Adding mobility drills to your daily workout routine is your best and first line of defense against most age-related injuries.
When you’re younger, you never give your ability to move freely a second thought. But, as we age our ability to move freely becomes more limited. All of a sudden smaller and more subtle actions like reaching for something on a higher shelf or squatting down to tie your shoes become a big chore. And, our everyday movements hinge on these smaller aspects of our mobility. This makes us more prone to stiffness, aches, and even injuries.
But there is good news for you. Mobility drills can help to improve your ability to move freely. Mobility drills are not designed specifically for athletes or fitness buffs, but they are perfect for anyone who wants to move better, feel better, and prevent injuries before they happen.
What Is Mobility? Many people misconstrue mobility with flexibility. Although the terms are similar, they are very different concepts. Flexibility is about how much your muscles can actually stretch while your mobility is your ability to actively move your joints through their full range of motion. It is what allows you to squat down and then stand back up without feeling like your knees are going to give out on you.
Think of your mobility as the basic foundation of all the movement in your body. If your joints and muscles are working together as smoothly as possible, then your body will compensate by recruiting other areas of the body to do the job. Over time, this will result in poor posture, inefficient movement patterns, and even injuries.
The Science of Joint Health When it comes to your body, you need to think about not just the joints and muscles, but also the ligaments, tendons, and bursas. When all of these structures are healthy and well-coordinated, your movement feels more fluid and pain-free. But, as we get older, things like reduced cartilage and a decreased elasticity in soft tissues can stiffen up the joints. Mobility drills are specifically designed to target these issues by increasing the amount of blood that flows into them, improving the lubrication of joints, and strengthening the muscles that control these particular movements.
Key Areas for Mobility And, as we age, there are certain joints that are more prone to stiffness which makes mobility work even more essential.
Shoulders
We use our shoulders for all overhead movements and even our posture. Just try grabbing onto the handhold of a bus after you just woke up, and imagine the pain on the outside of your arm from your elbow to your shoulder. This is a common symptom of reduced mobility.
Hips
Then there are the hips, which play a crucial role in our ability to walk, squat, and any form of lower body activity. As we age, we find our hip and lower back feeling sorer and more tender, compelling us to try to stretch it back into position.
Ankles
Then of course there are the ankles. These play a crucial role in our balance and stability, and they provide us with a solid foundation. When you lose mobility in your ankles, you will find it a lot harder to walk without tripping over your own feet.
How Mobility Drills Prevent Injuries So, how do mobility drills actually prevent injury? When you suffer from poor mobility, you are forcing your body to compensate. For example, when your hips are stiff, your lower back will step in to handle certain movements that it was not designed for. As a result, it will create strain and pain where the bag meets the hips. When we practice mobility drills, we can target these problem areas in order to reduce our risks of overuse injuries and even improve how our body moves as a whole.
Key Benefits of Mobility Drills Of course, there are many benefits to doing mobility drills on a regular basis.
Better Alignment
For starters, mobility drills will help to ensure that your joints are stacked properly. This will help to improve your posture and movement efficiency.
Reduced Stiffness
Partaking in regular mobility drills will also increase joint lubrication and blood flow to the affected areas. This will also help to ease any stiffness in their affected region.
Injury Avoidance
Naturally, by addressing tight or weaker areas in the body, mobility drills will help to reduce the risk of common injuries like sprains and strains. Moreover, mobility drills will help to prevent overuse syndromes.
Common Injuries Mobility Drills Help Prevent Let us take a closer look at the most common injuries that mobility drills can help to prevent.
Knee Pain
Let’s start with knee pain. Believe it or not, knee pain can actually be caused as a result of poor hip or ankle mobility.
Lower Back Pain
Then there is lower back pain. This type of pain is generally caused by limitations in the ability to move the spine or hip.
Shoulder Impingement
Lastly, we have shoulder impingement. When you have tightness or poor overhead mechanics, you can cause shoulder impingement which is when the shoulder blade pinches down on the rotator cuff.
Top Mobility Drills for Injury Prevention So, if you’re ready to start moving better, here are five simple mobility drills that you can do now to target key areas of your body.
Hip Circles Let us start off with hip circles.
Why
It’s important to remember that the hips are the powerhouse of the lower body. Hip circles can help to improve the range of motion and stability. This is important as hip mobility is crucial for walking, balancing, and of course, squatting.
How
Start by standing on one leg, and then draw a circle in the air with your opposite knee. Move the knee slowly and with control. After doing a complete circle with one knee, switch over to the other leg and draw a circle with the opposite knee.
Pro Tip
If you are having issues with balance, feel free to hold onto a wall or a chair. Remember, holding on won’t affect the mobility exercise.
World’s Greatest Stretch Next, we will take a look at the world’s greatest stretc h.
Why
This is an important mobility drill that targets the full body. It will help with multiple joints and muscles, improving overall flexibility and mobility.
How
In order to do the world’s greatest stretch, you will want to start in the lunge position with your front foot flat on the ground and your back leg extended as far as possible. Place both hands on the ground, then twist your torso and reach one arm towards the ceiling. Repeat this process for the other side.
Pro Tip
Remember to do these exercises slowly and feel the stretch in your hips, spine, and shoulder.
Thoracic Spine Rotations Now we will move on to thoracic spine rotations.
Why
Your thoracic spine is your upper back and is often stiff due to poor posture or prolonged sitting. This drill is specifically designed to help restore rotation and improve your posture.
How
Start by either sitting cross-legged on the ground or in a chair. Then place one hand on the opposite knee and gently twist your entire torso. Hold the position for a few seconds before moving to the other side. If you’re lucky, you might even feel the lower back vertebrae popped when you do this.
Pro Tip
If you are unable to do it sitting, you can still perform this drill lying on the floor, but you should use a foam roller to add additional support to your body.
Ankle Mobility Work (Knee-to-Wall Drill) Let us move on to our ankles.
Why
If our ankles are stiff, it can throw the entire lower body out of balance. This will create issues with our ability to walk freely, and may even result in injuries.
How
Start by kneeling down in front of the wall, with your toes only a few inches away. Then, lunge forward as you try to touch your knee to the wall without lifting your heel. Repeat this process on both sides.
Pro Tip
For an extra challenge, try out some resistance bands.
Shoulder Pass-Throughs Of course, we can’t forget about the shoulders.
Why
Shoulder pass-throughs are the perfect drill to improve shoulder flexibility. They will also help to improve your overhead range of motion which is critical for daily tasks and workouts
How
In order to do a shoulder past you, you will want to hold a PVC pipe or resistance band in both hands. Keep them wider than the shoulder width apart, then slowly lift them overhead and back down. Make sure to do this with a high level of control and fluidity.
Pro Tip
You want to keep your core engaged throughout the drill and avoid arching her back. This will help to improve the results of the exercise.
Incorporating Mobility Drills into Your Routine Perhaps the biggest benefit of mobility drills is their versatility. Here are some different ways that you can incorporate them into your daily routine.
Daily
Try to spend 5 to 10 minutes on mobility work as part of your morning routine.
Pre-Workout
Mobility drills are great warm-ups to help prepare you for various joint exercises.
Post-Workout
And, just as they are perfect to implement as part of your warm-up routine, they are also great for your post-workout cooldown.
Combining Mobility with Other Workouts In order to get the biggest advantage from mobility drills, try to pair them up with strength training or cardio exercises. For instance, ankle and hip mobility drills can actually enhance your squat form. And, shoulder mobility drills can enhance overhead exercises like pull-ups or presses.
Conclusion In the end, mobility is the secret ingredient to a longer injury-free life. It’s not about flashy movements or complex routines, rather it’s about creating a solid foundation for your body to move freely and more efficiently. So, whether you are 40 or 60, it is never too late to start incorporating these drills into your daily life. So, grab your yoga mat, take a deep breath, and start with just a few minutes a day to help bring your joints back to life.
