Was the chicken or the egg there first? Who cares? Both chicken and egg are delicious — and you're wondering what that has to do with mobility exercises.
stay with me a moment In the fitness universe, "experts" have often debated which exercise quality is more important to train: stability exercises or mobility exercises.
Stability is the ability to maintain or control joint movement or position. The coordinating actions of the surrounding tissue and neuromuscular system provide 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.
Which is more important? Both are important and will always be important for general fitness. But in this article, we 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. Along with the ability to build muscle, mobility is one of the original foundations of youth. Also, good mobility allows you to move freely and more efficiently. Here are a few key reasons why training mobility is the bomb.
- You feel younger: Mobility is one of the foundations of youth. The ability to move your movable joints through the full range of motion will help you keep up with the world's younger whippersnapper and keep you going longer.
- Improved Muscles and Strength: Good joint mobility ensures you can move as efficiently as possible during your lifts. You won't compensate for this with a reduced range of motion, which allows you to strengthen all parts of the movement. Let's say if your hip mobility limits the depth of your squat, don't strengthen all parts of the movement. That leaves profits on the table.
- You will be a better athlete: Many great athletes can change direction without changing speed and pace. If their mobility was absent, this would not happen. If you have good mobility and your muscles aren't tight, your movements will be easier and more fluid. And if you move better, your training will be more effective and you will blow your opponents away on the court.
- Injury Prevention: When your joints move freely through their full ROM, it improves their ability to better absorb forces when running, jumping, lifting, etc. In theory, a more flexible joint is a more secure joint. If you have mobility limitations, your body will compensate and find a way to perform the movement. This causes muscles and joints along the kinetic chain to do the work of your restricted 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're easy, don't require a lot of equipment, and give you the most bang for your buck.
