Mobility is generally thought about as “stretching” or yoga work. We need to realize that mobility in your joints can also be developing full range of motion which can make exercising feel easier and hurt less. Mobility is crucial for athletic endeavors, exercise, and everyday living. Here are 5 random thoughts
1-Females tend to be more mobile in their joints than males-Rarely do I see a female under the age of 40 with very stiff joints. They tend to be hyper mobile (too much mobility). Males need to pay more attention to their mobility work. Trying to find that balance between mobility and stability, males need more streching, females need more strengthening.
2-Myofascial work on the muscle or joint can help mobilizing easier– Foam rolling and “lacrosse balling” a certain tight area you have can help loosen this area up allowing for greater range of motion while stretching. Lats are tight? Use the lacrosse ball to loosen this area up and then do any kind of lat stretch. This should allow that lat to stretch more.
3-Breathing is key to allow these joints to relax while stretching-Most people hold their breathe especially when they hit the end range of a stretch. As Dr. Kelly Starret would say “If you cant breathe in a position you haven’t mastered it”. Try this trick, next time you do any kind of stretch take a deep breathe in and exhale out. You should be able to get down deeper into the stretch on the exhale. This is creating the opposite effect of holding our breathe while we lift. We hold our breath during a deadlift or squat to keep everything tight. We exhale during stretching to loosen everything up.
4-Try and mix up the stretches you work on– I usually fall in love with a certain band stretch and do it daily for about 1 month. I notice when I do it every day the effects start to wear off. Probably because the areas I am mobilizing are no longer tight. Try and feel for the areas that need it the most find a few stretches to work on and mix these up as needed.
5-Mobility is a never ending battle– If you are a someone who sits at a desk all day, chances are you have a round or hunched upper back. This would be a key are of focus. Once that is fixed, you might have to go to work on your hips. Just know that this is something you should always incorporate into your exercise routine. Warmup, post workout, or any downtime are good times to get some mobility work in. As we age this becomes particularly important.
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