I think of myself as pretty fit. I lift weights, I hike, and my Oura Ring and I are working in blissful harmony with one another - you could even go so far as to say I’m trying relatively hard to look after myself. But recently, I’m noticing that some movements don't feel quite as effortless as they used to.
Then I realised there was one very simple question I wasn’t actually sure I could answer: can I actually move well?
Could I squat comfortably? Stand on one leg without wobbling? Rotate my hips properly? Touch my toes without letting out a little sign of discomfort as I roll back up? The honest answer was: I wasn’t entirely sure.
And that really didn’t sit right with me. I’m interested in strength and fitness for longevity, but I’d barely thought about the thing that underpins all of it: being able to move your body freely and confidently. And it turns out this isn’t just a problem for the inflexible among us. According to the WHO, around 1.7 billion people worldwide live with a musculoskeletal condition, with these conditions being the leading contributor to disability globally.
Mobility is increasingly being talked about alongside strength and cardiovascular fitness as we age, yet most of us probably don’t think about ours until something starts feeling stiff, restricted or - ominously - painful.
So, for the next 6 weeks, I’m going to find out just how mobile I am - which I’m sure is going to be a humbling experience. Working with physiotherapist and founder of CORE LDN, Claire Mills, I’ll do a proper baseline assessment of my flexibility, balance, range of movement and control, then follow a realistic mobility routine and see what changes.
I’ll also speak to Mills about what mobility actually means, why it matters as we get older, and how much of it we can genuinely change.
Yes, getting older is inevitable. Getting progressively worse at putting my socks on? That, ideally, is optional.
I'm Fit, But My Lack of Mobility Was Increasing My Injury Risk. How I Improved Things in Six Weeks
What does “mobility” actually mean – and why does it matter?
First things first: let’s get down to the basics. Before six weeks of discovering just how creaky I really am, I need to know what, exactly, I’m trying to improve.
“Mobility is the ability to move a joint through its available range with control,” Mills explains. And that last bit is important. “Flexibility might get you into a position; mobility is being able to use that range confidently - when you squat, reach overhead, turn to look behind you or get up from the floor.”
It turns out, mobility is a bit of a team sport; “I tend to think of mobility as the meeting point between flexibility, strength, stability, balance and body awareness.”
So, touching your toes doesn’t necessarily mean you’re mobile. “It might tell us something about the flexibility of the back of your legs,” says Mills, “but it also involves movement through your hips and spine, as well as your proportions and nervous system’s tolerance of the position.”
And there's a reason all of this matters beyond being able to impress yourself with a particularly deep squat. A 2025 Umbrella review found that things like balance, gait, strength and range of motion are all linked with fall risk in older adults.
Why does this tend to get harder as we age? Some of it is inevitable: “joints can stiffen, connective tissue becomes less elastic, and muscle strength can decline. Injuries, arthritis, pain and hormonal changes can play a part, too.”
But here’s another, less dramatic reason: we stop asking our bodies to do things.
“If you rarely squat deeply, rotate your spine, reach overhead or get down onto the floor, your body gradually becomes less comfortable and less capable in those positions,” says Mills.
So, note to self: the body adapts to what we ask of it - and what we stop asking of it. I say, it’s time to start asking.
Does being fit and strong necessarily mean you are mobile?
If, like me, you thought being relatively fit and reasonably strong meant you automatically got the flexibility of someone who can casually sit cross-legged on the floor. I have some bad news.
“No,” says Mills. “Someone can run, cycle or lift weights regularly and still have quite restricted movement in particular areas.”
Which feels slightly unfair, frankly. But it makes sense. “Fitness is specific,” she explains. “Cycling might give you excellent cardiovascular fitness and strong legs, for example, but involves spending a lot of time in a relatively fixed position. Strength training can improve mobility when movements are performed through an appropriate range, but you can also become very strong within a limited range.”
Research backs up the idea that being “fit” doesn’t automatically make you more mobile. A 2025 study of healthy recreational endurance runners found no overall relationship between their flexibility and running economy - a firm reminder that being able to run well - aka maintain a decent level of fitness - doesn’t necessarily mean you can move freely everywhere.
Mills assures me that this doesn’t mean your usual workouts are doing you dirty. Far from it. It simply means mobility needs some specific attention alongside cardiovascular fitness and strength.
A useful distinction, then: being fit and being mobile aren’t quite the same thing.
I put my mobility to the test – here’s how you can test yours, too
At the beginning of this trial, I set out to do two things: first, find out what part of my body was least mobile - and how much that might be contributing to my general stiffness. And second, work out how on earth to improve it.
I spent an afternoon with Mills, who showed me a series of simple self-assessments I could do at home to get a better idea of where my mobility was - and where it might be letting me down.
The plan she put together for me was simple: do all five tests at the beginning of my challenge, identify the restricted areas, and use that as a starting point for the next six weeks.
“These tests create a personal baseline rather than a pass-or-fail score,” says Mills. “Body proportions, previous injuries and natural anatomical differences all affect the result, so comparing yourself with somebody else is rarely helpful.”
With that in mind, Mills talked me through five simple tests to assess my mobility and work out where I was most restricted. Here’s what I did - and how you can try them at home, too.
1. Controlled squat
How to perform it: Stand with your feet approximately hip- to shoulder-width apart and toes pointing slightly outwards. Reach your arms forward and slowly sit your hips down as though lowering towards a chair. Go only as far as you can while keeping your feet grounded, then return to standing.
What it assesses: This looks at the combined mobility of the ankles, knees, hips and spine, together with lower-body strength, balance and control.
How to record it: Film the movement from the front and side. Record your comfortable squat depth, whether your heels stay down, whether you can pause at the bottom for three seconds, and whether you shift more towards one side.
What to look for: Notice whether your heels lift, your knees or feet collapse inwards, your trunk falls markedly forwards or your weight shifts to one side. These are observations rather than proof that something is wrong, but could mean restrictions in mobility.
Safety: Use a chair or worktop for support if necessary. Stop if the movement produces sharp pain, catching or a feeling that a joint may give way.
2. Forward reach or toe touch
How to perform it: Stand with your feet together or hip-width apart and your knees straight but not locked. Slowly roll or hinge forwards and allow your hands to reach towards the floor. Do not bounce or force the position.
What it assesses: It gives a broad indication of movement through the hips and spine and flexibility through the backs of the legs.
How to record it: Measure the vertical distance between your fingertips and the floor. If your fingers reach beyond the floor from a step, record how far past it they travel.
Also note whether bending your knees changes the result substantially.
What to look for: Observe whether the movement is smooth, whether one hand reaches further than the other and whether you feel the restriction mainly in your calves, hamstrings, back or somewhere else.
Safety: This test may not be appropriate during an acute episode of back pain, sciatica, dizziness or after recent surgery. A toe touch is influenced by limb proportions, so it should not be treated as a universal marker of health.
3. Knee-to-wall ankle test
How to perform it: Face a wall in a staggered stance. Keep the heel of the front foot firmly on the floor and guide that knee forwards until it touches the wall, tracking approximately over the middle toes.
Gradually move the foot away from the wall until you find the furthest distance at which the knee can still touch without the heel lifting.
What it assesses: Ankle dorsiflexion: the movement needed when walking, descending stairs, lunging and squatting.
How to record it: Measure the distance in centimetres from the tip of the big toe to the wall. Test and record both sides.
What to look for: Look for a meaningful difference between sides, the heel lifting, the arch collapsing or the knee turning markedly inwards.
Safety: Do not force the knee against the wall. People with recent ankle or lower-limb injuries should do so with caution or check with a physiotherapist before testing.
4. Seated hip-rotation test
How to perform it: Sit on a firm chair with your hips and knees at approximately 90 degrees. Keep both thighs facing forwards.
To test inward hip rotation, keep your thigh still and move your foot out to the side. To test outward rotation, move the foot inwards. Repeat on the other leg, avoiding any twisting through the pelvis or leaning sideways.
What it assesses: How freely the hip rotates independently of the pelvis and spine.
How to record it: Film from the front or take a photograph at your comfortable end position. You can use a phone angle-measuring app if desired, but consistent positioning is more important than obtaining a perfectly precise number.
Record the angle and any clear difference between sides.
What to look for: Notice whether the pelvis shifts, the trunk leans, or one side feels more restricted. Hip structure varies considerably, so symmetry should not be forced simply for the sake of it.
Safety: Stop if you experience pinching in the groin or joint pain. Do not push the leg further with your hands.
5. Floor get-up test
How to perform it: Stand beside a clear, non-slip area of floor, with a stable chair or worktop nearby if needed. Lower yourself into a comfortable seated position on the floor, then return to standing using your preferred method.
There is no requirement to cross your legs or make the movement look a particular way. The aim is to see how confidently and efficiently you can manage the transition.
What it assesses: Getting up from the floor brings together hip, knee and ankle mobility with lower-body strength, balance, coordination and confidence. Like the sit-to-stand test, it is better described as a measure of functional movement capacity than mobility alone.
It is particularly relevant to healthy ageing. Being able to move between the floor and standing supports everyday life, from playing with children to gardening, and provides the physical options needed if you ever find yourself on the floor unexpectedly.
How to record it: Time the movement from the moment you begin to rise until you are standing upright and settled.
Also record: How many hands, knees or pieces of furniture you use for support, whether you lead with the same leg each time, whether the movement feels controlled or effortful, and whether you can complete it without assistance.
A short video from the front or side will make comparison easier. Repeat the test using the same surface, footwear and starting position after six weeks.
What to look for:
Notice whether you need to push heavily through your hands, rely entirely on one leg, use momentum rather than control, lose your balance during the transition, avoid bending a particular hip, knee or ankle, and hold your breath or feel apprehensive.
Safety: Only try this if you are confident that you can return to standing safely. Have someone nearby if you are unsure, and keep a stable chair within reach. Do not perform it alone if you have a history of falls, significant balance problems or difficulty getting up from the floor.
My six-week mobility prescription
So, what did my mobility assessment reveal? Well, there was some work to do.
From the assessment, Mills suggested my posterior chain - essentially the muscles and tissues running down the back of my body, including my calves and hamstrings - could be contributing to some of my restrictions, i.e. me not being able to touch my toes as a relatively active 26-year-old. My knee-to-wall test was a particular giveaway: I managed around 3- 4 cm, whereas Mills would generally expect me to get closer to 6- 7 cm. Everything felt pretty stiff, too.
The seated pelvic tilt also showed that I’m naturally quite stiff through my lower back. So rather than prescribing me one giant list of stretches and sending me on my merry way, Mills made something very clear: mobility is individual. Why? "Ultimately, this is due to it being the balance of flexibility, strength, body awareness and stability. Therefore, it’s important to ascertain which of these elements you need to work on and where," she explains. TDLR: There isn’t a magic number of exercises you can do that will somehow sort everything out.
My aim: target the areas where I was most restricted, and gradually get more comfortable moving through those ranges, using a “toolkit” that was as easy to fit into my week as it was to actually do, before repeating the 5 assessments.
My prescription for the next six weeks was three things, around 3-4 days a week:
1. Calf stretching
Given my short knee-to-wall measurement, calves were an obvious place to start. The basic version is simple enough to do at home: stand facing a wall with one foot behind the other, both heels pointing towards the back heel planted. Lean forwards until you feel a gentle stretch in the calf. I can also repeat it with the back knee slightly bent to work a different part of the calf. Mills suggested keeping the movement slow and controlled rather than bouncing into the stretch.
2. Foam rolling my hamstrings
Next up, my hamstrings. I used a foam roller as a form of self-mobilisation, slowly rolling over the muscle rather than attacking it. My aim was to spend some time working on the area that felt particularly tight, rather than simply doing a generic full-body routine. Commonly used as a form of self-massage/self-mobilisation, I’m out here using it as a targeted bit of maintenance.
3. Pilates
The third part was Pilates, focusing less on simply getting further into a stretch and more on controlling my movement through my available range. This was about building control, stability and awareness around the joints - essentially teaching my body to actually use the range I have.
Then, once a week I’d try to incorporate a workout or class with a stronger focus on mobility and flexibility.
My mobility homework, then: not an hour of stretching every night, not trying to contort myself into some pretty funky shapes, and definitely not expecting one miraculous exercise to fix everything. Just regular, targeted work on the areas where I needed it.
So, how much mobility do we really need?
I entered this challenge, dare I say, quite naively. I knew I was tight, but I was actively avoiding dealing with it. Every time I squatted in the gym and felt restricted, or found myself sighing as I got up from the floor, I’d accepted it as just my body.
Six weeks later, I’m looking at it through a different lens.
Going back through the same 5 assessments I tested at the beginning, I can feel a difference. My squat feels less laboured, my lower back feels significantly less stiff, and I’m more aware of how I'm moving rather than simply forcing myself into a position. I’m not suddenly able to fold myself in half, but things feel a little easier. And that is a win.
The biggest thing I’ve taken from my time with Mills is that improving mobility isn’t about becoming ridiculously flexible (although I wouldn’t say no to that); It’s about figuring out where you’re restricted, working on it specifically, and then learning to control that range.
Because ultimately, this isn’t really about touching your toes. It’s about making everyday movement feel easier - getting up from the floor, squatting, reaching, turning, all the things you want your body to keep doing without having to think twice about them.
And perhaps that’s the more useful way to think about mobility as we age: not how flexible can I become? But how well can I keep moving?
“The most useful question at the end of six weeks is not simply, ‘Can I touch my toes now?’ It is: ‘Can I access a little more movement, with better control and less effort?’ That is a far more meaningful way of assessing progress.”
MC'S Tried-and-Tested Favourites
Mills recommended Bala’s Foam Roller for its quality, and after six weeks of putting it through its paces, I can see why. It’s sturdy, weighty and feels built to last - a step up from the standard foam rollers I’ve used before. It’s not a regular part of my routine, particularly for working into my tight hamstrings.
The kind of workout top that makes you want to do Pilates even when you've only committed to the outfit. I wore Adanola's Seamless long-sleeved top throughout my mobility trial and loved the soft, stretchy fabric, fitted shape and low-impact support. It moves with you without feeling restrictive - useful for when you're spending a lot of time bending, stretching, and generally asking your body to cooperate.
Is any workout complete without a headband? I'm inclined to say no. Alo's Performance Conquer Headband is wide, stays put, and actually keeps sweat and hair out of your face - which, after putting it through its paces, has made it a surprisingly non-negotiable part of my gym kit.
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