The Mobility Myth Revealed
Do you remember going to bed on Christmas Eve as a child with no presents underneath the tree? The next morning you rush downstairs to find a plethora of presents that Santa snuck in overnight. That’s pretty awesome as a kid. You didn’t have to do anything but go to sleep, and wake up to a bountiful surprise. But we all know it doesn’t actually work that way. The presents didn’t just magically appear, there was a lot of effort put into getting them under the tree. My point in all this is, people should not assume they will all of a sudden wake up with good mobility. It just doesn’t work that way, but I have the solution.
“Santa Claus is not real…and neither is magically appearing Mobility.”
Do you want to know the secret to improving your mobility? The answer is, there is no secret. You just have to invest some effort and time. That’s it, two simple strategies that the immobile overlook. I’ve seen first hand athletes in my career improve their flexibility and mobility. The thing they all had in common was effort. They put the work in to get the results they wanted. It became a daily habit for them, and guess what? They got results.
“Do you want to know the secret to improving your mobility? There is no secret.”
I’ve also witnessed people get frustrated when they don’t see dramatic results immediately. They look at it as a lost cause and give up. I have toed that line before. But results will come, you just have to commit to it. My day is always busy, so I try to throw in some stretches wherever I can. What helps me the most is creating a habitual nightly routine. It involves a foam roller, lacrosse ball, stretch band, a slant board and some Netflix. That’s right, every day I commit time, and energy to improving my mobility. And guess what? It worked!
“Every day I commit time, and energy to improving my mobility.”
Mobility will come, even to the athletes in their 30’s, 40’s, and 50’s. You just have to put the sweat in to make it happen. Of course it would be easier if we could all hop in a Delorean, go Back to the Future, and tell our child self to stay mobile. Sadly that isn’t going to happen. Just remember, no one has ever gone to bed with terrible shoulder mobility and woke up with a great pair of shoulders.
Unfortunately there isn’t a one-size fits all mobility plan that works for everyone. Instead here are 3 tips to get you started.
- 10-20 Minutes/Day: You’d be surprised at the progress you can make spending 10 minutes a day, every day working on regaining your mobility.
- 2 Minutes/Body Part: No matter if you’re stretching out your hamstrings or working on your ankle mobility, spend at least 2 minutes on each body part. This is the minimum required time necessary to start to effect real change in your tissues.
- No Rest Days: If you are stuck sitting all day, that’s the position your body will want to stay in. Fight to reclaim your positions, and commit to working on your mobility daily. You’ll be amazed at how fast things will start to change.
Hope this sheds some light on the Mobility Myth…remember,
“No one ever just woke up with good mobility, you have to work at it.”
Geoff
PS: Here’s a good one if your ankle mobility is spotty at best… BANDED ANKLE MOBILITY DRILL