MOBILITY VS. FLEXIBILITY
Do you know the difference between mobility and flexibility?Flexibility refers to passive range of motion of the joints. For example, doing yoga and static stretching. Mobility refers to active range of motion of the joints. Think, flexibility + strength = mobility. This means that you are not just sitting into a stretch, but staying in control of your body. Mobility exercises are very intentional, and they is intended to help you push your joints through or past their full range of motion.
Flexibility and mobility are related to one another. Having greater flexibility can help you to have greater mobility. Having greater mobility can help you avoid injuries, feel less pain and tightness, improve your lifts/training, improve your posture, and recover from workouts quicker.
So, how should you incorporate mobility into your life? There is never a bad time to do mobility or flexibility exercises. You can add in exercises as a “movement snack” throughout your day. Do them while watching TV, cooking dinner, or in between meetings at work or at your desk.
A great time for mobility exercises are before or during a workout. Spend 7-8 minutes warming up for your workout focusing on hitting the “big four” areas. If you choose to do them during your workout, they can after a heavy lift as a form of recovery, or at the end as you cool down. The “big four” main areas to focus on in your mobility training include the thoracic spine (upper back), shoulders, hips, and big toe. Here are examples of mobility exercises you can do to mobilize these areas:
Toe walks (big toe)
90/90 stretch (hips)
Adductor rocks (hips + big toe)
Prying goblet squat (hips, T spine)
Halos (T spine, shoulders)
Kettlebell arm bar (T spine, shoulders, hips
Kettlebell Turkish get up (T spine, shoulders, hips, AND big toe)
Prioritizing mobility in your fitness routine is a long-term investment in your overall health, injury prevention, and living a pain-free life. The drills mentioned above can serve as a starting point for improving T spine, hip, and big toe mobility.
