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Summary
On episode 130 of 40+ Fitness, Coach Allan digs into mobility: what limits it, why it matters even for people who are already strong and fit, and how to start improving it.
He breaks down the difference between joint restrictions and muscle restrictions, using an old ankle injury of his own as an example, and explains why one is much harder to rehab than the other.
The episode covers static and dynamic stretching, self-myofascial release, and joint flossing, plus a simple protocol for figuring out which muscles to release before a lift.
Links
- https://40plusfitness.com
Key Takeaways
- Mobility is a restriction that keeps you from moving a joint through its full range of motion. It comes from two separate sources: the health of the joint itself and the pliability of the muscles that move it.
- Joint restrictions and muscle restrictions heal differently. Joint issues, especially old injuries with scar tissue, are harder to rehab. Muscle imbalances are more forgiving because muscle gets better blood flow and responds faster to consistent work.
- Static stretching should be held for 60 seconds or longer, especially after 40. Most people stop at 10 to 15 seconds, which isn't long enough to produce real change, and a muscle should always be warmed up first so it isn't stretched cold.
- Dynamic stretching suits athletes prepping to perform, not general mobility work. It avoids the temporary strength loss that static stretching can cause, but it also puts more force on the body, making it riskier for anyone who isn't already warmed up and trained for it.
- Self-myofascial release (SMR), what most people call foam rolling, works by triggering the muscle's natural release response. Holding pressure on a tender spot for 30 to 60 seconds lets that abrasion in the muscle let go, gradually lengthening a tight muscle over time.
- Joint flossing uses a thick resistance band to pull a joint against the area where scar tissue has built up. Allan uses it on his own ankle, a ball-and-socket-style joint, to slowly work at opening up its range of motion.
- The first step is figuring out whether the limit is the joint or the muscle. A desk job, for example, commonly produces a mix of both, hip joint stiffness and tight hip muscles together.
- Don't inhibit the muscles you're about to use for strength work. Allan intentionally skips smashing or stretching his glutes and quads before a squat because those are the muscles doing the actual lifting, and instead focuses release work on the calves and psoas that are restricting the movement.
- Nobody is exempt from mobility work, no matter how strong or healthy they are. Years of injuries, a desk job, or simply not moving through full range of motion regularly will create mobility issues, but unless the limitation comes from an irreparable injury, it can be improved.
“No matter how fit you are, no matter how healthy you are, you need to do mobility work because you're probably not as mobile as you need to be.”
Coach Allan Misner