Mobility and Stretching
Who else sits at a desk all day, and when you get up, you struggle just a little to get your body moving once you stand up? Yes, me too! I, too, sit at a desk all day and sometimes struggle to get moving once I am up. But really, it’s not too much of a struggle. Before you go and say, “Oh, you’re still young,” or “Just wait until your old," just hear me out.
Before I got my desk job, I used to stand ALL day. I was on my feet all day long, constantly moving. I developed some poor posture because of it. I have been working hard to correct that posture, but it’s hard when your body has created the habit of doing it on its own. I stand with my pelvis tilted up and forward, my knees (used to be always) locked, and my shoulders rounded. If I have any body fat in my midsection, this posture makes it look like I’m a few months pregnant. This decreases the curve in the spine and puts so much pressure on the low back. Dumping into the knee joints causes the quads and hamstrings not to work as hard and creates muscle weakness.
This posture is terrible for many reasons; I especially began having issues with my knees and low back. So I began to try to remind myself to make sure my pelvis is pointed straight forward, my knees have a slight bend in them (not too much), my core is engaged, and my shoulders are relaxed and away from my ears. Now that I am not standing all day long, it is easy to remind myself that I need to work on correcting my posture when I stand.
So, now that I am sitting all day, I still have the same issue with rounding my shoulders too much and allowing my core to disengage. Which still puts a ton of pressure on my low back. It has been a HUGE struggle for me to work on correcting this posture. I work toward strengthening my core while I am at the gym, but also I work on increasing mobility.
Because I sit all day, I find squats quite difficult to bear the weight on my upper body, even though my legs can handle the weight. Also, my hip flexors aren’t used to that range of motion. From standing all day to sitting all day, my hips were either extended for a long period of time, or they were shortened for an extended period of time. Yes, I am young, and I can handle it. But over time, my body will lose that mobility if I continue to allow one repetitive position to the other rather than providing my body the range of motion needed for longevity.
That is why I am a big advocate for stretching and mobility exercises. I have been sluggish at the gym recently and never warm up or cool down. I would rely on mobility once a week and call that enough. While I am providing my body with the time to move in all planes of motion during my workouts, some areas for mobility get missed during those workouts. Also, never warming up before the workout could lead to injury. One thing I am working on is a quick warm-up before my activities as well as a quick recovery stretch after each workout. Then once a week, I’ll continue my mobility workout.
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Benefits
Mobility and stretching are so important. Not only can it make workouts and everyday life that much better, but stretching and mobility exercises such as yoga can increase lifelong longevity for mobility. If you are like I have been in the past, and you jump into your workout, then go home, you may need to rethink your approach. There are so many benefits of mobility work and stretching.
When and how often
This one is tricky because everyone has something different going on, other goals, lifestyle, time, drive, etc. But if you aren’t thinking about their mobility, there is an increased risk of injury and an increased chance of muscle imbalances. So, at the very minimum, stretching before and after each workout is very beneficial.
Rather than beginning a workout without a warmup, consider doing a quick 5-minute mobility stretch or even a brisk walk. By starting with a mobility warmup, you allow the blood to flow into all areas of the muscles and joints. In addition, you’re prepping your body for the movement ahead….
Dynamic Stretching vs. Static Stretching
Common Areas to Work for Increased Mobility
Takeaway
I love fitness and staying active and healthy, but I tend to neglect the mobility side. I recognize the importance of mobility and stretching, but I don’t always try to improve my mobility. The reason why I want to improve my mobility is longevity. I love being active and want to continue increasing mobility into my old age. I want to be able to continue to hike and backpack, work out, and run with ease. I do not wish to allow old age to stop me from doing what I love. So, implementing mobility back into my fitness routine is necessary. Now that I am working out after work rather than before work, I have a little more flexibility with time to add a quick warmup and stretch after every workout.
resources
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“Do something today that your future self will thank you for”
— unknown
I find that quote so inspiring. Hard work will pay off in the future, but you also have to live in the moment, and I feel like taking care of yourself is doing both. You are doing good for yourself now as well as for your future self.
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