Mobility workouts are gaining traction as more fitness experts shift focus from heavy lifting to functional strength and movement quality. Celebrity fitness trainer Yasmin Karachiwala is the latest to spotlight this trend, sharing a playful yet demanding mobility challenge on Instagram that has left many viewers impressed – and some humbled. In a video uploaded on her handle, Karachiwala skilfully performs a mobility-focused challenge, encouraging regular exercisers to rethink traditional workouts and adopt bodyweight movement patterns that build strength, mobility and confidence.
The challenge involves placing a stick in front, bending into a low squat position, and attempting to cross the stick while touching it. Once crossed successfully, one has to pick up the stick from the back side. While the mobility challenge appears simple at first glance, many of Yasmin's associates fail to perform it in the video.
“Looks easy… until you try it,” the caption warns humorously.
The celebrity trainer, who is known for working with Bollywood celebrities and sharing helpful workout videos, has previously used social media to break down exercises that enhance functional strength, flexibility and balance.
Karachiwala's distinctive approach places strong emphasis on bodyweight exercises that can be done anytime and anywhere, making fitness less intimidating and more accessible to a wider range of people.
In a previous Instagram post, Yasmin Karachiwala skilfully executed another mobility-focused squat challenge, which involved sitting in a kneeling Thunderbolt Pose or Diamond Pose (Vajrasana) and springing to your feet into a squat without using your hands for support. The challenge tests core strength, balance and lower-body mobility as you transition from knees to standing.
A “mobility challenge” can refer to anything from short daily routines — such as two-minute arm circles for joint health — to physical fitness tests like deep squatting or standing up from the floor without using your hands. The term can also extend beyond fitness, describing broader initiatives that address mobility issues in urban planning and transportation. At its core, it is a call to evaluate and improve movement, whether at a personal or societal level.
Here are a few mobility challenges that one can try at home:
- The “Get Up” Challenge: Try different ways to rise from a seated position on the floor without using your hands.
- Deep Squat Test: Check whether you can comfortably hold a deep squat with your heels flat to assess hip and ankle mobility.
- 2-Minute Mobility Challenge (Darebee): A simple daily routine involving arm circles and hip or torso rotations to improve posture and joint health.
- Strength and mobility tests: These often involve complex movements such as bending, lifting the feet, or standing up from a squat without hand support.
According to experts, combining aerobic exercise, strength training and mobility work leads to a more balanced, resilient and functional physique.
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