What came first, the egg or the hen? Who cares? Both the chicken and the egg are deliciousand you may be wondering what this has to do with mobility exercises.
Stay with me for a moment. In the fitness universe, “experts” have often debated which quality of exercise is more important to train in: stability exercises or mobility exercises.
Stability is the ability to maintain or control joint movement or position. The coordinated actions of the surrounding tissues and the neuromuscular system achieve stability. Mobility is the degree to which a joint (where two bones meet) can move before being restricted by surrounding tissues, such as muscles, tendons, and ligaments.
What is more important? Both are important, and will always remain important to overall fitness. But in this article, we’ll dive into the benefits of mobility and four mobility exercises for better movement and strength.
BENEFITS OF MOBILITY EXERCISES
There are a few reasons why mobility is an essential element to include in your fitness journey. mobility is one of the original foundations of youth, in addition to being able to build muscle. Also, having good mobility allows you to move freely and more efficiently. Here are some important reasons why mobility training is the bomb.
- You will feel younger: Mobility is one of the original foundations of youth. The ability to move your movable joints through a full range of motion will help you keep up with the wayward youngsters of this world and keep you upright for longer.
- Enhanced Muscle and Strength: Good joint mobility ensures that you can move as efficiently as possible during lifts. You won’t make up for it with a smaller range of motion, allowing you to strengthen all parts of the movement. Let’s just say if your hip mobility limits the depth of your squat, you’re not strengthening all parts of the movement. That’s leaving profits on the table.
- You will be a better athlete: Many great athletes can change direction without changing speed and quickness. If they lacked mobility, this would not happen. When you have good mobility and your muscles are not tense, your movements are easier and more fluid. And when you move better, your workouts will be more effective and you’ll outplay your opponents on the field.
- Injury prevention: When your joints move freely through their full ROM, it improves their ability to better absorb force when you run, jump, lift, etc. In theory, a more mobile joint is a more secure joint. If there are mobility restrictions, your body will compensate and find a way to perform the movement. This leads to muscles and joints up and down the kinetic chain doing the work of their constrained joint. Over time, this can lead to injury and pain.
4 MOBILITY EXERCISES FOR BETTER MOVEMENT AND STRENGTH
Here are four mobility exercises for better movement in and out of the gym. These moves are chosen because they are simple, don’t require a lot of equipment, and give you the most bang for your buck.
