As mentioned in a previous blog, stretching focuses on lengthening short and tight muscles, whereas mobilization is a movement-based integrated full-body approach that addresses all the elements that limit movement and performance including short and tight muscles, soft tissue restriction, joint capsule restriction and motor control problems.
Mobility should be a proactive approach. Meaning, don’t wait until problems start before you address them. Mobility workouts are a great thing you can do to prevent injury, speed up recovery, and improve overall performance. When it comes to gym training, mobility is the most important element to include. This is not the 5-10minutes warm up you do at the start of a class, this is finding a restricted or ‘sticking point’ that’s not moving the way it should and putting together a little program to help address the issue. A lot of the gyms now are all about functional movement, but without basic mobility you won’t be able to do the easiest of movements and eventually you will injure yourself.
With most people having a job which involves them being sat down for the majority of the day, their hips, core, legs and pretty much everything can just get really tight and can massively limit their mobility. For example, if your hip flexors are tight it makes it difficult to get down into a proper squat, if your shoulders are tight you are going to struggle with anything overhead without arching your back. Both of which could put you in a very vulnerable position and can lead to potential injuries.
The goal of our mobility workshops we now offer at Absolute Health Solutions is to give you the tools necessary to help perform basic maintenance on your body. Just like a daily vitamin, a small dose every day leads to greater overall health. In this case, better mobility and less pain. Here’s another basic mobility exercise to help improve your thoracic mobility, which will help in the long run with improving your posture, low back pain and improve your overhead training technique.
Please call your Chiropractor at AHS on 9948 2826 or visit our clinic at 9/470 Sydney Rd in Balgowlah servicing the surrounding suburbs of Allambie, Balgowlah Heights, Seaforth, Fairlight and Manly on the Northern Beaches.