Mobility work is something we’ve been doing since the beginning of time.
But the term is gaining traction again in the fitness community. It’s a growing trend among trainers and gyms everywhere.
Mobility is the ability to move a part of the body through its full range of motion.
While mobility is linked to flexibility, the two are distinct concepts. Flexibility is the length of the muscle, and longer muscles usually lend to greater mobility.
Athletes have long been concerned with mobility, often performing lengthy warm-ups before training to increase their range of motion and prevent injury.
Now, with the rise of Cross Fit, weight lifting, and attendance in tough group fitness workouts, gym-goers are beginning to pay more attention to mobility to reduce injury and improve their performance.
Of course, mobility is also helpful for people who don’t hit the gym regularly, as anyone can benefit from joints that move with ease.
If you have a body, then the answer is, yes! Just by living your everyday life, sitting for hours, bending down to pick something up, getting in and out of the car, and more can eventually decrease the range of motion in some of your joints.
Your body makes up for these deficiencies by putting more pressure on another part of the body.
For example, if you have limited mobility in your ankles, your body will compensate by putting more strain on your lower back.
So, when you go to do a simple squat, you might feel pain in your back instead of your legs, all because your ankles aren’t mobile enough. If ignored for an extended period of time, you can actually injure yourself and require much more than a few minutes of mobility exercises before a workout.
This is exactly the sort of thing that the fitness community is looking to rectify. Increasingly, fitness studios, personal trainers, and even big-box gyms are offering mobility-focused workouts to help people become hyper-focused about their bodies and correct imbalances.
There are multiple ways to improve mobility. I
f you have a specific imbalance, you might need to work individually with a trainer or physical therapist if you have serious issues. But generally, here are a few ways to improve your mobility for better performance in and outside of the gym:
1. Foam Rolling
This is great before and after any workout to loosen up muscle tissue and get rid of lactic acid, which leads to soreness. Rolling out your muscles also increases blood flow which all together can help to increase the mobility of that muscle. Check out trainer @gymhooky for a demonstration.
2. Hip & Leg Circles
If you ever ran track, then you may already be familiar with this move. You start standing on one foot. Then you bend one knee toward your chest at a 90-degree angle and draw a circle with your knee in the
air in front of you. This move will open up your hips and help you increase your range of motion.
3. Shoulder Pass Throughs
This is a stretch that can be done with a towel, PVC pipe, or even a large resistance band. Hold one of these objects between both hands and extend your arms overhead. Keeping hands wider than shoulder-width apart (like making the “Y” in YMCA), try to reach the towel, pipe, or band up and over your head until your hands fall behind you toward your rear.
This move does wonders in helping you push through any overhead moves like shoulder presses, and snatches. Watch movement specialist Dr. Moses Bernard (@mosesbernard) to perfect your technique.
The world of mobility exercises is endless. If you notice a particular exercise is hurting in the wrong part of your body, or that you feel off, talk to your trainer about specific moves you can incorporate into your routine to improve your performance and the longevity of your body.
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