Whether you’re training to perform in sport, be a bad ass in the gym or just dominate in life. One of the lowest hanging fruits you can add into your plan to improve your performance is to focus on improving your mobility.
Unlike flexibility, which primarily concerns lengthening or stretching of muscles, mobility is all about the range of motion you can take your joint through under control.
Having good mobility allows the joints and muscles to move and load as they are designed to without restriction. Allowing you to move efficiently & generate force. Poor mobility can often lead to compensatory movement patterns & while you may still be able to achieve the desired outcome, it can come at the cost of using muscles and joints that are not designed to move that way.
In general, the major joints in your body alternate between providing stability (limited ranges of motion) and mobility (large range of motion). Take your leg, for instance. The hip has a rather larger range of movements (flexion, extension, adduction, abduction, rotation), while the knee has a fairly limited range of movements (flexion, extension). Finally, the ankle rejoins the mobility party being able to again move in multiple directions.
When joints meant for mobility face restrictions, they can offload the strain onto the stability providers and vice versa. This shift can result in muscle overuse, strain, pain, stiffness, and reduced range.
By spending time focusing on mobility we can help to maintain & restore normal range that may have become limited due to poor movement patterns and lifestyle habits. And over time lead to improved range of motion to help you move better, feel better and perform better.
You don’t need to go overly crazy with things, just 5-10 minutes per day at home first thing in the morning, last thing before bed or even at the gym before or after your session will help.
We have put together a short daily program for you to follow that all Momentum members have access through TrainHeroic, if you need a hand setting yours up, get in touch and we will get you rolling.