9 Amazing Things that Happen When You "Level-Up" Your Mobility

Mobility is incredibly important for retaining the ability to move and play, as well as maintaining independence, as we age. Mobility — also known as active flexibility or active range of motion — is the ability to control joints and muscles throughout a range of motion, meaning the muscles can be contracted and strength can be exerted throughout that range of motion. Being mobile allows for more movement possibilities, as it encompasses flexibility and the strength to use that flexibility. When people say they want to be more “flexible”, what they actually mean is that they want to be more “mobile”.

Let’s explore 9 amazing things that happen when you “level-up” your mobility:

  1. You’ll become stronger. 

    The only difference between mobility training and regular strength training is that mobility training occurs at the end range, and most strength training doesn’t. As the strength of the end ranges increases, overall strength will increase.

  2. You’ll mitigate injury risk. 

    The bigger the gap between flexibility and mobility, the higher the risk of injury. Injuries occur when there is too large of an imbalance, whether that’s an imbalance in stress levels, an imbalance in strength in different planes of movement, or an imbalance between flexibility and mobility. It’s very common to have an imbalance between passive and active ranges of motion. This is good news — it means there is a large potential for mobility improvement!  

  3. You’ll have better endurance.

    Have you ever felt like you were fighting internal resistance in your body to perform a movement or form of exercise? If mobility is limited, it can decrease endurance because the body gets tired trying to access a range of motion that isn’t available yet. As mobility improves and range of motion opens up, endurance will improve.

  4. You’ll be able to do movements you couldn’t do before. 

    Mobility training increases the potential to perform a variety of movements because it opens up end ranges and gives access to greater ranges of motion. Movements that felt impossible or restricted before can completely open up with the proper stimulus. 

  5. You’ll feel less tight.

    Feeling tight is a symptom of a threat response from the nervous system. Muscles do not actually “shorten”; the nervous system restricts your range of motion because it perceives the range to be unsafe for the body. One way to reduce the threat response for a range of motion is to build strength there. As strength and control of a range of motion improves, tension and tightness will abate. 

  6. You’ll feel better when you wake up in the morning.

    Do you ever wake up feeling stiff and sore? Wouldn’t it be great to wake up feeling loose and limber instead? As mentioned above, stiffness is a symptom of the nervous system perceiving a threat and therefore restricting a range of motion. Building strength at end ranges (i.e. mobility) can reduce or eliminate the perceived threat, and therefore reduce stiffness. 

  7. You’ll reduce your body’s compensation mechanisms.

    When one joint or muscle in the body isn’t doing its job, the joints or muscles above, below, or surrounding will often compensate. While compensation isn’t always a bad thing, if there is too much compensation in the body it can lead to imbalance, and imbalance can lead to injury. The better each joint and muscle in the body does its job, the better the body functions as a whole. Mobility training can help joints and muscles more fully perform their job, and therefore reduce compensation mechanisms.

  8. You’ll have more confidence in your body.

    Mobility reduces feelings of limitation and allows access to new ranges of motion, which allows for more exploration of the body and its capabilities. The better you feel in your skin and the more capable you feel, the more confident you become. 

  9. You’ll be able to try new physical activities.

    As body confidence increases, a wider range of physical activities are possible. As your movement possibilities grow, so do your possibilities for anything in life! 

Now that you know about the amazing benefits of mobility training, I hope you give it a try! 

Here are a few resources that may help you on your journey to better mobility:

Blog, Fitness, Healthbrittanyvsmobility, flexibility, body confidence, strength trainingComment