Mobility training has become a popular part of a standard fitness training program over the past decade. As more people sit at a desk for work, or work from home, mobility has become of growing importance due to a lack of movement variety. While Mobility does require a degree of flexibility, it involves much more than just stretching and getting flexible!
What is Mobility?
Mobility is our muscles and joints ability to move freely into different ranges of motions, or positions. Mobility encompasses elements of muscle strength, motor control, flexibility, endurance and balance.
What is flexibility?
Flexibility is the ability of a muscle to stretch. Stretching activates receptors in our muscles and tendons that trigger our muscles to contract. Over time as we hold the stretch, these receptors get used to the position and allow our muscles to elongate and relax.
Why Train Mobility?
Mobility emcompasses all the aspects of physical health. Being able to move easily and safely into different positions is crucial for sport, general activity after injury, and critical to independence as we age.
Reasons for poor mobility
- Lack of strength in a range of motion
- Poor flexibility into a specific range
- Lack of variety or never going into certain movements or ranges in daily life
- Poor endurance of a muscle group
- Previous injury- such as a muscle strain or joint irritation
Options to improve Mobility
- Strength training through range
Using resistance or your own bodyweight to take joints through the full range of motion you can control them in
- End Range Training
Holding a contraction at the end of the range you can comfortably control helps improve range of motion and tolerance to these positions
- Motor Control Training
Moving joints in specific directions and positions with slow and controlled intent helps improve control and endurance
- Stretching and Myofascial Release Tools/Techniques
Devices like foam rollers, lacrosse balls, and static or dynamic stretching can help improve mobility in the short term.
How Physio can Help
- Assess and determine specific mobility deficits from your movements
- Determine if your joints, muscles, motor control, or endurance are the contributor of your mobility deficits
- Create a treatment plan to tackle your limitations
- Teach you a mobility routine tailored to your needs
Book your appointment with one of our Physiotherapists at For Health Sake today to start improving your mobility!
References
Afonso, J., Ramirez-Campillo, R., Moscão, J., Rocha, T., Zacca, R., Martins, A., … Clemente, F. M. (2021, January 14). Strength training is as effective as stretching for improving range of motion: A systematic review and meta-analysis. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare9040427
By: Elias Peixoto, Physiotherapy Resident