Mobility...

So for those who know me, I love mobility and stretching. It is part of my daily routine. I'll mobilize or stretch before and after my training. I believe it is a very important part to one's training.

Each person is different and this goes the same with his or her body. Some people may have to spend more time stretching their shoulders, others may have to work on their hips or hamstrings. Not every body is created the same. Nonetheless, some time should be dedicated to taking care of your body.

I see a lot of people say, I live a healthy lifestyle, I workout, I eat clean. Ok, cool, sounds good; how's your mobility, how's your flexibility or range of motion? Oh well, I have tight hips, I can't squat below parallel. Oh, ok. Well, let's work on that.

So this is just one example, but what I want to point out is that a lot of people put a good amount of energy and attention to lifting, working on skills and eating clean, which is great, but what about your flexibility? Do you just finish the met con, say good bye to your coach, friends and head out the door still sweating? I can tell you that I have seen more than a handful of people do this at the gym. It makes me laugh because I see it almost every day. I understand that life is busy and there are numerous things to get done in a day, but if you don't start to make time for it, then things with your body will start to drastically change.

You may not notice it at first, but over time, your range of motion in your hips, back, or whatever is ailing you will decrease. The tightness in certain body parts will increase. Think about the time you sit at your desk, how long have you been sitting there, 4 hours, all day? Have you taken a break to stretch your legs, even if it's for two minutes? How do your hips feel? Do you feel hunched over with your shoulders rounding forward?

I used to work as a Marketing Coordinator and I would sit at my desk, answering emails and phone calls, and stare at the computer. After a couple hours my back and hips would ache and I would switch to kneeling on my knees so I could give my hips a break. So I know what it feels like, it is not comfortable.

To all my friends and family out there, please move from time to time! If you travel a lot, get out of the car or out of your seat and move around. Our bodies are designed to move! For those that are working out, whether it be CrossFit or any other sport, do some mobility and stretching. Pre workout can have some mobility and dynamic stretching; post workout can have more mobility and more static stretching. If your hips are tight, do something to help increase your flexibility. Same thing goes for your shoulders.

A great example would be Alex. I have encouraged him to stretch and use a lacrosse ball to increase his mobility in his shoulders and it has helped. His range of motion has increased, but he has had to put some solid work in to get there. He will do some pre and post workout mobility and with the consistency, he has improved his range of motion. Before we met, he did very little to none stretching. He has put a lot of effort into doing these stretches and I'm very proud of him!!

To all my friends, family, members at the gym and everyone, get up and stretch. Move your body and be thankful for all that you have. Be thankful for your body and make the most of it!

~ MCA