You know the saying, “move or lose”. This awesome phrase turned out to be the slogan of mobility (seriously!). It may seem basic, but incorporating better mobility and mobility training into your routine may be the key to improving your overall health and fitness.
Simply put, mobility is the ability to move your body freely and easily, says Amy Hatson, DPT, a certified physiotherapist in SSM Health Physical Therapy. “Without mobility, the performance of our daily activities can be limited,” says Hutson. Therefore, not only does it affect your ability to engage in important things such as dressing and showering, but the range of joints also affects recreational activities such as hiking, swimming and dancing.
Mobility is No Same as flexibility and stability, just for reference. Three are related and one cannot be better if you are ignoring the other. However, it is important to understand the difference.
Meet an expert: India McPeak, CSCS is a certified strength and conditioning specialist, former college gymnast and currently working on a master’s degree in sports and exercise nutrition. Amy Hutson, PT, DPT are SSM Health Physical Therapy physiotherapists with a focus on manual therapy, women’s health and more.
Flexibility means that the body can achieve a particular position, says Indomak Peak, a certified strength and conditioning specialist. Think of flexibility as a passive range of motion, like stretching your muscles with a static stretch. Stability, on the other hand, is the ability to maintain a desired position or movement, McPeak explains. For stability, consider holding the planks firmly, maintaining the hip bridge, and balancing with one foot.
Now that we know that mobility is a clutch, we’ll talk about how to measure mobility, complete training to increase mobility, and all the benefits that trainers can offer.
What are the benefits of mobility?
- Practice is easy. Maintaining mobility is very easy. Think of mobility as a small movement that you can incorporate into your daily life. “It’s like a snack of movement,” says McPeak. When you wake up, take some movements during lunch break or before bedtime to make your body stronger, healthier and pain-free.
- Helps minimize the risk of injury. By investing in mobility, you reduce the risk of injury, improve joint health, reduce muscle aches and speed up the recovery process. “Without mobility, our bodies may not move optimally and may be at increased risk of injury,” says Hutson. Failures (also known as injuries) usually occur in areas above and below areas of limited mobility, Hutson explains. If one part of the body is not mobile, other muscles will work overtime.
- Helps improve strength. Mobility helps to significantly improve overall strength, says McPeak. Your body’s freedom to move with maximum range of motion enhances the quality of your training. For example, by improving hip mobility, you can achieve a deeper squat in the right way. This will eventually build muscle (which is a win-win situation).
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10 Best Mobility Exercises to Improve Range of Motion
Even if you lose mobility and your joints feel unsmooth, you can still make a difference. Mobility training can be done at any time, but McPeak suggests completing these 10 travel routines as a pre-workout warm-up to prepare your body for conditioning. Alternatively, you can use it as a cool-down after a tough training session to reduce muscle soreness and speed recovery.
And remember that consistency is the key. “The more we practice mobility, the more improvements we see,” says McPeak. She explains that it helps to make progress in 5 to 10 minutes a day. Whether you’re completing the entire routine at once or splitting the various movements throughout the day, it’s worth making time for the move.
Therefore, if you are new to mobility or want to accelerate your progress, try these 10 exercises for the complete routine provided by McPeak.
Instructions: Complete the full mobility circuit 2-3 times.
1.1. Spider-man lunge
India McPeak
Method:
- Start with push-ups / high board positions.
- Bend one knee toward your armpit and place your foot on the outside of your hand.
- When pushing your hips down, keep your hind legs straight.
- Hold for 2-3 seconds before returning to the starting position and switching legs. Complete 6 iterations on both sides.
2.2. 90/90 hip switch
India McPeak
Method:
- Sit straight with your legs slightly wider than your hips and your knees bent 90 degrees.
- Place your heels on the floor (in the same position) and rotate your knees from side to side. (To challenge further, hold your arm straight forward.)
- Maintain an upright position as you move your knees and focus on your lower back movements. Complete 6 iterations on both sides.
3.3. Cat cow
India McPeak
Method:
- Keep your hands and knees apart by shoulder width and start your knees just below your hips.
- Pull your navel toward your spine and inhale while bending the lower back. Hold this “cow” position for 2-3 seconds.
- Bend your back, look up at the sky, and slowly move to the “cat” position. Hold the “cat” position for 2-3 seconds. Complete 8 iterations at each position.
4.4. Swimmers tending
India McPeak
Method:
- Start lying on your abdomen with your arms above your head.
- Raise your arms toward the ceiling, keep your elbows straight, and rotate your arms as far as you can until your hands are behind your back.
- Reverse the movement of the arm circle. Tip: Place your arm between each circular motion. Complete 8 iterations.
5.5. Quadrupeds on down dogs
India McPeak
Method:
- Keep your hands and knees apart by shoulder width and start your knees just below your hips.
- Lift your knees 1 inch off the floor (on the bear board) and engage the core. Hold for 5 seconds.
- From this position, straighten your legs and lift your hips down. Push your armpits toward your toes. Hold for 5 seconds before returning to the starting position of the hands and knees. Complete 8 iterations at each position.
6.6. Cossack squats
India McPeak
Method:
- Start standing with your legs slightly wider than your shoulders and your arms extended forward.
- Bend your right knee, sit back, extend your arms forward, and rush to the right. Keep your feet flat on the ground and your spine neutral.
- Rush as low as possible while maintaining proper foam and hold for 1-2 seconds before switching sides. Complete 6 iterations on both sides.
7. T-spine rotation
Amy Hatson
Method:
- Keep your hands and knees apart by shoulder width and start your knees just below your hips.
- Stretch your right leg to the side and then sit on the heel of your bent knee.
- Reach for your right arm under your left arm and let the back of your right shoulder touch the ground. Hold for 3-5 seconds.
- Place your right hand on your right ear and rotate your upper body with your elbows toward the ceiling (and your gaze toward the ceiling).
- Return to the starting position and repeat the left side with your left foot extended. Complete 6 iterations on both sides.
8.8. Uncle Rocks
India McPeak
Method:
- Place one foot on the box or low bench.
- Keep your feet flat and rock your knees as far forward as you can to feel the ankle stretch. Hold the stretch for 2-3 seconds.
- Lock back to the starting position. Complete 8 iterations on both sides.
9.9. Scapula push-ups
India McPeak
Method:
- Start from the position of the board and relax your shoulders so that the blades of your shoulders are pinched together (think of trying to clench a dollar bill between them).
- Press and hold for 2-3 seconds, then push down on the floor to roll up the top of your back. Try moving the shoulder / shoulder blade as much as possible between each position. Complete 10 iterations at each position.
10.10. Assist Deep Squat
India McPeak
Method:
- Start with your feet slightly wider than your hips and hold an upright and supported surface (squat rack or door frame).
- When lowering into a deep squatting position while retaining a supported surface, keep your feet flat and your torso upright.
- Hold a deep squat for 20-30 seconds before returning to the standing position. Complete 2 iterations.
How to track mobility progress
Quantifying mobility isn’t as easy as statistics like running pace, but you can assess your progress, check your body regularly, and monitor your development with or without a professional. By measuring mobility, you can identify areas that are * chef kisses * and may require additional assistance.
- Please work with the trainer. They can perform mobility assessments and give you personalized tips.
- movie I am doing various exercises myself.. Recordings help you visually track the progress of your movement, she explains. Watch your movement patterns over the next few weeks. If you see (and feel) the difference in range of motion, you are heading in the right direction.
- Keep your training journal. Write down how your body feels on the day you exercise, I recommend Hatson. Consider the following questions and answer them honestly. What can or cannot be done? How do you feel about a particular movement pattern? It’s important to measure how you feel and work in different exercises, as a single move can unlock new mobility levels.
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