What is Mobility?

What is Mobility? 

mo·bil·i·ty

mōˈbilədē/

noun

1. the ability to move or be moved freely and easily.

Such a simple and straight forward definition but to the everyday crossfitter, it seems so evasive. I also associate the word mobility with pain. Not the kind of pain when you drop something on your foot or slam your finger in the door, but the kind of pain that comes from driving a lacrosse ball into a sore calf or rollling out your quads after a brutal leg wod. 

The first few years of CrossFit, I neglected this piece of the puzzle. Sure, I came in before a workout and rolled out my body and tried to loosen up the tight muscles I needed for the upcoming workout. But this is where my mobility ended. Rarely would i stretch out after a wod and I never mobilized on my own in the evenings or any other time of the day. It just wasn't a part of my fitness plan. 

So what did this cost me? Personally, I think it costed me time. Valuable time that I could've been using to get stronger, faster and more efficient. Instead, I spent my time forcing range of motion and neglecting small pains that I had here and there. I always just used the excuse of being sore or working out so hard as to why I couldn't easily move a bar from the front rack to a locked out and stable overhead position. Or that I was too bulky to be able to overhead squat with anything heavier than a PVC pipe. I was neglecting mobility because I wasn't good at it. I told myself I would "do it later" or that I didn't have time. Looking back, it has definitely been one of the biggest mistakes I have made in the last 5 years of doing CrossFit. 

So now what is the routine?

Before I workout I spend about 20 mins mobilizing. This includes foam rolling, trigger pointing, and some static stretching. Post workout, I try to do another 10-15 mins and then again later in the evening I do another 10-15 mins. So all in all, I push for 45-60 mins a day of mobilizing. This has been the routine for about the last 6 months and everything has improved for me. Strength, range of motion, post workout soreness, and rest. I can't stress enough how important this is to any exercise program but specifically those that tend to push the limits more than others. 

This is not to say that I don't still get sore. I definitely do. I notice that i don't get as sore or stay sore for as long as before. 

Here is a pic of me during a set of overhead squats. This used to be a movement i hated because I was terrible at it and the position felt miserable. Now, it's a ton more comfortable and I don't mind them anymore. 

So what is to take away from this? Stretch out, roll out, trigger point, do something but just don't come workout and then not address your body until the next workout. This is a recipe for decreased mobility, pain and injury. Please!!!!!

Mobility Wod is a great website for any and all things mobility related so check it out and most definitely ask your coach for some tips on sore muscles and joints!