It’s possible to have better mobility at forty than you did in your twenties. This isn’t just some feel-good motivation; it’s a fact when you prioritize your ability to move. Mobility exercises do more than just stretch a few muscles. They release tension in tight hips, activate underused stabilizing muscles, and allow your joints to move freely. As your body becomes more flexible, your strength becomes more effective, and your movements become smoother.

Being stiff isn’t an inevitable part of aging; it’s often a result of lifestyle habits. Spending long hours sitting, years of lifting weights without balancing it with mobility work, and neglecting to care for your joints properly can lead to stiffness. However, you don’t need fancy equipment or a yoga retreat to address this issue. You just need a few simple yet effective exercises that can help your body rediscover its full range of motion.

The following six drills focus on areas that often feel restricted after forty: hips, spine, ankles, shoulders, and the connective tissues that hold everything together. After completing these drills, you’ll notice increased strength in your movements, agility in your turns, and better overall control over your body. It’s time to free up your body and feel the difference.

Drill #1: Single-Leg RDL

This move simultaneously trains balance, hamstring flexibility, and glute control. It unlocks the back of your hips and legs, helps your body learn to stabilize through one leg, and improves the hinge pattern that supports powerful, pain-free movement.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

Muscles Trained: Glutes, hamstrings, calves, core

How to Do It:

1. Stand tall and shift your weight onto your left leg.
2. Hinge at your hips and lower your chest while lifting your right leg behind you.
3. Keep your back flat and reach your hands toward the floor.
4. Stop when your torso and right leg form a straight line.
5. Return to the starting position with control.

Recommended Sets and Reps: Complete 2–3 sets of 8–10 reps per leg. Rest for 30 seconds between each set.

Form Tip: Keep your hips square and don’t let your back leg rotate open.

Drill #2: Down Dog to Cobra

This flowing stretch opens up your entire front and backside. It wakes up your spine, shoulders, hips, and calves in one smooth move. It also trains spinal extension and flexion, which builds freedom through your core and back.

Muscles Trained: Shoulders, spine, hip flexors, calves, hamstrings

How to Do It:

1. Start in a push-up position with your hands under your shoulders.
2. Push your hips back and up into a downward dog position.
3. Press your heels toward the floor and reach your chest through your shoulders.
4. Lower your hips and glide forward into a cobra stretch with your chest up.
5. Hold each position for 1–2 seconds and repeat.

Recommended Sets and Reps: Complete 2–3 sets of 6–8 reps. Rest for 30 seconds between each set.

Form Tip: Keep your arms active and avoid sagging your lower back in cobra.

Drill #3: Curtsy Lunge

This lunge variation builds hip mobility, ankle stability, and glute strength in one motion. It challenges your hips in a different plane and trains the muscles that support smooth direction changes and better stability.

Muscles Trained: Glutes, adductors, quads, calves

How to Do It:

1. Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart.
2. Step your right foot behind your left leg on a diagonal path.
3. Lower into a lunge, keeping your chest tall and hips square.
4. Drive through your front heel to return to the starting position.
5. Repeat on the other side.

Recommended Sets and Reps: Complete 2–3 sets of 6–8 reps per leg. Rest for 30 seconds between each set.

Form Tip: Keep your front knee stacked over your ankle and avoid leaning forward.

Drill #4: Windmills

Windmills train hip and spine mobility while strengthening your core and shoulders. They also improve the way your body rotates and hinges. That pays off every time you twist, reach, or pick something up off the ground.

Muscles Trained: Obliques, hamstrings, shoulders, hips

How to Do It:

1. Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width.
2. Extend your right arm overhead and turn your right foot out slightly.
3. Slide your left hand down your left leg as you hinge at your hips.
4. Keep your right arm stacked above your shoulder as you rotate.
5. Return to the top and repeat before switching sides.

Recommended Sets and Reps: Complete 2–3 sets of 6 reps per side. Rest for 30 seconds between each set.

Form Tip: Focus on pushing your hips back rather than bending through your spine.

Drill #5: Leg Swings

Leg swings are a dynamic way to open your hips and improve control through your full range of motion. They warm up your hip flexors, hamstrings, and glutes while reinforcing active mobility.

Muscles Trained: Hip flexors, glutes, hamstrings, quads

How to Do It:

1. Stand tall and hold onto a wall or pole for balance.
2. Swing one leg forward and backward with control.
3. Keep your upper body stable and your core engaged.
4. Perform all reps on one side before switching.

Recommended Sets and Reps: Complete 2–3 sets of 10–12 swings per leg. Rest for 20 seconds between each set.

Form Tip: Keep your torso still and avoid arching your lower back.

Drill #6: Lunge with Rotation

This drill combines lower-body mobility with spinal rotation. It stretches your hip flexors and quads while opening up your mid-back. It improves rotational control and helps your body move freely in every direction.

Muscles Trained: Hip flexors, quads, glutes, obliques, spinal erectors

How to Do It:

1. Step forward into a lunge with your right leg.
2. Keep your left knee just above the ground.
3. Rotate your torso toward your front leg and reach both arms across.
4. Return to center and step back to start.
5. Repeat on the other side.

Recommended Sets and Reps: Complete 2–3 sets of 6 reps per leg. Rest for 30 seconds between each set.

Form Tip: Keep your front knee aligned over your foot and rotate through your upper back.