At Hybrid Athlete we talk about mobility benefits all the time, mostly from the perspective of injury prevention. We’ve also covered the differences between mobility and flexibility, as well as all sorts of knees-over-toes topics.
Now, let’s talk about the benefits of mobility training and how it affects everyday life, including athletic activities.
Table of Contents
What Is Mobility Training?
First of all, let’s get one thing straight – mobility training is not stretching. Stretching (and flexibility work in general) is pushing our muscles and ligaments over their ROM and holding them in that position to, well, stretch them.
Now, mobility training, while it can look similar, is all about joints and the tissues around them.
When doing mobility training we push our joints to their ROM and back to make them strong in the stretched position. The main joints to do mobility work on are the ankles, hips, thoracic spine, shoulders, and wrists.
So, by strengthening these joints in their stretched position (through targeted repetitive movement), we increase their mobility. These targeted exercises are called mobility training. It’s also important to note that mobility training isn’t targeting only the joints, but muscles, tendons, and ligaments surrounding them as well.
How Mobility Affects Athletic Performance
Besides strength gains, mobility training affects performance in several ways. Firstly, by increasing your mobility, you get to use your muscles in sync, which gives you more power and control, no matter the discipline you’re in.
For example, if you invest time into developing better ankle dorsiflexion, you directly improve your squatting form, jumping, sprinting, and stopping power, and you get to utilize your knees and hips in a more efficient way.
But mobility training benefits don’t revolve around joints only.
The Benefits of Mobility Training
The benefits of mobility training come in many forms. Some athletes do it for the sake of performance and better results in their sport. Some do it for injury-prevention reasons, while some want to fix a specific movement pattern (e.g. fixing your squat by doing ankle mobility work). All in all, you will improve your strength and overall performance by implementing mobility training into your weekly routine.
Here’s a list of benefits of mobility training:
- Injury prevention – especially for athletes that move a lot (runners, OCR athletes, martial artists, etc.)
- Better shock absorption throughout the movements – mobility training promotes the production of synovial fluid which acts as a “lubricant” for the joints
- Enhanced explosive movements – with mobility training, you get to utilize your body in a more coordinated and powerful manner by being strong in the stretched position
- Improvement of posture and running gait – mobile joints stack better, leading to better standing and running
- Increased flexibility – mobility training can and will significantly enhance your ability to stretch
- Pain management – mobility work helps with DOMS, tendinitis recovery, and chronic pain from past injuries
Knees Over Toes as a Mobility Method
Knees Over Toes is a training methodology that focuses on mobility, mostly in the lower body. We aim to cover all of these topics, so you can create your own KOT mobility program. Here are the essentials to help you get started:
Don’t Skip On Mobility Exercises If You Want To Lift Into Your Old Age
When we combine all of the benefits of mobility training, the results are obvious – you get to train harder, with better form, lower risk of injury, and all that with an enhanced range of motion.
Truly, no matter where you’re at in your athletic journey, you really should not sleep on the benefits of mobility training benefits. You get to lift heavy and run far, all while keeping your joint injury-free.
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