the ground because of mobility issues, work within your range of motion, Dr. Kampert advises. As your strength and mobility improve, squatting deeper and going below parallel is safe.” 
• Watch Your Knees: Some athletes squat with a band around the upper thigh, which cues them to keep their thighs adequately placed and to avoid knee valgus. This also helps further develop the glutes. 
• Control Your Movement: At the bottom of your squat, engage your muscles to lift yourself back up. Dr. Kampert says you should avoid bouncing or relying on momentum to lift you back up. 
• Work on Your Mobility: Squats can improve your mobility, but enhancing your mobility can also improve your squats. Dr. Kampert advises optimizing your squat technique and reducing your risk of injury by improving flexibility and mobility in your ankles, hips, and thoracic spine. Foam rolling and static stretching can help relieve tightness in these areas. 
• If It Hurts, Stop: Pain is your body’s way of telling you something is wrong. If you experience sharp or persistent pain, consult a healthcare provider. 
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Limited Mobility? Try These Squat Modifications

If standard bodyweight squats aren’t within your range of motion, whether because of mobility issues, an injury, or general discomfort, there are modifications that can help make them more accessible.

Dr. Kampert says incorporating modifications will let you reap the benefits of squatting while ensuring safety and effectiveness. You’re not competing with anyone. Meet your body where it is right now and celebrate your progress. Dr. Kampert reiterates that it’s critical to listen to your body and only choose comfortable and manageable modifications for your fitness and mobility levels. 

Squat Modifications Can All Help You Squat Smarter

You can stick with them forever or graduate to more complex versions as you gain additional mobility. Dr. Kampert shares some modifications that can help. 
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• Partial Squats: A partial squat is exactly what it sounds like: Part of a squat. Instead of going down into a deep squat, you lower yourself only to a comfortable depth, Dr. Kampert says. The more mobility and strength you gain, the deeper you can go, and in the meantime, you reduce your risk of discomfort and injury.
• Assisted Squats: Need some extra support while you squat? Hold a sturdy chair, railing or suspension trainer for balance and stability. This can also alleviate some of the load on the lower body, making it easier to perform the movement, Dr. Kampert says. 
• Box Squats: When you’re new to squats, it can be difficult to tell how deep you’re supposed to go, which puts you at risk of hurting yourself. Box squats provide a physical target to help you gauge your depth without sacrificing your form. Start by standing before a sturdy box or bench to do box squats. Squat only until your buttocks lightly touch the object; then, return to your starting position. 
• Wall Squats: To help you stay properly aligned and avoid leaning too far in either direction, do your squats with your back against a wall. Dr. Kampert offers this variation to improve your squat technique and promote better posture. 
• Elevated Heel Squats: To do elevated heel squats, place a small, elevated object, like a weight plate or a wedge, beneath your heels. Dr. Kampert explains that this can help people with limited ankle mobility perform squats more comfortably. It also allows for better alignment and reduces knee or ankle strain.
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How to Get Better at Squats: Consistency is Key 

As with any exercise, squats take practice. The more you do them, the better you’ll get. As your strength, flexibility and mobility improve, so will your squatting abilities. In time, you’ll find yourself able to squat deeper and maybe even add a few variations to the mix, like: 
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• Barbell squats
• Bulgarian split squats
• Goblet squats
• Jump squats
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To ensure your form is correct and you’re not risking injury, it’s best to consult a fitness professional, such as a coach, trainer, or physical therapist. Dr. Kampert reassures you they can provide personalized guidance and recommendations based on your goals and fitness level.

25 Best Squat Mobility Exercises To Improve Squat Form And Strength

1. Lateral Ankle Lunges 

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• Sink into a tall kneeling position. 
• Step your right foot forward so you’re in a deep lunge. 
• Keep your chest tall and bring your right knee to your right side, stepping into a lateral lunge with your left knee still on the ground. 
• Keep the toes of your left foot planted, and point your right toes at the wall off to your right. 
• Your right heel and left knee should align with each other. 
• Track your right knee over your right angle, and lean over to your right on an exhale. 
• You can rest your right forearm on your right thigh if it helps you keep your balance. 
• Pulse in and out of this movement gently, making your chest taller with each inhale and sinking deeper into the lateral lunge (bringing your right knee farther over your right toes) with each exhale. 
• Switch sides, expecting to be more mobile on one side than the other. 
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Training Recommendation: 4 x 15 reps per side  

2. Frog Stretch 

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• Get into a pushup position with your shoulders stacked over your hands. 
• Let your knees drop under your hips and keep your feet planted. 
• Sink your forearms into a forearm plank position, again keeping your shoulders stacked over your hands. 
• Spread your knees as far apart as possible, keeping your shins parallel. Your right toe should face the right wall, and your left toe should face the left wall. 
• Gently push back on your forearms (like you would with a plank saw) and let your tailbone sit back toward your heels. 
• Only go as far as it feels natural, inhaling back into the starting position. 
• On each exhale, try to sink a little deeper down, opening your hips and keeping your ankles open, just like you need for the bottom of a squat. 
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Training Recommendation: 4 x 10 reps  

3. Lying Lateral Knee Drives 

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• Lie down on your left side, using your left shoulder as a pillow. 
• Keep your hips squared and your right leg straight and stacked directly on top of the left, curling your toes back toward your shins. 
• Maintain that foot position as you bend your right knee and pull (not yank) your right knee toward your right shoulder. 
• Maintain a neutral spine and squared hips. Slowly bring your right leg back to the starting position. 
• Don’t forget to keep it even on both sides. 
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Training Recommendation: 4 x 20 reps per side  

4. Split Squats 

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• Sink into a lunge with your left foot in front. 
• Shift however you need to (it’ll depend on your limb length) so that your left knee tracks over your left foot, your right foot is planted, and your knee touches the ground at a 90-degree angle. 
• Keep your torso tall and move into and out of your lunges without moving your feet. 
• Elevate your rear foot on a chair to make this move Bulgarian and a lot more painful (erm, good). 
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Training Recommendation: 4 x 12 per side  

5. Flying Shoulder Presses 

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• Lie on your stomach with the tops of your feet pressing into the ground. 
• Place your hands just outside your shoulders and pull your shoulder blades up toward the ceiling and back toward each other. 
• Pull your elbows down toward your feet. 
• Keeping the tension between your shoulder blades, reverse the direction and extend your arms above your head toward the wall before you. 
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Treat this move like a standing shoulder press: 
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• Squeeze your quads and glutes and press down the tops of your feet into the floor. 
• Engage your core and keep everything tight through the presses. 
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The stability (and mobility) you create in your shoulders and upper back will help create a strong, steady place for your body to meet the squat bar. 

Training Recommendation: 4 x 15 per side  

6. Plank Alternating Leg Lifts 

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• Get into a forearm plank, with your hands under your shoulders. 
• Engage your core by pulling your heels down toward the back wall. 
• Brace through your entire body and raise your right leg, pressing your heel toward the back wall. 
• Keep your hips level, not involving your low back in the movement. Switch legs and repeat. 
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Training Recommendation: 4 x 15 per side  

7. Bottom-Up Squats 

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• Start with your arms reaching over your head, trying to push the ceiling away with your fingertips. Keep activated through your lats as you hinge at your hips, sweeping your arms forward and down as you deepen the hinge. If you have the range of motion, hook your fingers without losing the neutrality of your spine under your big toes. 
• Sink into the deepest squat you can, then unhook your fingers and raise your arms back up. 
• Stay settled in the bottom of your squat with your arms overhead and your lats fully active. 
• Push yourself into a weightless overhead squat, then start the process again. 
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Training Recommendation: 4 x 12  

8. Pendulum Legs 

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• Lie on your back with your legs straight. 
• Raise them to about 45 degrees, pressing your low back into the ground. 
• Try to keep your palms facing the ceiling, but if need be.
• Plant your hands palm down and use them to increase your stability throughout the movement. 
• Like your legs, keep them as straight as possible, but bend your knees if you need the extra stability. 
• With control, draw your legs toward your right side, avoid rolling, and back up to the center. Repeat to the left, keeping your core rather than your legs in charge of the movement. 
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Training Recommendation: 4 x 15 per side  

9. Lateral Bounds 

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• Stand tall with your feet close together. 
• Keep your torso long and upright, bound toward your right side with your right foot. 
• When you land softly on the ball of your foot, let your left leg hop off the ground while you’re still leaning right. 
• With control, bound back toward the left, landing softly on your left foot and letting your right float up. 
• Keep a soft hinge in your hips and spine neutral throughout the bounds.  
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10. Calf Stretch (Contract-Relax) 

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• In a staggered stance, place the ball of your front foot on an elevated surface such as a block, weight plate, wall, or slant board. 
• Keep your torso upright, and lean your weight forward to increase the stretch on the calf. 
• Hold the end range for 30-60 seconds before contracting the calf and driving through the ball of your foot into the surface beneath for 3-5 seconds. 
• Ease off for 5-10 seconds, allowing yourself to sink deeper into the stretch if comfortable. 
• Perform 3-5 contractions, and repeat on the opposite side.  
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11. Deficit Calf Raises 

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• Stand on a slanted wedge or raised surface with the balls of your feet on the edge and your heels hanging off (i.e off a step). 
• Slowly lower your heels down and then rise onto your toes, pausing at the top and focusing on moving with control. 
• You can perform these weighted or use the one-leg variation to increase the intensity. Anywhere between 10 and 25 repetitions can be beneficial here.
    

12. Half Squat (Contract-Relax) 

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• Lean your weight over the standing foot to get a stretch on the calf area (particularly the soleus in this bent leg position). 
• Ensure your ankle doesn’t collapse inwards, holding the stretch for 30-60 seconds. 
• Follow this by aiming to pull your foot towards your shin, holding that contraction for 3-5 seconds. 
• There will likely be no actual movement - you just want to feel the front of your shin, the tibialis anterior, working. 
• Ease off for 5-10 seconds, deepening the stretch if comfortable. 
• Perform 3-5 contract-relax cycles, then repeat on the opposite side.  
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13. Down-Dog to Lunge 

It is a great way to lengthen through the hamstrings and the hip flexors, allowing you to remain more upright through the squat. 

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• Begin in a down-dog position with your hands shoulder-width apart, arms straight, hips high, and with a generous bend in the knee if required. 
• Step one leg up between your hands for a low lunge. 
• The back knee can be elevated or remain on the floor. 
• Spend a few breaths in this lunge position, keeping the rear side glute squeezed and chest lifted. 
• Return to down dog, pedal the feet out for a few breaths, and repeat on the opposite side. 
• Alternate for a total of 10 repetitions.  
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14. 90-90 External Rotation (Contract-Relax) 

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• Start by sitting on the ground in the hip box position with one knee bent at a 90-degree angle in front of you and the other knee bent at a 90-degree angle to the side. 
• You can sit up on a block to make it easier to get into position. 
• Keep your torso long, lean out over your front knee, and feel a stretch on the outside of your hip. 
• Following a 30-60-second stretch, push your lead leg into the ground for 3-5 seconds, creating tension and engaging the hip muscles. 
• Ease off for 5-10 seconds, relaxing and progressively deepening the stretch by leaning further forward. 
• Perform 3-5 contract-relax cycles, then switch your hips to repeat on the opposite side.  
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15. 90-90 Internal Rotation (Contract-Relax) 

In the same 90-90 hip box position, we’ll work with the back leg, improving internal rotation at the hip. 
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• With your core engaged, roll your pelvis back and lean sideways over the back hip, keeping your torso long.
• Following a 30-60-second stretch, attempt to lift your rear foot off the floor (there may be no actual movement) without moving your torso, holding that tension for 5-10 seconds. 
• Ease off for 5-10 seconds, progressively deepening the stretch by gently leaning further to your side. 
• Perform 3-5 contract-relax cycles, then switch your hips to repeat on the opposite side. 
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If your hips start to cramp up, ease off the pressure or come out of the stretch completely to shake your legs out.  

16. T-Spine Extension with Foam Roller 

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• Lie on your back with a foam roller placed horizontally along your upper back. 
• Support your head with your hands and slowly roll up and down, targeting the area between your shoulder blades. 
• Spend extra time on any tight or tender spots. 
• You can also reach your hands above your head and gently lean back over the roller, allowing your chest to open. 
• Hold the end range position for 10-20 seconds, breathing slowly, and repeat on segments above or below if required.  
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17. Cat-Cow Stretch 

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• Begin on all fours with your hands stacked under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. 
• Inhale as you drop your belly toward the ground, arching your back and lifting your head (cow position). 
• Exhale to round your back toward the ceiling, tucking your chin to your chest (cat position). 
• Repeat for 8-10 repetitions, focusing on the fluid movement between the two positions.  
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18. Quadruped Thoracic Rotation 

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• Start on all fours with your hands directly under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. 
• Place one hand behind your head and rotate your elbow toward the ceiling. 
• Pause at the end range and fully breathe in, expanding your rib cage and deepening the stretch. 
• On the exhale, release, reach underneath your opposite arm, drop the side of your head towards the floor, and thread the needle. 
• Repeat for 8-10 repetitions on each side.  
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19. Deep Goblet Squat Hold 

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• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a light dumbbell or kettlebell in front of your chest. 
• Lower into a deep squat position, using your elbows to pry your hips open gently. 
• Hold the position for 30-60 seconds, focusing on keeping your chest up and your heels on the ground. 
• If necessary, elevate your heels onto weight plates or blocks to make the position more comfortable, gradually lowering the height as your squat mobility improves.  
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20. Front Foot Elevated Split Squats 

This is a great exercise for ironing out any hip imbalances impacting your squat form. 
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• Begin by placing your front foot on a slightly elevated surface, such as a step or low bench, while the back foot rests on the ground behind you. 
• Lower your body down and forward into a lunge position, with the front knee tracking over the toes and the back knee hovering just above the ground. 
• Push through the front foot to return to the starting position. 
• Perform unweighted with dumbbells or a barbell. 8-12 repetitions per side.  
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21. Cossack Squats 

This is an excellent way to lengthen and strengthen tight adductors, giving you more access to a deeper range of motion in your barbell squats. 
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• Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart and toes pointing slightly outward. 
• Shift your weight to one side as you lower your body into a deep lateral squat, keeping your other leg straight and extended to the side. 
• Return to the starting position and repeat on the opposite side, alternating for 5-10 reps. 
• Hold a kettlebell in the goblet squat position to add load, or hold onto a squat rack, TRX, or gymnastic rings for assistance.  
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22. Banded Bodyweight Squats 

Slow bodyweight squats with a resistance band around the shins are an excellent drill for turning on the hip abductors and helping you feel more connected throughout your squat. Focus on descending slowly, pausing at the bottom, screwing those feet into the floor, and keeping your knees out as you ascend. 5-8 slow reps are plenty.  

23. Banded Glute Bridges 

With a resistance band looped around your thighs:
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• Lie on your back, your feet flat and knees bent. 
• Raise your hips off the ground, squeezing your glutes at the top and keeping tension on the band throughout. 
• Aim for 10-12 repetitions.  
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24. Copenhagen Plank Marches 

This side plank variation is a great way to knit the core and hips together and strengthen those adductors. 
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• Begin by side-planking on your forearm with your body in a straight line. 
• Lift your top leg and place it on a bench or elevated surface. 
• Hold this position while engaging your core and maintaining proper alignment, ensuring your body remains parallel to the ground.
• Keep the lower leg on the floor and march your knees up towards your chest for 8-10 reps or raise the lower leg off the floor and hold for a time.  
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25. Hip Windmills 

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• Sit with your feet in front of me, knee bent and legs apart. 
• Keep one leg as stationary as possible and turn the other leg inward. 
• Try to get the inner knee to touch the ground. 
• Return the leg to the start position and repeat on the other side. 
• Alternate back-and-forth.
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Pliability Benefits

If you're feeling limited by pain or your ability to move, Pliability aims to:
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• Complement your existing fitness routine 
• Help you move better
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Sign up today for seven days free on iPhone, iPad, Android, or our website to use our mobility app to improve flexibility, aid recovery, reduce pain, and enhance range of motion.

A Sample of a Daily Routine for Squat Depth Mobility

Improving squat mobility takes consistency, and the best way to achieve this consistency is to create a simple daily routine. Performing a routine like this regularly will help improve your squat depth over time, so you can feel more stable and mobile when you do the exercise. The following routine includes warm-up exercises, stretches, and mobility drills to improve squat depth. Aim to complete this routine daily or at least 3 times per week. 

Banded Pigeon Pose 

To target the hips, start with the banded pigeon pose. This exercise helps improve external rotation of the hip and will enhance your mobility for squatting. 
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• Loop a resistance band around a sturdy object and secure the other end around your hip. 
• Get into a pigeon pose, with your front or target leg on the ground and your back leg extended. 
• The resistance band should pull your hips back, creating tension in the hip capsule. 
• Hold this position for 30 seconds. 
• Switch legs and repeat for 3 sets. 
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Butterfly Stretch 

Perform the butterfly stretch to improve hip and groin flexibility internal rotation. 
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• Sit on the ground and bring the soles of your feet together. 
• Let your knees fall out to the side and lean forward to deepen the stretch. 
• Hold the position for 30 seconds and repeat for 3 sets. 
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PAILs and RAILs 

Progressive angular isometric loading (PAILs) and regressive angular isometric loading (RAILs) are advanced mobility drills that help build strength and control in new ranges of motion. While these drills can be used for various joints, they are especially effective for the hips and can help improve squat depth. 
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• For PAILs and RAILs, first get into a 90/90 position for the target leg (the leg you’re stretching). 
• Next, gently lean forward to find your end range and hold this position for a few seconds. 
• Now, you’re ready to begin. You will be doing two sets of isometric contractions, one for the PAILs, and one for the RAILs. 
• The goal is to progressively increase the intensity of each contraction for the duration of the set. 
• For PAILs, you will be activating the target leg (the one you’re stretching). The goal with PAILs is to strengthen the hip capsule of the target leg. 
• For RAILs, you will activate the opposite leg. The goal is to improve the mobility of the target leg by strengthening the muscles associated with the opposite motion. 
• First, you will perform PAILs for 5 seconds, then relax for 5 seconds and repeat for 5 total repetitions. 
• Next, you will perform RAILs for 5 seconds, then relax for 5 seconds and repeat for 5 total repetitions. 
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Banded Bodyweight Squats  

Now that you have improved your hip mobility, it’s time to start working on the squat pattern. Banded bodyweight squats will help reinforce your new range of motion. 
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• To set up, loop a resistance band around a sturdy object and secure the other end around your hips. 
• Stand a few feet away from the anchor and get into a squat position. 
• The band will create tension to help pull your hips back as you descend into your squat. 
• Perform 10 repetitions and rest, completing 3 total sets. 
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Goblet Squat Holds  

Finish your mobility routine with goblet squat holds. This exercise will further help improve your mobility for squats while also building stability and strength in your new range of motion. 
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• Hold a light to moderate dumbbell or kettlebell at your chest and descend into a squat position. 
• Try to hold the position for 15 to 30 seconds, breathing throughout the hold. 
• Rest and repeat for 3 total sets. 
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How Long Does It Take To Get Good Squat Mobility?

The timeline for improving flexibility varies. Noticeable progress often occurs within two to three weeks of consistent stretching, up to a few months. Significant improvements may take several months, depending on individual factors and dedication. 

It’s a common goal among your patients, regardless of their goals. The journey to greater flexibility is unique for each person and depends on various factors. Let’s explore the key aspects determining how long it takes to become more flexible.

How Long to Improve Flexibility? It Depends 

It’s been said that the correct answer to every question is it depends. Depends on what? In the case of improving flexibility, here are some of the big factors that will affect how long it takes you to see progress: 

Genetics and Flexibility 

One of the initial factors affecting your flexibility journey is your genetic makeup. For example, an athlete came for physical therapy, complaining that he could not improve his hip mobility. Upon investigation, the individual appeared to have very deep hip sockets and likely would never have elite hip mobility simply due to his bone structure. This young man had felt as if he’d been banging his head against the wall for years when in reality, he had likely reached his genetic potential for hip mobility long before he came to us. 

Genetics plays a significant role in determining your natural flexibility range. While it’s impossible to discuss the genetic variances of every joint in a single article, the best way to determine your genetic potential is to just speak with a physical therapist who is used to examining the mobility of individuals’ joints. 

Body Composition and Flexibility 

While this isn’t everyone’s favorite to discuss, it’s impossible to ignore. Body composition plays a role in flexibility by default. Those carrying around excess adipose tissue (body fat) will naturally have their flexibility affected around certain joints. This is especially true around those body portions where we tend to store fat, aka the hips and torso. If this is the case, it may not be your muscle fibers themselves causing the issue: this tissue can stop us from achieving a full range of motion.

One of the orthopedic surgeons we worked with here in town often stressed that patients had a certain body fat requirement before they would operate. It’s that big of a deal. What to do? If you’re struggling with flexibility, you may find that an essential weight loss diet (and exercise plan) goes a long way toward facilitating your goals of becoming more mobile. 

Current Flexibility Level 

When I say starting point, how flexible are you currently? This can affect is in a couple of ways, some counter-intuitive. If you’re fairly flexible, it may take you longer to increase your flexibility since you’re naturally starting closer to the limits of your genetic potential. If you’re fairly inflexible to begin with, then you may notice big improvements quickly, but it may take you a while to see the practical benefits of those improvements (improved mobility and strength). 

Consistency Is Key to Improving Flexibility 

If you’ve been around one of our offices for any length, you’ve heard us harp on this one in different ways. Typically, it comes out as various permutations of make sure you’re doing your home exercise program daily! 

The most beautifully written flexibility and mobility program will be rendered inert if the patient doesn’t follow through. At the risk of stating the obvious, no program works if we don’t do it. Because of this, I firmly believe that the individual's consistency matters more than anything else. 

How to Speed Up the Process of Improving Flexibility 

Just like with strength, mobility, and stability training, there are ways to do it wrong. While optimal can often be a moving target in the context of physical programs, we do have good data on what is most optimal in the context of improving flexibility: 

Static and PNF Stretches Work Best 

Different types of stretching impact our flexibility differently: 
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• Static stretching is holding a stretch (think the runner’s hamstring stretch). 
• PNF (proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation) stretching is similar to a static stretch, but we use some sort of outside assistance, like a partner or a resistance band, to deepen the stretch. 
• Dynamic stretches involve movement into and out of the stretched position. 
• Ballistic stretching is when the individual ballistically moves the joint so that inertia drives the stretch.
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In short, our current data suggests that static and PNF stretching techniques are superior to ballistic and dynamic stretching for improving flexibility. The literature is inconclusive about whether PNF is better than static, although logic would presume that a deeper stretch would improve flexibility. 

Upon investigation of the literature, we find that some studies find PNF leads to more significant outcomes, some find static stretching leads to better outcomes, and others find no significant difference between the two. While we use PNF techniques frequently in the office, we also understand that our patients can’t use PNF-style stretches independently at home for every joint. 

Duration of Stretches 

Beyond the type of stretch performed, the next obvious question is: how long should you hold a stretch to improve flexibility? This is a common question. The current literature suggests that a duration of 30 seconds per stretch is optimal and that increasing the duration of the stretch to 60 seconds doesn’t yield further flexibility benefits. 

Aim for three to four sets (holds) per muscle group. It’s essential to avoid overstretching, which can lead to injury. Consult a professional to tailor the duration to your body’s needs. 

Frequency of Stretching 

As mentioned earlier, consistency is key to maximizing improvements. Current literature shows improved flexibility outcomes with higher frequency stretching routines and short sessions. Six days per week is likely the most optimal, consistent with most of the home exercise plans we write for our patients. 

We generally ask our patients to do their home exercises once daily. If you're looking to improve flexibility, aim to incorporate stretching exercises into your routine at least five to six times a week. 

Flexibility Is Only One Component of Health 

We brought it up in our article about flexibility and mobility, and we’ll also bring it up here: remember that flexibility isn’t everything. As we discussed in our article on kinesio tape for lower back pain, sometimes extra flexibility is the opposite of what we want! To be functional and pain-free, what we need is mobility. Mobility, defined as our ability to move into the positions that our daily lives call for, is a byproduct of being flexible and having the requisite muscular strength simultaneously. 

Solid and stable in a deep squat position, deep knee bend, or overhead reaching position is genuinely required (and it’s also why we generally regard mobility as more important than flexibility alone). Flexibility is a foundational attribute of being healthy. Still, we recommend not getting stuck in an endless loop of working on flexibility and neglecting other areas (like our athlete friend discussed earlier in the article).

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Overstretching occurs when you push your muscles and joints beyond their limits, leading to damage instead of improvement. Though overstretch sounds simple, it can lead to painful injuries that may prevent your mobility training progress. Understanding the risks of overstretching will help you avoid it and improve your flexibility.

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