Mobility- What Is It and Why Is It Important?

Mobility- What Is It and Why Is It Important?

When you think of fitness, health or exercise what are some things that pop in your head?  Running, biking, lifting weights, yoga, amongst other things, right?  I mean, these are the sexy parts of a fitness routine.  You want to run the fast mile or lift the heavy weight or have the six pack, but there’s another component of fitness and exercise that is equally important, yet underutilized: mobility. 

Mobility is the ability to move with full range of motion throughout your whole body without restriction or pain.  It is vitally important for anyone from athletes to averages joes. 

In order to work safely and efficiently within your exercise program, mobilizing your body needs to be an integral part.  It mitigates the chance of injury and also allows your muscles, joints, tendons, ligaments, nerves and fascia to operate at full capacity. 

Without an emphasis on mobility your muscles can become knotted and tight, your joints can become stiff and painful, your ligaments and tendons can lose the ability to tolerate certain movements or load capacity, and your nerves can start to radiate pain throughout your body. 

So without wasting anymore time, let’s start breaking down the different mobilization components and techniques.

  Stretching

 I think everyone has had some experience with stretching whether you’re a regular at it or you haven’t stretched since middle school PE.  But there are different kinds of stretches and strategy to mobilizing your body in this way. 

The first are static stretches.  This involves putting a muscle in to a stretched position and then holding it for an extended period of time.  This is the most common form of stretching.  A very basic example is standing up straight and then bending at the waist to try and touch your toes then holding that position for 30-60 seconds or longer. 

The second kind of stretch are dynamic stretches.  This involves movement of a muscle or joint through full range of motion in order to mobilize or prime said muscle or joint.  A very basic example of a dynamic stretch are arm circles or thread the needle. 

A general rule of thumb with stretching is that you want to use dynamic stretches before a workout and static stretches after.  Going too hard on static stretches before exercising can fatigue the muscle and therefore put you at a disadvantage. 

  Soft Tissue Mobilization

 If you belong to a gym, you have probably seen a foam roller or two lying around.  Or maybe you have one at home.  Foam rollers are one of many such tools that are used to mobilize soft tissue and fascia in order to keep it working at an optimal level.  Other such tools are Tiger’s Tail, Peanuts, and Theraguns.  Funny names, I know, but these tools are used to unlock knots and trigger points in the muscle by rewiring the muscle spindles to create optimal form and function.  You can use soft tissue mobilization before or after a workout. 

  Full Range of Motion

You want to know the best way to keep your joints healthy?  Yep, you guessed it.  Full range of motion (ROM)!  Motion is lotion as the saying goes.  Not moving your joints enough or moving them in partial ranges forces your body to adapt to those limited movement patterns which can cause problems such as injury or arthritis.  For this reason, focusing on technique with every movement you are practicing is paramount.  For example, focusing on getting to full depth in a squat is a great way to keep your ankles, knees and hips moving in full ROM.

Have you ever found that your knees are sore after sitting in a chair for a long time?  This happens due to the joint being placed in a fixed position for a prolonged period of time which results in lack of synovial fluid, and a tightening of soft tissue around the knee.  A great way to combat this is to get up every hour or two and do some squats or even just some seated knee extensions.

ROM is especially important when talking about your ball and socket joints- hips and shoulders.  These joints are the most susceptible to aches and injuries because their wide ROM and multi-directional movement.  If any of the soft tissue in and around these joints are inflamed it can hinder its ability to function properly. 

Hip and shoulder circles are just one movement of many which can be employed to put these joints through full range of motion.  Also remember, muscle groups such as the rotator cuff, upper lats and hip flexors can pay a role in both shoulder and hip function, so mobilizing your body thoroughly is key.

  So there it is in a very, very small nutshell.  There’s a ton of literature dedicated to mobility, but I just wanted to bring attention to its importance plus general function and strategy.   There is obviously much more detail and nuance that goes into keeping your body moving at full capacity.  If you are new to stretching or soft tissue work, the key is going to be to start slow and listen to your body each step of the way. 

I hope this helps,

Sean

P.S.  If you need help feeling and functioning better don’t hesitate to book a FREE CALL with me so we can discuss how I can help.