Unlock the Secrets to Better Mobility!

This article will explain exactly how I have improved my mobility and how I help my clients get more mobile and flexible.

Mobility is a Habit

If you spend zero time in a deep squat throughout the day, don't wonder why you can't squat deep in the gym.

IF YOU DON'T USE IT, YOU LOSE IT!

If your goal is to be able to do the full splits, how often are you in that position? In order to have greater flexibility, you need to use that range in your regular life.

How do we use additional range of motion?

• Instead of sitting on the couch, sit on the floor. You can watch tv or work on your computer in these positions:

• Instead of working in a chair, spend time in a half-kneeling position

• Learn how to maintain good posture and avoid rounding your back when sitting as this will cause your hamstrings to tighten over time.

• When you wait for a bus/train sit in a squat.

• Place a pull-up bar in your door and hang for a few seconds every time you pass it.

The longer I train the more I find the simplest solution is best for most people. You don't need a super advanced routine, just start using the mobility you want to have in your daily life.

Breathe Deeply for Greater Mobility

Deep breathing is the key to effective stretching. Holding your breath or shallow breathing is a strategy your body uses to protect itself. Unfortunately, this prevents you from relaxing and getting a good stretch. Breathe deeply with your diaphragm throughout the duration of any stretch.

Deep breathing opens up the upper body by adding movement to the rib cage, and it's the best way I've found to mobilize the thoracic spine.

Foam Roll to Mobilize Your Body

If you've been tightening yourself up for a decade or longer, don't expect to transform in the first week. Fascia and muscles will tighten up according to the stress we place on them, and it takes time to loosen up.

Foam rolling, or applying pressure to tight areas of your body will improve circulation and reduce the nervous system activation to allow you to open up the area. Spending a few minutes foam rolling before stretching will ensure you get a much better stretch.

Key areas to foam roll that will benefit most people include the quadriceps, TFLs, and glutes.

If your feet or calves are tight, spend time barefoot and stand on a lacrosse ball to open up the fascia.

For an introduction to foam rolling, check out this YouTube video.

Core Integrity for Mobility Gains

There's a popular phrase in the fitness community, "Proximal stability for distal mobility," and it means we must have a strong and stable core in order to have mobile limbs.

To be more flexible, you first need core stability to keep the stretch on the hips and not the low back. Try this yourself: round your back and touch your toes. Notice the stretch you feel on your hamstrings. Now try it again, but this time with core stability. Poke your fingers into your sides and cough to feel your fingers get pushed out. This is your core creating intra abdominal pressure and core stability, similar to a pressurized soda can. Now, place one hand on your low back to avoid rounding your back, create and hold core stability like we just practiced, and bend forward while attempting to point your butt to the sky. If you did this correctly, the second time you should feel a much greater stretch in your hamstrings, and with practice you’ll be touching your toes! This example shows how core stability allows you to get more benefit from stretching. Any time you stretch one part of your body, you’re stretching every part of your body. Consider your posture and avoid isolating body parts during stretching because spine and hip position play a significant role in the flexibility available to your limbs.

Your Body is One

Lying on your back and yanking on your hamstrings does nothing to address the cause of your tightness and teaches a bad habit. It doesn't consider hip position or core integrity, and it likely does more damage than good.

This "muscle yanking" strategy is still common with doctors and physical therapists, but it's a flawed strategy because if you pull on one area of your body, you affect everything.

Your entire body is connected through fascia, so it's impossible to isolate muscles.

To improve your hamstring flexibility, look at the body as one complete unit. You have to also stretch the antagonist muscles, your quadriceps and hip flexors, which are often even tighter than the hamstrings! Spending too much time stretching one single muscle will eventually lead to injury.  

Sedentary living causes certain areas to become tight, while other areas become long and weak. Focus stretching the relatively most tight areas first: the ankles, hips, and thoracic spine.

Instead of the "muscle yanking" strategy, a much better strategy to mobilizing the hamstrings is to perform a deadlift with good technique. This will lengthen your hamstrings, but it also teaches good hip control and core integrity.

As you bend forward, think about making your butt face up towards the sky (anterior pelvic tilt). This will increase the stretch on your hamstrings and place the stress on your hips, not your back. The following exercises will help you practice moving at the hips while maintaining a neutral spine.
Kneeling hinge Place your knees just outside of shoulder width, then extend your hips forward to come to a tall kneeling position. Maintain a neutral spine throughout. The movement occurs at your hips, not your spine.
Romanian deadlift Stand with feet hip width apart, spread the toes and distribute most of your weight into your heels with the feet facing forward or slightly turned out. Keep your knees soft as you push your hips back. Imagine sticking your butt out or “lifting your tail” to avoid rounding your back.  Lower just past your knees and hug the weight close at the bottom by “squeezing an orange” in your armpits. At the bottom, engage your glutes by slightly rotating your knees outwards. To stand up, don’t extend your back, instead squeeze your glutes through to extend your hips. Maintain a flat back the entire time and avoid rounding the back. The movement occurs at the hips, not the spine.
Single Leg Deadlift One additional deadlift variation involves using one leg at a time. This can increase the stretch on the hamstrings while protecting the low back. If balance is an issue, perform the kickstand deadlift by barely touching your back foot down.

Strength Through Length

If you spend your time performing exercises in a shortened range of motion, you'll build muscle, but you'll also build tightness.

For example, I could perform a shoulder press lowering only to my ears, and this will build muscle. However, if my goal is to improve my mobility, then a full range of motion shoulder press is going to build muscle AND improve upper body mobility.

Choosing an exercise like the ATG split squat will strengthen your legs while also improving mobility at the same time.

Good training with full range of motion will automatically improve your mobility.

The Mobility Program

 I could give you the greatest mobility routine crafted from the Gods! But if you don't do it, it won't work...

You must first make mobility a part of your daily life. Re-read the first section of this article if you're unsure of how to do that or leave a comment below and I'll answer your questions.

Here is the stretching program I recommend for anyone looking to improve overall mobility.

Mobility Routine Summary	Perform each stretch for 60 seconds and repeat 3 rounds daily.
Couch Stretch The hip flexors are responsible for bringing the legs and torso together. Excessive sitting causes these muscles to be tight in almost everyone. If your hip flexors are tight, lengthen and strengthen the hip flexors by performing the couch stretch by elevating your back foot either on a couch, box, bench, or against a wall. While bracing your core, focus on tucking your butt under to feel the stretch in the front of your leg.
Hang One of the simplest ways to stretch all the muscles of the upper body is to hang from a bar with palms facing forward.
Slant Board When the calves are tight it can affect our ability to use the hip muscles and even be a direct cause for back pain! One of the fastest ways to improve your ankle mobility is to stand on a slant board daily.
Prayer Stretch Loosen the mid back and lat muscles with the prayer stretch. Focus on breathing deeply all the way in and out to improve mobility. Let gravity do the work and don't force the stretch.
Pancake Stretch When the inner thighs and hamstrings are tight, it’s difficult to fully engage the glutes and so we end up using the lower back in a weakened position. For the pancake stretch, each time you bend forward, maintain an arch in your lower back and imagine your tailbone rising up towards the sky (anterior pelvic tilt). Place your hands on a chair if needed. If you allow your back to round while bending forward, you’re stretching your back more than your hamstrings! Think about sticking out your tail to keep the stretch on the hips and hamstrings.
ATG Split Squat Lengthen the quadriceps and hip flexors by performing a full range of motion ATG split squat. Elevate the front foot on a step or box until you build up the strength to perform the exercise on the ground.
Frog Stretch The frog stretch will help to open the inner thighs and improve hip mobility. Start with knees wide and feet together. Increase difficulty by separating your feet.
Pigeon Stretch The pigeon stretch targets the outer thighs and glutes. You can increase the difficulty by raising your front leg onto a box or bench.
Hinge Tilt your hips forward as you bend down to feel a stretch in your hamstrings at the back of your legs. You can add weight to perform a Romanian deadlift or just use your bodyweight.

Conclusion

With any new training, it’s important to take it slowly and listen to your body. The stretches I've shared can be completed every day. Duration is more important than intensity, so hold stretches for longer with lower intensity to start. If you're very sore, take a day to rest and recover.

Those are my mobility secrets! What do you think? Leave a comment below or send me a message to start a conversation. Let me know what you’d like to see next!

If you want help on your journey, schedule a fitness consultation.

Hope this helps! Until next time! - Tom