AGGRESSIVE STRENGTH ARTICLES
Mobility Training May Be the Most Important Factor in Musculoskeletal Health
By Steve Maxwell
Mobility, or joint mobility,
is the ability to move a limb through the full range of motion--with
control. Mobility is based on voluntary movement while flexibility involves
static holds and is often dependent upon gravity or passive forces. Mobility
demands strength to produce full-range movement, whereas flexibility is
passive, thus not strength-dependent. Some authorities refer to mobility as
'active flexibility'. It is possible to have good mobility without being
especially flexible, just as one can be flexible with poor mobility, i.e.,
control. Of the two, mobility is more important. It is better to be
inflexible with good mobility than flexible with poor mobility. The percent
difference between your mobility and flexibility is the same percent chance
of creating a musculo-skeletal injury during physical activities.
Sports, recreational activities and other daily physical practices can
result in reduced range of movement in any participating joint. When the
joint is unable to move through its full range, we call it compromised.
When compromised movement is present in a joint, surrounding joints take up
the slack, creating extra stress all around. A typical example are immobile
ankles and feet underlying stress and injury to the knees, hips, and lumbar
spine. It's a cascade effect, albeit in reverse: the body tissues are
held together with sheets of connective tissue called fascia, so stress
extends upwards from the feet. Poor mobility in one area can cause pain and
stress in seemingly unrelated areas, but once fascial anatomy is understood,
the idea that immobile feet could cause neck or shoulder stiffness is no
longer a conundrum.
Mobility work reduces the potential body imbalances inherent in our athletic
and recreational pursuits. For example, it's widely accepted that running
for distance shortens the hamstrings, calf muscles and hip flexors,
resulting in decreased free movement in simple full-range exercises, such as
bodyweight squats. Well-documented is the compromised range produced by
heavy weight-lifting and body building strength sports--yet, properly
conducted, weight training can improve range of motion! All too often, in
practice, weight lifters endow themselves with tight, restrictive movement
by over emphasizing short-range movements and excessive hypertrophy.
Worse, especially in the U.S., is that ubiquitous non-activity: sitting.
Sitting in a chair, at a desk, while hunching over a computer is a recipe
for a compromised structure full of imbalance and continual pain.
The solution? A joint mobility program. Joint mobility exercise stimulates
and circulates the synovial fluid in the bursa, which 'washes' the joint.
The joints have no direct blood supply and are nourished by this synovial
fluid, which simultaneously removes waste products. Joint salts, or calcium
deposits, are dissolved and dispersed with the same gentle, high-repetition
movement patterns. Properly learned, joint mobility can restore complete
freedom of motion to the ankles, knees, hips, spine, shoulders, neck,
elbows, wrists and fingers. It's especially important to keep the spine
supple and free and if there were such a thing as a fountain of youth, joint
mobility exercises come very close.
Use mobility exercises as a warm up, an active recovery during other
activities, or as a stand-alone workout. You can rejuvenate yourself and
reclaim the movement of a child with a good joint mobility program. Joint
mobility makes a wonderful, energizing morning recharge and sets the day up
on the right foot.
Upcoming Steve Maxwell Workshops
April 19, 2008:
Steve Maxwell Level 1 Beginner Kettlebell Training Workshop in
Philadelphia
» click
here for more info
April 20, 2008:
Steve Maxwell Kettlebell Training Instructor Course in Philadelphia
» click
here for more info
May 10, 2008
Steve Maxwell Joint Mobility And Bodyweight Training Workshop in Las Vegas, NV
>>Click here for more information
September 13, 2008
Steve Maxwell Level One Kettlebell Training Workshop in San Jose, CA
>>click here for more information
