Range of Motion

In mobility training, prioritizing a large “RoM” is most important. It’s no longer how much impressive weight you can lift. Mechanically, joints are the weakest at the edges of our RoM. So, the larger a movement’s range becomes, the less weight you’ll be able to do. Progress has many factors, not all of them are about how much weight you can lift. Working out doesn’t have to be a performance. If you include large RoM in movements then you don’t have to stretch after a workout.

Its usually not just a mechanical issue

Emotions and thoughts are linked to tension. For example, all scared dogs tuck their tail. Every emotion has a corresponding posture and breath pattern. In my experience there is always a hidden life lesson that the body is trying to show us through pain.

Mobility vs Flexibility

Mobility is the ability to actively move in large ranges of motion (RoM). If you are standing, how high you can lift a leg up against gravity shows your mobility. Flexibility is the same thing but passively. So, how high someone could lift your leg for you. Yoga in general does a pretty good job of increasing your flexibility, but if you have much more flexibility than you do mobility, it can become dangerous.

Attitude

Next is an attitude of relaxation. Your body has to feel safe and calm to open up and trust you. So if you treat your body not like an opponent to overcome you’ll get more results, although not always on your brain’s timeline. You can create enormous changes while in a depth of relaxation. For some this state is only a few breaths away. I allow myself plenty of time and don’t have any judgements like ‘oh this muscle should be longer’ or ‘i need to be able to touch my toes otherwise it means I’m a doodoohead’.

Train Holistically

I often play with strength on a suspension trainer like gymnastics rings or TRX bands. Every movement I aim to feel easier and easier, as opposed to pushing to ‘failure’. Mindlessly doing reps trying to numb out the pain of a single joint movement just isn’t going to translate into a limber and graceful body throughout the day. Train how your actually want to move. This style demands you pay attention to your entire body as you move. Giving love to the fascia system will show you how you’re storing stress in your tissues. Dance is unbeatable for this.

Movement Mentors

Hire a professional (LIKE ME), or watch closely what the people are doing that can move the way you want to move. It’s not just the mechanical motions they do, it’s their attitude, the speed, the intention. It’s indescribable, but the best we can do it imitate it until we stumble upon the magic.