Functional Strength and Mobility Training are useful tools to offset the limitations imposed by the demands of your day to day environment. By imposing positions on your body that you otherwise wouldn’t find yourself in, you can work towards a body that is pain free and limber and ready for anything.
I used to bike to work every day, it took 25-40 minutes depending on how much I felt like pushing it. One day I tried Mark Wildman’s video on Neck Mobility and realized that I had a much easier time turning my head to the left than the right. Where I live you bike on the right side of the road, and are constantly looking over your left shoulder when monitoring passing traffic. The ease with which I could turn my head to the left was based on use; my circumstances required that I look over my left shoulder to remain safe on the road, so I became pretty good at it. Not so for the other side.
The job I biked to I was at a restaurant. I worked as a server, running plates and drinks back and forth for 8-ish hours a day, often under pressure and always in a hurry. I developed left knee issues, which under scrutiny were revealed to be from constantly pivoting on my left foot to turn as I ran between the bar, kitchen, and tables. When I was in a hurry, all sense of “good form” went out the window. At he same time I developed chronic left shoulder pain, which I believe grew out of carrying trays overloaded with drinks, plates and debris with my left hand so I could do the more dexterous tasks with my right hand.
These are personal examples of a greater point: that your daily movement “diet” dictates your body expression; all the aches and pains, strength, what you are good at and where your difficulties lie all emanate from what your body is exposed to day in and day out. Hip tightness from sitting too much, overhead mobility restrictions from a constant limited range of motion in the shoulder, the list goes on…
I like to think of “mobility” as a combination of “movement” and “ability.” Your mobility is intimately tied to your environment, and how you move is limited by the demands your body is required to meet regularly. Just like how goldfish grow to the size of the tank they are placed in, your body adapts to the limitations of its environment. You are as strong and as mobile as your daily life requires you to be.
So when you are confronting your movement limitations, it is important to ask yourself “where did this come from?” Analyze your habits, and notice any patterns that arise. Do you lean to one side when working on the computer, and is it the same side that carries tension? Do you push or pull doors with the same hand every time?
Once you have a sense of your habits and where your restrictions come from, it’s time to work against them. When trying to combat the demands of your environment in the gym, think about the positions you find yourself in mostly and choose movements that resist those positions. If you sit at a desk all day, for example, a deadlift or a squat are great ways to resist hip flexion under load. Maybe split squats or walking lunges are a great way to stretch your rear hip flexors out while working on the front leg. Dead hangs can go a long way to increasing overhead mobility in the shoulder. Rows of any sort are great to strengthen the oft-neglected muscles of the back and decrease the dreaded rounded shoulders of the computer worker.
It took a long time to overcome the mobility restrictions in my neck and the chronic pain I felt in my knee and shoulder. The antidote was, unsurprisingly, strength training combined with mobility exercises and time. The strength training was relatively simple: barbell, dumbbell and kettlebell compound movements that hit every major movement pattern. The mobility exercises were a combination of mindful dynamic and static stretching mixed with Bodyweight modalities like ANIMAL FLOW. As I became more strong and mobile, the pains and tightness gradually lessened.
Rome wasn’t built in a day, and your body didn’t get to where it is now overnight. So when working against your daily movement habits, be patient; start slow and be careful to not overdo it. Avoid chasing the pump, and focus on mindful, functional movement. Stick to the plan and give it a month or two to see if you notice any positive results.
Functional strength and mobility training can increase your ability to move through life with ease. When you move better, you feel better.
If you're ready to start training, I'd love to hear from you!
DISCLAIMER: None of the ideas expressed in the article is a substitution for medical advice. If you are experiencing pain, please get cleared by a qualified professional before engaging in an exercise routine.
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