Mobility is the ability to perform movement along a predetermined range of motion(ROM). This ROM is predetermined by your bone structure. While working in static flexibility can improve your ROM we must teach our bodies to apply dynamic movement to develop mobility. Without the ability to create dynamic movement through a complete ROM we will limit all other athletic components such as maximal strength and power gains.
Before we try to get stronger or more powerful we must learn to move better. This capacity is better enhanced through body weight exercises that explore our joints abilities to move through a complete ROM. For instance, if you lay on the ground and you can’t lift one leg straight up to about 90 degrees you probably have tight hamstrings and weak hip flexors. This muscle dysfunction will translate into limiting the potential to produce a good squat or lunge. The faulty mechanics will then translate into increasing the potential for acute injuries on the field or chronic injuries in the weight room.
To get stronger and more powerful is important but not as important as staying injury free. In field sports or functional movements such as running or climbing stairs the muscles’ ability to move through a complete ROM will allow for a larger amount of muscle recruitment and greater mechanical advantage. It will also ensure proper muscle synergy. All these elements are key in athletic development and functional fitness. Training you body for movement will take your workout program to a higher level and will allow you to do decrease your risk for injury and maximize your potential for strength and power development.
Here are a few mobility drills:

Hands and knees:
-Hip circles clockwise and counterclockwise.
-Leg elevations to the side and back.
-Scorpion kicks

Lying on back:
-Pelvic tilts: different variations with regards to foot positioning, double to single leg, and surface.

Directional mobility:
-Bear walks: front, back, sideways, one leg up.
-Caterpillars: front and back.
-Lunges: front, back, diagonal, with twist, arms up, sideways. leg cross,etc.
-Squats: sideways, arms up, adding cords,etc.
-Forearm planks: walking forward, backward, sideways.
-Frog jumps: go long not high and decelerate on landing.
-Duck walks front and back.

Shoulders:

-Arm circles front, back and alternating while walking forward or backward.

Torso twists:

-All kinds of rotatory motions should be a staple of any strength program, the transverse plane of motion is often ignore or under appreciated in most workout routines.

There are many drills and the complexity can be increase as we become more mobile. We must follow mobility drills with functional total body exercises that target several muscle groups. The main problem that leads into lack of mobility and muscle imbalances when we train is the isolation of movements. Work body parts in isolation for emphasis or to correct imbalances, other than that efficient routines are focus on multiplanar, multijoint and synergistic actions that teach the body to accelerate, decelerate and produce balance through a complete ROM.

Luis