Can’t squat deep? These 4 ankle and hip mobility exercises will help you improve your range of motion and your squat form.

Little background story: in all honesty I wasn’t really focusing on my own mobility until I realised that I wasn’t able to squat deep anymore. Never take your mobility for granted or you’ll lose it! #lessonlearned. I’ve been giving priority to mobility over strength in order to regain my full range of motion and I’ll never neglect it again!

If you can feel your hips and ankles getting tight, try these mobility drills before your first set of squats.

Hip Mobility Drills to Improve your Squat

Modified Bulgarian Split Squat

You need to take a bigger step forward than usual to stretch the front of your hips. Slowly move up and down. You can also raise your arm as if you were trying to reach the ceiling (think about “getting tall”) and push your glutes forward to feel the stretch in the upper part of your quads.
==> 30 seconds each leg

Kneeling Lunge

Make sure that your knees are hip-width apart and that your hips are facing forward. Tilt your pelvis posteriorly (contract your glutes, which I could do better) and stay as upright as you can. Raise your arm to increase the stretch and unlock your hips.
==> 30 seconds each leg

Squat Rock

Hold onto something and squat down as low as you can but keep your heels on the floor (this is also good for ankle mobility). Slightly move up and down.
==> 30 seconds

Ankle Mobility Drill to Improve your Dorsiflexion

Modified Calf Stretch

It’s the same starting position but here your focus is on your front leg. Drive your front knee forward as far as you can but don’t let your front heel come off the ground (the back heel can). 
==> 30 seconds each leg

I hope you’ll find these helpful to squat deeper. Let me know if you’d like me to film other mobility exercises!