The Importance of Mobility Fitness
Written by Melissa Schenkman, MPH, MSJ
How well do you move?
It’s a question that most of us would need a moment to think about and answer, as so often we take our ability to move for granted. That is…until we stop moving so well.
Our ability to move has been on my mind a lot since the start of this year. As an avid runner for what will be 27 years come this August, I enjoy nothing more than going out to run three miles with ease of movement and flexibility in my joints. But as I have been frequently reminded after a months-long battle with plantar fasciitis (inflammation of the band of tissue running along the bottom of your foot connecting your heel to your toes) and a bone bruise of my heel, even being in good shape and still young, if you do not take the time to counter act the wear and tear of overuse and aging with exercises that effectively target your range of motion and strength, even the fittest person can be on a path to injury. And none of us would like to be sitting on the sidelines.
Through research and our wonderful partners at SPARK Physiotherapy in Alexandria, Virginia—Physical Therapists, Drs. Kristen Lattimore, Carlos Berio, and Matt Szymanski, and Personal Trainer, Adam Gleason, we shed light on how to keep your mobility top of mind.
While we may not be able to look 25 forever, there are many ways we can keep our joints inside feeling and staying as youthful as possible as we age, in a way, outsmarting the process.
What are mobility-based workouts?
As we age, our ability to move can be affected in multiple ways—decreasing bone mass and strength, less flexible and stiffer joints, a slowing of our brain’s ability to process and send messages via our nerves to tell our muscles to contract, and sometimes to be able to do two things at once. A combination of these factors can lead to a decline in how fast we can walk and a decrease in our coordination, increasing our potential for falls.
Yet, this can start earlier than we might think. One study found that a decline in mobility as people age becomes evident early in adulthood, but it can only be seen when a person is given challenging tasks and their performance of those tasks is evaluated, much like in physical therapy.
Even more astounding and something to think about when you are not feeling motivated to work out: your muscle strength can decrease by as much as 50% from the time you are 25 years old until you are 80 years old, according to Brian Tracy, PhD, of Columbine Health Systems Center for Healthy Aging at Colorado State University. And for adults who do not do strength training on a regular basis, on average, you can lose 4 to 6 pounds of muscle per decade.
That’s why it is so important that we do mobility-based workouts—exercises designed to increase your range of motion, flexibility, strength, and balance—so that we can age into each decade healthfully.
The Impact of Sedentary Lifestyles
Sedentary lifestyles are one of the biggest challenges facing people of all ages today, but especially Generation Y and Z. We live in a world where with the click of a button on our smartphones or computers we can have everything delivered to us and so many of us work in fields that require us to sit at a desk most of the day. All of this means less of a need and opportunity to walk and move around.
This way of living with its significant decrease in physical activity has become a huge public health issue as many studies have found that a sedentary lifestyle can contribute to developing heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and even early death.
For millennials in particular, this is even more concerning given our increased risk of chronic disease and the number of those who already have one. When many of the oldest millennials were turning 40 in 2021, a Harris Poll from May of that year found that 44% of millennials ages 33-40 had at least once chronic health condition.
As for our mobility, how much we choose to sit now in our 20s, 30s, and 40s, will affect what we are physically able to do as we get older. Long term, a sedentary lifestyle can weaken your muscles and joints, putting you at a higher risk for joint stiffness and fractures. It also puts you at a higher risk of developing osteoporosis (a disease that causes bones to become weak and brittle).
YMyHealth Staff Writer, Alex Edelson, performs exercises to strengthen his quadratus lumborum (QL) muscle under the guidance of SPARK Physiotherapy’s Dr. Matt Szymanski.
The QL is a muscle in the lower back that stabilizes the spine and pelvis. Strengthening this muscle is important in the recovery of back injuries and spasms of the back muscles like Alex, who is a frequent golfer, experienced from overuse.
Benefits of Mobility Fitness
For Millennials
Making exercises that focus on improving your mobility a part of your workout routine can have huge health benefits including:
Improved posture and alignment
Increased range of motion
Enhanced joint health and flexibility
Improvement in muscle strength
Prevention of muscle imbalances and injuries
Your ability to have mobility as much as possible is an important factor in promoting your overall fitness. Plus, another added benefit of mobility exercises are their role in reducing stress and improving mental health.
The more mobile you are and therefore, the more able you are to exercise without pain, the more likely you will feel motivated to workout. Regular exercise has the ability to help decrease anxiety and depression because it takes you mind off your worries as you focus on the workout and exercise releases endorphins (those natural feel-good hormones).
Long-Term Benefits and Preventive Measures
While we do not always like to think long term as we often still feel “young and invincible,” when it comes to our mobility we must. The truth is that doing so can be a game changer for us, especially because wear and tear injuries really begin to appear starting in our mid-30s and will only increase as we head into our 50s, if we are not proactive about taking preventive measures for our physical health.
Long term benefits of mobility exercises include:
Delaying age-related decline in mobility
Reducing the risk of chronic diseases in later stages of life (such as osteoporosis)
Building a foundation for a healthy and active lifestyle
Empowering us through self-awareness of our body’s strengths and limitations, and how taking the time for self-care can improve our mobility keeping us more active an injury free for years to come
Getting Started with Mobility-Based Workouts
Now that you know how important mobility exercises are, how do you start? Don’t worry, we have a few recommendations from our experts at SPARK Physiotherapy.
Specific Types of Mobility-Based Workouts
There are many different mobility exercises to choose from, and you might already be enjoying some of them, but not even realize it yet. Check out these mobility-based workouts and consider adding them to your regular exercise routine.
Yoga and Pilates – both types of exercise improve flexibility and strength.
Tai Chi and Qigon -both focus on moving smoothly and controlled breathing.
Water-based exercises – low-impact exercises and the water provides natural resistance.
Functional movements and bodyweight exercises – Exercises using your own bodyweight that help you perform daily activities more easily (like picking up groceries).
Stretching exercises – Can help increase your range of motion and flexibility. There are both dynamic stretches and static stretches.
Incorporating Mobility into Everyday Life
How can you bring more mobility into your busy, on-the-go lifestyle? Here are a few easy and affordable ways to make that happen.
Make your commute active. Walk or cycle to work instead of driving or taking the train.
Setup your workspace to be an ergonomic one, including having a desk chair that supports your neck and back, making you aware of your posture.
Take frequent “movement breaks” during sedentary activities.
Participate in recreational activities that promote mobility.
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