Power law #2 (part 4)
For the past few month we have been covering Power Law #2, which is generally described as movement. We touched on general movement (part 1), strength (part 2), cardio (part 3), and today we will discuss mobility (part 4).
Mobility is slightly different than stretching (or flexibility). Mobility is the active, controlled movement of a joint through its full range of motion, combining strength and flexibility. Stretching is the passive lengthening of muscles to increase flexibility. Mobility builds functional strength and joint health.
When dealing with mobility, or flexibility for that matter, it is mediated by the nervous system.It is NOT “stretching” a muscle (the muscle always had the ability to move through a range of motion), but it is “conditioning” the nervous system to a greater range of motion. While muscles, tendons, and ligaments determine the physical structure, the nervous system acts as the "safety regulator" that dictates how far a muscle is allowed to stretch.
Flexibility is not just a structural issue (muscles being "tight"); it is primarily a neural issue (the brain perceiving a position as unsafe and restricting movement).
It is best to incorporated some mobility work into your daily routine, but it need only take a few minutes. There are various movements that are shown in an online search, but here are two (2) movements that could be very helpful.
Squat (sometimes referred to as a Womb Squat). Work up to a full squat slowly. You may have to utilize a doorway for support at the beginning. Go slowly… there is no hurry. Do it daily until you can hold a full squat for one minute.
Squat & Reach. Having accomplished a full squat, you can add a reach overhead from the squat position. Do it slowly and breathe while reaching. Don’t hurry… just keep doing it daily for a minute or two.
Our joints are healthiest when moving through a range of motion. It only takes a couple of minutes daily to improve mobility (I’ll admit, for advanced mobility it takes many minutes a day). You’ll be glad you did