Blog 3: Stretching vs. Mobility: Why One Feels Good, One Makes You Better
Part 3: The Specific Mobility Drills Endurance Athletes Need
Hi, I'm Dr. Keirstyn, founder, chiropractor and coach at Endurance Therapeutics. In Part 1, we covered the difference between stretching and mobility. In Part 2, we explained why stretching alone doesn't fix tightness and why your nervous system is the gatekeeper to your range of motion. Now, in Part 3, we're getting practical. I'm going to walk you through the specific mobility drills that endurance athletes need, why they matter for your sport, and how to program them into your training so you actually see results.
If you've been wondering what mobility work looks like in practice, this is where it all comes together.
The Four Areas Endurance Athletes Need to Prioritize
Endurance athletes lose range in predictable patterns. Your sport dictates where you'll develop restrictions, and those restrictions create compensations that lead to injury.
Here are the four areas that matter most:
Hip Mobility (especially hip extension and internal rotation)
Thoracic Spine Mobility (rotation and extension)
Ankle Mobility (dorsiflexion)
Shoulder Mobility (overhead range and internal rotation)
These aren't random. These are the joints that endurance athletes lose first, and these are the joints that drive the most common overuse injuries in runners, cyclists, swimmers, and triathletes.
Let's break down what you need for each one.
Hip Mobility: The Foundation of Your Stride, Pedal Stroke, and Kick
Your hips are the engine of every endurance movement. If your hips don't move well, everything else compensates.
Runners lose hip extension because the stride never fully opens. Cyclists lose hip internal rotation because they spend hours in a fixed plane. Triathletes lose both.
When your hips don't extend, your lower back takes over. When your hips don't rotate, your knees compensate. That's how you end up with lower back pain, IT band syndrome, and patellofemoral pain.
What you need:
Hip CARs (Controlled Articular Rotations): Move your hip through its full range in all planes, slow and controlled. This teaches your nervous system that the range is safe and builds motor control at end range.
90/90 Hip Switches: Sit on the ground with one leg in front (knee bent 90 degrees, externally rotated) and one leg behind (knee bent 90 degrees, internally rotated). Switch sides. This builds internal and external rotation strength at end range.
Split Squats with Hip Extension Focus: At the top of the movement, drive your hips forward and squeeze your glutes. This teaches your hip how to extend under load, which is what it needs to do when you run.
Programming: 2 to 3 times per week, before or after training. Hip CARs can be done daily as part of your warm up.
Thoracic Spine Mobility: The Key to Breathing, Posture, and Power Transfer
Your thoracic spine is designed to rotate and extend. Endurance athletes lose both because they spend so much time in flexion.
Cyclists spend hours hunched over the handlebars. Swimmers spend hours in a streamlined position. Runners lose thoracic extension because they never train it.
When your thoracic spine doesn't move, your lower back compensates. That's how you end up with lower back pain, neck pain, and shoulder impingement.
What you need:
Thoracic CARs: Move your thoracic spine through flexion, extension, and rotation, slow and controlled. This builds motor control and teaches your nervous system that the range is safe.
Quadruped Thoracic Rotations: Start on all fours, place one hand behind your head, and rotate your thoracic spine toward the ceiling. This builds rotation strength at end range.
Wall Angels: Stand with your back against a wall, arms at 90 degrees, and slide your arms overhead while keeping your ribs down and your lower back flat. This builds thoracic extension and scapular control.
Programming: 2 to 3 times per week, before or after training. Thoracic CARs can be done daily as part of your warm up.
Ankle Mobility: The Foundation of Your Push Off and Landing Mechanics
Your ankle is the first point of contact with the ground when you run. If your ankle doesn't move well, everything up the chain compensates.
Runners lose ankle dorsiflexion (the ability to bring your shin forward over your toes) because they spend so much time in plantarflexion (pushing off). Cyclists lose it because their foot is locked in a fixed position on the pedal.
When your ankle doesn't dorsiflex, your knee compensates by collapsing inward. Your hip compensates by rotating. Your lower back compensates by extending. That's how you end up with Achilles tendinopathy, plantar fasciitis, shin splints, and knee pain.
What you need:
Ankle CARs: Move your ankle through dorsiflexion, plantarflexion, inversion, and eversion, slow and controlled. This builds motor control and teaches your nervous system that the range is safe.
Wall Ankle Mobilizations: Stand facing a wall, place one foot forward, and drive your knee toward the wall while keeping your heel on the ground. This builds dorsiflexion strength at end range.
Single Leg Calf Raises (Eccentric Focus): Stand on one leg, rise up onto your toes, and lower down slowly over 3 to 5 seconds. This builds strength through the full range of ankle motion.
Programming: 2 to 3 times per week, before or after training. Ankle CARs can be done daily as part of your warm up.
Shoulder Mobility: The Key to Overhead Range and Rotator Cuff Health
Your shoulders are designed to move in every direction. Swimmers, triathletes, and cyclists lose shoulder internal rotation and overhead range because of the volume of repetitive overhead work or the hours spent in a hunched position.
When your shoulder doesn't move well, your scapula compensates. Your thoracic spine compensates. Your neck compensates. That's how you end up with swimmer's shoulder, rotator cuff impingement, and neck pain.
What you need:
Shoulder CARs: Move your shoulder through flexion, extension, abduction, adduction, internal rotation, and external rotation, slow and controlled. This builds motor control and teaches your nervous system that the range is safe.
Banded Pull Aparts: Hold a resistance band in front of you with straight arms and pull it apart, squeezing your shoulder blades together. This builds scapular strength and posterior shoulder control.
Wall Slides: Stand with your back against a wall, arms at 90 degrees, and slide your arms overhead while keeping your ribs down and your lower back flat. This builds overhead range and scapular control.
Programming: 2 to 3 times per week, before or after training. Shoulder CARs can be done daily as part of your warm up.
How to Program Mobility Work Into Your Training
Mobility work doesn't need to take an hour. It needs to be consistent.
Here's how to fit it into your training:
Daily: CARs for hips, thoracic spine, ankles, and shoulders (5 to 10 minutes total, part of your warm up)
2 to 3 times per week: Strength-based mobility drills (split squats, wall angels, single leg calf raises, banded pull aparts) as part of your strength training or cool down (10 to 15 minutes)
Mobility work is most effective when it's done consistently, not when it's crammed into one long session once a week. Small, frequent doses build motor control and teach your nervous system that the range is safe.
What Comes Next
Mobility work isn't about being more flexible. It's about being more capable. It's about building strength at the ranges your sport demands so your body trusts the movement and your nervous system stops restricting it.
In Blog 4, we're going to break down what court and field athletes need that endurance athletes don't. If you play pickleball, padel, tennis, or soccer, your sport demands explosive power, rotational control, and deceleration mechanics that create completely different injury patterns, and you need different mobility work to address them.
If you've been dealing with tightness, compensations, or recurring injuries, book your session at Endurance Therapeutics today to identify what's actually restricting your movement and build a plan that creates lasting change.
📍 Endurance Therapeutics | Oakville, Ontario
📞 905-288-7161