What comes to mind when thinking of mobility training?
Mobility and flexibility are two common words that are often used interchangeably. However, these two words are also commonly misunderstood. In short, flexibility is the ability for one to take their body through an indicated range of motion. Mobility on the other hand, is the ability to control one’s body within these ranges of motion (ROM).
This is important to understand because flexibility in and of itself does not prevent injury. The reason being is because if your body is in a position that you are not mobile enough to control, you are exposing and potentially overloading the tissues to a capacity that they may not be able to handle, leading to injury.
Improving one’s mobility can indirectly improve their overall performance in a variety of sports and functional movements we see in life. Having a good sense of balance and proprioception, along with flexibility, helps them to maintain their control and physical awareness during activity.
When someone loses their balance or has the inability to reach the required amount of flexibility for that activity, they may open themselves up to serious injuries. This increase in ROM and neurological control that comes from mobility training should not be seen as a direct correlation in building strength and power but as a way of giving an athlete “more room to work with.”
Along with that, because of the benefits of joint stability and movement awareness, mobility training can reduce and help one recover from injury. Two areas that people tend to have the most issues when it comes to mobility are in the shoulders (getting into the overhead position) and in the hips (getting proper depth for during the squat).
On Feb 26, from 12noon – 2p we will be hosting a shoulder Mobility Clinic (current members sign up in the Push Press app) where we will be working on helping to increase your overhead control and range of motion. So whether you are wanting to improve your shoulder health, recover from a injury, or even to help prevent future injuries; come join as we bulletproof your shoulders.