Mobility is NOT All-or-Nothing
Mobility exercises improve range of motion, reduce pain and improve athletic performance. I hear often “I didn’t have time to do my exercises today” or “it didn’t instantly make me feel better, so I decided to not do them”. It is important to understand that mobility is something we lose slowly over time. It can be lost due to remaining in a posture/position for too long, natural degeneration process, muscle tightness, and even how you resistance train/exercise. Mobility exercises are not going to instantly create a change. These exercises need to be performed consistently, over a long period of time to notice a change. That being said, find the exercises that you like and feel like you can find value in.
It is easy to find exercises on Instagram or YouTube that improve mobility, the issue is that it might be too intense for you to begin with. Modifications are your best friend! You can use modifications to improve range of motion and strength without creating too much tension in the body where it goes into a “over-protective” mode. Modifications can always change, you may be a beginner exercise but then you can quickly progress to advanced exercises with practice.
Some examples of modifications would be if a exercises requires you to stand, maybe try sitting or in a kneeling or all 4 position. This allows you to target the area you are mobilizing better without creating more instability in the body. In yoga, blocks can be used to get the stretch and tension on the tissues without causing too much strain.
In the practice of yoga, it talks about “finding your edge”. Each person’s edge will be different because we are all different shapes, sizes and anatomical structures. There are people who can touch their hands to the floor, while others can touch their knees or shins. It does not mean that touching the floor is necessarily “better”. It means that each person has a different “edge”. The best part is you can change your edge by practicing movement. As with anything, practice makes perfect!
Starting with 1-2 mobility exercises then increasing as your practice changes, you can transform your body and the movement it can do. If you are wanting to see what mobility exercises that would be most beneficial for your injury or athletic performance, seek out a healthcare professional near you. We would love to help you tap into your potential!
