3 Of the Best Mobility Exercises for Youth Athletes - Cedar Park Athlete Training
- Ben Lustig
- May 21
- 2 min read
Unlock Better Movement, Reduce Injuries, and Boost Performance
When people think of youth athletic development, they often focus on speed, strength, and skill.
But there’s one often-overlooked component that quietly supports all of those: mobility.
Mobility is the ability to move a joint through a full range of motion with control—and for youth athletes, it’s the key to moving well, avoiding injury, and building long-term athletic potential.
In this post, we’ll cover three of the best mobility exercises that every youth athlete should be doing regularly, whether they play soccer, swim, run track, or swing a bat.
These exercises are part of our athlete training programs here in Cedar Park.
Why Does Mobility Matter for Young Athletes?
Mobility impacts:
How well an athlete can sprint, cut, jump, or lift
Posture and body control during games or training
Injury prevention, especially in growing bodies
Recovery from practices, games, and workouts
Poor mobility doesn’t just affect performance—it increases the risk of overuse injuries, tightness, and compensation patterns that lead to long-term problems.
The good news? Just 5–10 minutes of focused mobility work a few times a week can make a huge difference.
3 of the Best Mobility Exercises for Youth Athletes
World’s Greatest Stretch
What it helps:Â Hips, hip flexors, hamstrings, thoracic spine, and ankles
How to do it:
Start in a high lunge with your right foot forward.
Place your left hand on the ground and rotate your right hand up toward the ceiling.
Hold the twist for 2–3 seconds, then place both hands inside your foot.
Drop your back knee and gently press your hips forward for a hip stretch.
Repeat on the other side.
This one stretch hits nearly every major joint involved in running, jumping, and cutting.
It also improves posture and rotational mobility—huge for throwing, swinging, and swimming.
90/90 Hip Transitions
What it helps:Â Hip internal and external rotation, posture, and core engagement
How to do it:
Sit on the ground with your front leg bent at 90 degrees and your back leg bent behind you at 90 degrees.
Try to keep your torso upright as you rotate both legs to the other side, switching positions without using your hands.
Repeat 5–10 transitions each way.
Youth athletes often lack true hip mobility, especially if they sit a lot during the day.
This drill builds control through the hips, which directly improves sprinting and change-of-direction ability.
Quadruped T-Spine Rotations
What it helps:Â Thoracic spine mobility, posture, and shoulder health
How to do it:
Start on all fours (hands under shoulders, knees under hips).
Place one hand behind your head.
Rotate that elbow down toward the opposite arm, then open it up and rotate as far as you can toward the ceiling.
Keep your hips square and movement slow and controlled.
Perform 8–10 reps per side.
Why it’s great: Most youth athletes have limited upper back mobility due to poor posture or too much screen time.
This drill improves rotational control, shoulder mechanics, and overall spinal health—especially helpful for overhead athletes and anyone who throws, swims, or swings.