MOBILITY FOR RIDERS: HIPS, WRISTS, ANKLES
9 min · Free lesson · written lesson, video in production
Every discipline we run loads the same three joints, and ten minutes a day keeps them working.
The Technique
- Ankles - knee-to-wall rocks, two sets of ten each side. Deep ankle bend is what lets you stay low on skis, stand on footpegs, and absorb landings without stealing range from your knees.
- Hips - 90/90 transitions and a 60-second deep squat hold daily. Attack position on a bike, a low stance on a sled, and every powder turn live in your hips.
- Wrists - rocking wrist stretches on all fours, two sets of ten each direction, then a 20-second bear-crawl hold. Handlebars, steering wheels and crash landings all arrive through your wrists.
- Thoracic spine - open-book rotations, two sets of eight each side. Looking through a corner is a spine skill, not just a neck skill.
- Dose beats duration: ten minutes daily outperforms one long weekly stretch session. Mobility responds to frequency.
- Use the same circuit as your warm-up on training days - it earns its place twice.
Common Mistakes
Only stretching passively. Load the end range - the bear-crawl hold and deep squat teach your joints to be strong where they are long.
- Forcing through pinching joint pain. Muscle stretch is fine, joint pinch is a stop sign.
- A big aggressive stretching session the night before a riding day, leaving you sore where you need to be springy.
The Drill
The ten-minute daily circuit: knee-to-wall rocks, 90/90 transitions, deep squat hold, wrist rocks, bear-crawl hold, open-books. Run it top to bottom, no rest needed, every day of the six weeks.
Sharp pain, pins and needles, or numbness during any drill means stop and see a physio. Naturally hypermobile people should bias the loaded holds over the stretches - you need control, not more range.
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