The Power of Mobility

Amy Irving, MS, CPT, Pn1

It’s glamorous and so exciting to do in the gym! Say it with me – mobility!!! ... *insert crickets. Mobility training isn’t exactly the most riveting thing to do in the gym, especially with the limited time we might have to fit in a workout. We’re always rushed and trying to capitalize on every spare minute that we have before running to the next thing – get out the door, get to the next meeting, grab a quick snack, get to the next meeting, and get out the door to my after-work continuation of chaos. If I only had 30 minutes to get some kind of workout, I'm probably not going to pick purposeful, slow, and controlled mobility.

A key difference between mobility and flexibility is that mobility is active while flexibility is passive. Mobility works with your flexibility and further incorporates facets of strength, coordination, and control. Think of sitting still, reaching for your toes, and holding there as flexibility. Think of reaching for your toes and rocking slowly back and forth while holding strong in a tall posture position as mobility.

However, when I think of mobility, I don’t immediately think of the physical benefits. The first thing I think of is how it improves my overall wellbeing. I think of how good it feels to reconnect my mind, body, and soul through purposeful movement. I think of how I can feel my body release packed away stress that it was holding onto dear life for through focused deep breaths. I think of how I always walk away feeling calmer and more connected to myself than I did when I started. And I think of how when I connect my movement to breathe, I am able to ground myself in the present in a way that nothing else can really achieve.

In an ever-changing and unpredictable world, wellbeing is not something we can take for granted, nor is it something that we can ignore. And if 30 minutes of mobility gets me closer to a positive state of wellbeing, then I will prioritize that every time!