Are you struggling with any of the following issues?
- Difficulty achieving full depth in your squat.
- Shoulder pain or stiffness when pressing a barbell overhead.
- Difficulty keeping your back flat when hinging forward for a deadlift.
Or have you ever thought to yourself?
- “I really need to focus more on mobility.”
- “I’ve really tried to be more consistent with mobility lately but I don’t know what to prioritize.”
- “The mobility techniques I’ve been doing aren’t working for me.”
You have undoubtedly heard that mobility is important, but do you truly know why? Sure, being able to do an overhead squat or a pistol without compensating due to a lack of range of motion are great, and they help us become better athletes and exercise enthusiasts, but how does proper movement and mobility make us better human beings? Think about a few practical situations:
- Pick something up off the ground without rounding your back because your hamstrings and glutes are so stiff.
- Being able to squat deeply while keeping your heels on the ground when retrieving an item off the bottom shelf at the grocery store
- Placing an object onto a tall shelf at home without hyperextending your spine because your shoulder muscles are constantly under tension.
Our bodies were designed to be mobile, and unfortunately most of our modern lifestyle is plagued by inactivity. Think about how many hours a day you are sitting. You wake up in the morning and most likely drive to work. You get to work and sit at a desk hunched over your computer for the better part of the day. You sit down to eat most or all of your meals. You drive home from work at the end of the day. Finally, you most likely sit on your couch and relax in front of the TV before going to bed and waking up the next morning to do it all again. This can easily accumulate to well over 8 hours of sitting per day. Shocking, isn’t it??? I can go into all the negative effects of sitting, but that’s a story for another article.
If you experience any of the dysfunctions mentioned above, I encourage you to join me for Mobility class, every Saturday from 11:15am-12:00pm at Union Station. My vision is to build this program to teach you the how to achieve better movement quality, and why it’s an integral part of our training. Movement and mobility methods go far beyond aimlessly rolling on a foam roller. In this class, we will cover many advanced techniques such as:
- Self-myofascial release/trigger point therapy – the utilization of mobility tools such as lacrosse balls, soft balls, barbells (yes, these can and should be used for mobility), foam rollers, and your own hands!
- Joint distraction – the use of elastic bands to create space within the joint itself while moving the muscles around it for the purpose of removing impingement within the joint and restoring range of motion.
- Connective tissue mobilization – the use of mobility tools for the purpose of restoring motion between superficial and deeper layers of muscle and connective tissues.
- PNF (proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation) stretching – the manipulation of the body’s natural response to stretching of muscles and tendons for the purpose of creating greater range of motion and re-setting the muscle’s length-tension relationship.
- Movement correction techniques – the use of certain exercises focusing on creating and maintaining a stable relationship between the hips and spine while moving the body through varying ranges of motion.
You will also learn how to implement these into your fitness routine and lifestyle. I look forward to seeing you in class and I’m excited to have the opportunity to help you achieve your goals through movement and mobility.
– Coach Adrian