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Mobility has been a hot topic in the fitness industry for many years now. Search online
and you will find all kinds of mobility specialists, systems and tools. After all, everyone
wants to get more mobile and as therapists and personal trainers, our role is to help
people move better.
Yet, many things are still being done with the intention of improving mobility that aren’t
actually creating lasting changes in the way our clients move.
Much of this is likely due to all the confusion around mobility and how to improve it. In the
fitness industry, there is a nasty habit of living in absolutes. A method or intervention is
ultimately bad or ultimately good. For example, stretching (particularly static stretching)
has gotten a bad rep over the years. We literally went from using it as a go-to for
joint health and injury prevention to touting it as useless or even worse, as capable of
increasing the risk of injury.
Meet
Mai-Linh
Mai-Linh Dovan is a Certified Athletic Therapist and leading
industry expert in functional rehabilitation. She holds a
Bachelor’s degree in Athletic Therapy and a Master’s degree in
Exercise Science from Concordia University, where she worked
in collaboration with the Department of Psychology and the
Centre for Research in Human Development. With over 20
years of experience in clinical rehabilitation and strength and
conditioning, she has developed a comprehensive and unique
functional training approach with integrated rehabilitation.
Redefining
Mobility
Interestingly enough, if you do a “similar
words” search for mobility you will find
flexibility, and vice versa. I would hope
that this would start to cue you that
they are intricately linked, even though
our industry has given flexibility, and
anything remotely attached to it like static
stretching, a bad rep.
The bottom line is, what is it we are trying to accomplish? Whether we are trying to acutely
increase range of motion or lower the excitability of a facilitated muscle, applying a stretch
or other soft-tissue method makes sense if you have a specific task in mind that will
benefit from the response.
This is something I discuss at length in my blog article Is Stretching Good or Bad? If you’re
more of a listener than a reader, there is also a video in the article and on our YouTube
channel.
All that said, remember that there is also an active component to mobility. Regaining
muscle function, active range, control and strength requires active participation that
passive modalities do not provide. What the passive modalities do provide is the potential
range of motion. But it doesn’t stop there!
In order to translate the effect of passive tissue mobilization to mobility we need to apply
intentional force into the newfound range
Simply put, we need to work within that range to create that fine balance between range
of motion and motor control in order to have a lasting effect on mobility. This is Why Foam
Rolling Alone Doesn’t Improve Mobility.
The mobility-
stability continuum
If mobility is a combination of range of motion, motor control
and strength, what about stability?
From a purely anatomical (structural) standpoint, we tend to view mobility and stability as
opposite ends of the same spectrum: some joints have a structure that affords more mobility,
such as the shoulder, while some have a structure that affords more stability, such as the
knee. Mobile joints have a bony geometry that is conducive to more movement but less
structural stability, and vice versa.
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However, from a functional point of view, the opposite of mobility is not stability, because
mobility can be demonstrated in stable states. In addition, hypomobility can also result in
instability demonstrated by a decreased capacity to generate force.
Individual joints, as well as the entire kinetic chain, require a combination of mobility and
stability that is balanced and extends as far as possible across the range between rigidity
and laxity (the extremes), as depicted in the figure below, which I discuss in this video:
Both hypermobility and hypomobility can result in instability. Hypomobility often manifests
as an inability to produce a desired movement, whereas hypermobility often manifests
as an inability to control a desired movement or an inability to resist an undesired
movement.
For example, a hypomobile shoulder can result in an inability to lock out the arm in an
overhead position. With a hypermobile shoulder, one may have difficulty stabilizing the
end range of the lockout or prevent excessive movement at the end range.
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Mobilize to
allow movement
In my practice, I use the word “mobilization” rather than “mobility”. To IMMOBILIZE is to make
immobile, to prevent use or reduce movement. As such, to MOBILIZE is the exact opposite:
to make mobile, to allow use or increase movement. Mobilization refers to the action of
making something more capable of movement. The objective of mobilization should be to
address the various factors that can affect movement capacity or quality in order to make
the individual more capable of movement.
As such, the objective of Mobilization should be to address any of the following elements
that are susceptible to limit movement capacity:
Knowing what we know about mobility and stability, we can appreciate that
even the hypermobile client can benefit from a well thought out intervention including
appropriate mobility work.
To see what kind of intervention is effective for the hypermobile client, head to my blog
article: “Managing Functional Instability in the Hypermobile Athlete”.
You can direct mobilization to be more passive or more active, depending on the client
you are working with:
Definitions:
SMR (self-myofascial release): soft-tissue mobilization using a foam roller, lacrosse ball,
tiger tail, tool or other implement
Long duration passive stretch: static stretch held for over 1 minute
Active-assisted range of motion: moving actively through full range of motion with
additional passive motion at end range using a band or other form of assistance
As you can see, there are many different tools that you can use. The key is to become
better at identifying the right tool for the right client, because not every client will benefit
from the same tool. That is the difference between your tools and you practice.
Breathing
and Mobility
Breathing is probably the simplest and perhaps most under-used form of mobilization.
Among other benefits, it can bring you into a parasympathetic state which helps to
alleviate muscle tension, reduce rigidity and facilitate movement. As such, it is a great way
to mobilize the nervous system, as explained in this must-watch YouTube video.
With every breath we take comes a natural mobilization of the spine, moving into
extension on inhalation and flexion on exhalation. I discuss the link between breathing and
thoracic mobility in this blog article: Read article Breathing and Thoracic Mobility
The
Program
This full body mobility program is unique in its kind. The goal is to improve mobility by
targeting various passive and active components that can affect movement potential of
the shoulder and hip complex.
The program includes soft-tissue and joint mobilization exercises, but also various active
exercises meant to apply intentional force within range of motion.
The mobilization strategies utilized in the program extend far beyond passive stretching
and soft tissue release, focusing on the active components of mobility. The benefits touch
not only on performance, but also on injury prevention and robustness.
BREATH MOBILIZATION
SOFT-TISSUE MOBILIZATION
SHOULDER COMPLEX
Prisoner T-spine
B. 2 8/side Inhale on rotation
rotation
HIP COMPLEX
Active-assisted straight
A. 2 8/side Hold stretch 2 seconds
leg raise
Low
B. 2 10
cat-camel
Active thread
C. 2 8/side Hold end range 2 seconds
the needle
The Mobility Fundamentals for Prehab and Performance Online Course provides you
with the know-how to build an individualized targeted intervention aimed at making
learning-driven changes in movement behavior.
This online course provides you with unlimited lifetime access to over 4 hours of video
content allowing you to learn at your own pace and in the comfort of your home. The
course also includes access to a 200+ video exercise library, two 12-week purpose-
oriented mobility programs and access to a private Facebook Community for questions
and extra support.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this document is presented to improve movement, not treat medical conditions.
This information is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment of specific medical conditions.