Mobility

Training
 A. WHAT IS MOBILITY TRAINING?
Mobility is the ability to move a limb through its
full range of motion. This is not to be confused
with flexibility which is simply the length of the
muscle. Mobility is a controlled voluntary
movement through its entire functional range of
motion. Mobility training is the process in which
you work to improve mobility in all or a single
joint.
Mobility designates exercises that will increase
your range- of-motion and your stabilization, or
control of the muscles that surround each joint,
Wickham explains. Mobility isn't the same as
flexibility, though it is close. Mobility
incorporates flexibility and strength, and it's
crucial to help you squat deeper, push harder,
and jump higher.
 Because we spend so much time in poor,
static positions including in front of the
computer, TV, or phone, our body gets
'tight and lacks both optimal range-of-
motion and adequate activation of specific
muscle groups, that is why we need to start
working on mobility.
Head into a workout with limited range-of-motion, and
your assistance muscles will start to compensate.
Because assistance muscles are typically smaller and
weaker, forcing them to handle excessive torque is a
recipe for pain and injury. Worse, if your lifts aren't
activating primary muscles because you can't achieve
full range-of-motion, you probably won't even build
the muscle you're working toward. These are some
example of mobility exercises
B. Sample Mobility Exercises
1. Ankle Mobility
Ankle mobility refers to the flexibility of the ankle
joint and its surrounding muscles and tendons. When
your ankle is flexible, you have a greater range of
motion during your activities. If your ankles are weak,
or if you'd like to boost your sport you performance,
ankle exercises and stretching can improve your
mobility and strength.
 Including ankle stretching and strengthening in your
daily routine will pay off in accident prevention
Strengthening your ankles will also help you walk
properly and prevent your knee and hip muscles from
weakening.
Examples of ankle mobility
a. Ankle circles
Start off with a stretch. These circles help your range of
motion, and you can do them sitting or lying down.
1. Put a rolled towel or foam roller under your ankle.
2. Turn your ankle slowly in circles, clockwise 10 circles
and counterclockwise 10 circles.
3. Move just your foot and ankle, not your leg.
4.Vary the stretch by tracing out the letters of the
alphabet with your big toe.
b. Standing Heel Lifts
1. Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart. Have a
chair or the wall nearby for support if you need it.
2. Lift your heels off the floor so that you're standing on the
balls of your feet.
3. Slowly lower your heels to the floor. Control is important
for strengthening your muscles.
4. Do 2 or 3 sets of 10 lifts each.
5. You can add resistance to this exercise by holding free
weights while you lift your heels. You can also work this
exercise into your daily routine, such as when you're washing
dishes.
2. Hip Mobility Training
Poor hip mobility can contribute to issues like lower
back pain, knee problems... and it gets in the way of
squats and other stuff you want to do.
Your hips are the center of movement for your body,
so the healthier and less restricted your hips become,
the more potential your body has for strength, power,
and athleticism.
 Examples of Hip Mobility Exercises
a. Lying Hip Rotations
This exercise starts the sequence as an easy firs
movement to warm-up and build toward the rest of the
series.
Key Points:
1. Lie on back with both knees bent.
2. Cross one ankle over the opposite knee.
3. Move in and out of the stretch by rotating the hip in and
out.
4. For the hold, use your hand for assistance to press into
the knee.
b. Piriformis Stretch
This stretch targets the piriformis which is a small
muscle located deep in the buttock. This muscle
tends to get pretty tight from sitting all day.
Key Points :
1. Cross one leg fully over the opposite leg, so your
knee is crossed over your thigh.
2. Pull the crossed knee toward your opposite
shoulder, stretching the piriformis muscle.
 3. Thoracic Spine Mobility Training
Recent research findings have found an association
between prolonged sitting (>8 hours a day) and
increased neck, shoulder, and low back pain.
Sedentary behaviors may induce a relatively stiff
thoracic spine contributing towards the dysfunction in
the adjacent spinal regions. Wall angel is exercise to
improve your thoracic spine mobilityall
Shown here is a great exercise to improve your thoracic spine extension
mobility while focusing on minimizing movement at the lumbar spine:

a. Try keeping the glutes and abdominal muscles engaged to prevent

excessive lordosis and anterior pelvic tilt from occurring (low back
arching). If you're having difficulty recruiting your core, try this exercise.
b. If you're still having trouble, take a seat and march your
feet as close as you can towards your butt. This will allow
you to passively take up all the joint motion from your hips
and lumbar spine.
Perform a wall angel by placing your elbows and your
wrists on the wall and slowly elevating your arms until they
are fully overhead, then return to the starting position and
repeat for 10-15 repetitions.
4. Pushing and Pulling Exercises
A push exercise is performed when the muscle
pushes weight away from the body during the
concentric phase of the movement and then
lengthens in the eccentric phase when the weight is
moved back toward the body. Pushing when the
include push-ups, bench presses, back squats, and
forward lunges. These exercises use prime movers
such as the glutes, quadriceps, calves, pectorals,
deltoids, and triceps.
 A pull exercise, on the other hand, is performed
when the muscle pulls weight toward the body
during the concentric portion of the movement
and then lengthens as the weight moves away
from the body during the eccentric portion of the
exercise. Pulling exercises use prime movers such
as the hamstrings, latissimus dorsi, trapezius,
biceps, forearms, obliques, and abdominals.
Push-up and Bicep-curl are example of push and pull
exercise
How to Do a Push-Up
a. Get down on all fours, placing your hands slightly wider
than your shoulders.
b. Straighten your arms and legs.
c. Lower your body until your chest nearly touches the
floor.
d. Pause, then push yourself back up.
e. Repeat.
2. Bicep Curl
a. Start standing with a dumbbell in each hand.
Your elbows should rest at your sides and your
forearms should extend out in front of your
body.....
b. Bring the dumbbells all the way up to your
shoulders by bending your elbows. Once at the
top, hold for a second by squeezing the muscle.
c. Reverse the curl slowly and repeat.
Thank You