What is Mobility + How it Can Help Your Workouts
Our bodies undergo a TON of stress constantly. And when we work out, we put way more stress on them.
Just like the importance of managing your stress mentally, it's important to manage your stress physically to decrease the risk of injury!
How can we manage our stress physically, especially in the gym?
Mobility training! 💪
Mobility workouts prepare our bodies for the stress they go through when we exercise. They are not the same thing as simple stretches — mobility training actually goes deeper than that!
The exercises are meant to increase your range of motion, control the muscles surrounding each joint, and help you move more freely.
When we don't practice mobility training, we end up having poor form during workouts without even realizing it. When we have poor form, we tend to use the wrong muscles or joints to support ourselves. This is how we can injure ourselves over time, making even simple day-to-day tasks unnecessarily painful.
Plus: we don't get the results we actually want, because we're not using and activating all the muscles we should be activating!
AKA mobility training = better performance and more gains 🔥
The components of a mobility warm-up:
Mobility training looks a bit different for everyone. But there are 3 components that should be included every time you practice some mobility movements before diving into a workout:
Myofascial work like foam rolling or ball rolling,
Controlled dynamic (moving) stretches,
Bodyweight movements, like the squat or lunge.
Here's an example of a basic, beginner mobility exercise for someone who has right knee pain and tends to overcompensate with the left leg when doing a simple squat:
Start with 30 seconds of foam rolling the quadriceps and hamstrings (each leg)
Move onto straight leg lifts (each leg) and lying hamstring stretches (each leg)
Then do a few sets of bodyweight step-ups onto a low platform (each leg)
NOTE: always talk to your doctor before exercising if you're experiencing any pain!
So you want to get into mobility training?
The most important part of mobility training is LISTENING to your body! We all start somewhere different, and we can actually do more harm than good by jumping into advanced movements.
But no matter what level or age you are — mobility training is always a good idea. It might not be the most exciting aspect of fitness but it will save you a ton of pain & money in the future! (I don't want you to have to get any joint replacements down the road!)
If you're interested in a 100% customized all-encompassing plan to help you become stronger, improve your health, transform your body, and heal your mind — let's talk!
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