The Strength Triangle - Mobility

Mobility should be something you work on before lifting any weights.

It is something that we almost all are born with and are masters of when at our youngest. It is something we lose not due to age but bad habits, repeated day after day, week after week, year after year.

Mobility is quite simple. It is the ability to move every joint through its full normal range of motion, freely and without pain.

If you cannot do this then you should not attempt to lift heavy weights. It is not the weights causing the damage it is the compromised movement pattern. This will put stress on areas not adapted for the purpose. They will do their best but in time they will fail.

Heavy weights in fact are not the issue at all. If your hips, knees or ankles do not function correctly then eventually just walking will start to resut in pain. Your legs may be fine but your back will hurt, again because its muscles, bones and other systems are not being allowed to work as nature intended.

So, first thing, test yourself.

This is really easy. All you have to do is a set of simple movements while videoing yourself. Full guides for how to do this are in [The Supple Leopard] but right now just do the following

• Squat (your hips should end below your knees with no big curve in the spine, feet should be only slightly canted out, not splayed like a pregnant duck)
• Try to touch your toes bending at the hips keeping legs and back straight (stop when you cant do both)
• Lift both arms straight above your head at the same time (they should be straight right to the top, no bend at the elbows)
• Scratch your back (you should be able to leave no part untouched)
• Do a press up (your arms should remain perpendicular to the floor throughout)
• Balance a broom on the front of your shoulder and put both hands under it palms up (like a weightlifter about to push the bar above their head, your elbows should be nice and high, not pointing at the floor

Even if you never plan to lift a weight in your life do this. If you are less than good on any of the above trying to improve them will make the chores you have to do every day easier.  If you are good now, great, but keep testing every now and then. One of the biggest ills put down to aging is losing mobility which is mainly nothing to do with the passing of the years but rather allowing bad habits become the norm.

In passing I consider it very sad that at school I was taught the intricacies of the rugby offside law during PE which is utterly useless but never taught about the above which is of vital importance not only to be able to compete in any sport but also just live a good life. 

It is never too late to work on your mobility. I will forever be in the debt of Callum the bike fitter who introduced me to the work of Dr Kelly Starrett. At first this was just to be able to get a bit more aero on a TT bike, But as I followed his program of 10 minutes mobility per day every day I felt the years drop off me and I regained ranges of movement I thought lost forever. I am more like a leopard at 61 than I was at 31.

So the cure for mobility is simple, buy "The Supple Leopard" and/or follow Kelly Starrett. Unless you can still move like you did when your were a 10 year old you won't regret it.