Why Mobility Is Important: Find Out What It Takes To Be Fit
24.03.2020
Fitness on 25th, YWCA News
A FREE JOINT IS A HAPPY JOINT!
Being mobile is a crucial aspect of being healthy. If a person is not able to move a joint freely through its full range of motion, then they are already putting themselves at an increased risk of injury before even attempting to pick up a weight. Something as little as 10-15 minutes daily can be enough to see progress. One of the most common reasons of injuries is because you aren’t able to get into the positions and postures that you want.
“IT’S MUCH EASIER TO DO A LITTLE MOBILITY WORK EVERY DAY AND PRESERVE IT, THAN IT IS TO LOSE IT AND HAVE TO WORK TO GET IT BACK.”
Reasons for doing mobility exercises might be different from one person to another. But, the following reasons are relevant to everybody:
- Decreases chance of injury: Any restrictions to a freely moving joint pose a possible risk of injury. There are some exceptions such as a basketball player having tight ankles to prevent constant sprains from changing directions, but overall a free joint is a happy joint.
- Keeps joints healthy:When doing mobility exercises, the joint being targeted is commonly referred to as being “warmed up.” What is actually happening is that blood is being moved to the surrounding tissues and synovial fluid (fluid in our joints which helps them glide) is shuttled into the working joint to hydrate it. This is the “healthy” state.
- Become stronger:If our mobility is limiting a full range of motion, then we cannot strengthen all parts of the movement. For example, if our movement is restricted in a squat and we can only go down to just above parallel, how strong would the squat be through its full range of motion if we are not able to train the bottom fourth of the movement? Not very strong at all. This logic can be applied to every movement pattern.
- Time efficient:Mobility exercises are quick, easy and effective. Think about doing mobility exercises in front of your TV for 10-15 minutes. It’s easy, isn’t it? But, here is what I can promise you: Do it every day and take advantage of your increased mobility forever.
- Needs minimal equipment:Many mobility exercises can be down with just body weight movements, some bands, a lacrosse ball or a PVC pipe. There really is no excuse to not stay on top of mobility work.