We are a strength focused gym, it is true. That being said, we incorporate some mobility and balance focused movements in our programs. Let’s talk about what this means and why it matters!
Mobility is the ability to actively move through a range of motion with control. This is different from flexibility, which is the range of motion that you can passively move through. To illustrate, if you lay on your back, and without using anything to assist, lift your leg as high as you can, that is the end range of your mobility. Now if you use a strap and your hands, you can probably pull your leg higher than that. That is your flexibility. For lifting, it’s obviously important to have good enough mobility to be able to control your lifts at the end of your range of motion, and to have a big enough range of motion that you can adequately work the muscle groups you’re trying to target.
In most of our programs, we build in mobility during warm-ups and reset movements.
- Warmups happen before your workout and are a great time to work on mobility that addresses your specific challenges. These are great for preparing your body for the work that is to come in the rest of your workout.
- Resets are part of our LIFT programming, and we use them in between your main lift and your accessory lifts as an opportunity to focus on some mobility drills and mentally reset from your main lift into the accessory circuit. Our mobility drills progress through the program and address the most common needs that we see people struggle with.
Balance is the ability of your body to keep your center of gravity stable over a base of support. This allows you to stand, move, and avoid falling. Balance requires the work of a few different body systems, so difficulty with balance can be complex. Your eyes, inner ear, brain, muscles and joints all work together to keep you upright and stable, and issues with any part of that interworking system can lead to difficulty with your balance overall. That being said, we can work on your balance in the gym!
We use single leg movements, progressed in a logical way, to improve your balance. Building core strength and overall strength will help with balance as well. The key is to find a variation of the movement that is challenging but manageable. If you’re just going through lunges wobbling all over the place, you’re not really making good progress. Instead, we find ways to make it so that the lunge is still challenging, but you can move through it with a reasonable degree of stability.
Building good balance and mobility are critical for living well as we age.
- Good balance and mobility will help prevent falls and reduce injuries.
- Improved balance and mobility will help you more easily perform your daily tasks, stay independent and continue to do the things you care about outside of the gym.
- Your overall health and performance will be improved by developing good balance and mobility.
Getting strong is amazing, and beneficial for aginig well, feeling your best, and having healthy joints and tissues. But a strength program that doesn’t address mobiflity or balance is missing key components that will benefit both your lifts in the gym, and your overall wellbeing outside the gym.
If you’re ready to work on building strength that works in and outside of the gym, our coaching team has you covered! Whether in our small group strength program, personal training, or through remote programming, we can help! Our coaches bring the expertise needed to support you in getting strong and feeling your best! Book a free no sweat intro to learn more!
