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Mobility

By Tryfan Williams   

on September 30, 2013    No ratings yet.

Posted in Outdoor ArticlesSpecial Guest Posts

Mobility

Gethin Evans takes time out to talk to us about Mobility, or stetching by another name

I use to be naive when it came to mobility, as my gym sessions consisted of basic old school movements, bench press, shoulder press, leg press etc. All these movements require very little mobility.  I used to think if I was able to touch my toes I was flexible and that’s as far as my thinking on the matter went. Turns out I was a far cry from being mobile.

It wasn’t until I started doing crossfit / Olympic lifts and the need to execute varied functional movements such as thrusters, cleans, snatch, squats and every variation of the squat, especially overhead squats, that my lack of mobility really started to show.

My lack of mobility in my hip flexors, ankles and knees stopped me from doing a correct squat, front squat, overhead squat, clean snatch etc. My lack of shoulder mobility stopped me from being able to get a correct rack position for thrusters, cleans, shoulder press etc. The tightness in my hamstrings stopped me from being able to perform a correct deadlift, I could go on. Never did the thought that my mobility was a problem when it came to rugby or the gym, but it was obvious it was an issue I needed to address.

“Mobility allows good range of motion and improves motor performance and skill execution”

After getting some amazing tips in a workshop on Olympic lifting delivered by Chris Malherbe of CGM Fitness Felinheli I decided to do at least 10 min stretching before each gym session, 2 gym sessions a day 20 min of stretching a day. After about 2 weeks I got into a routine of doing my own little warm up before each session, I wish I had the luxury of being able to rock up and do a session without a warm up, but I can’t if want to be able to perform the needed movements correctly.

As with any and everything these days there is a wealth of information on the different stretches and execution techniques on the internet, so I’ll leave that bit down to you (have a look on youtube for Kelly Starrett). As always I think trial and error is the best way of learning. All I’m going to do is to try and convince you of the importance of mobility when it comes to gym, sport, hobbies and even general life.

I’ve been doing my stretching routine before my gym sessions for a good few months now, and the differences are amazing, I now feel like mobility is one of the most important aspects of “fitness”. Let me explain why, from becoming mobile:

  • my technique has improved
  • as a result of this I am able to perform the movements correctly
  • which means I am able to lift more weights (whether its heavy or light for an amount of reps)
  • which in turn means I am getting stronger
  • my rugby performance is improving, because of the extra strength and the fact mobility allows me to run faster

Therefore without improving my mobility all the above would not have been possible. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still way off from where I want to be, and have a lot of work to do.

If you’re still not sold, there are other benefits to doing some stretching. Regular stretching can be a great way to keep your body intact; individuals who stretch thoroughly have a considerably lower risk of injury. I use to get very bad back pain and knee pain / shin splints, since starting my stretching routine my back problem has gone and my knee pain and shin splints don’t bother me anymore. Improving mobility provides another key benefit; it may actually boost the rate at which muscles recover after workouts.

I hope I’ve convinced you that mobility is important, and you will implement some sort of stretching into your day, even if you don’t go to the gym or workout, I strongly believe it will improve your quality of life. Being mobile makes your day to day life that much easier. When it comes to climbing and walking, it could help to fight against stiffness, help to avoid ankle/knee injuries and make your movements more efficient so that the climbing / walking is easier. You don’t have to take it to the extent that I have with 20 min a day, 5 min would be enough.

As with everything you get out what you put in.

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Tryfan Williams

I’m a Welshman born and raised in the shadow of Snowdonia, and you could say the Mountains are in my blood with a name like Tryfan! I would class myself as a relative newcomer to the outdoor pursuits arena, and so my articles will be my attempt to chronicle my adventures, hopefully learning as I go and giving those that are in a similar boat an insight / forum to share and learn.

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