The Inspired Life
The Inspired Life
Movement & Mobility: Unlock your body's potential
The unsung hero of fitness and everyday life isn't strength, endurance, or even flexibility—it's mobility. Deepika Rao dives deep into this fundamental aspect of movement that affects everything from your morning stretch to your workout performance.
Mobility goes far beyond simple flexibility. While flexibility measures how much a muscle can stretch, mobility encompasses your joints' ability to move freely through their complete range of motion. This distinction matters because restricted mobility creates compensation patterns throughout your body. As Deepika shares from personal experience, tight hip flexors on one side can mysteriously manifest as knee pain on the opposite side—a perfect example of how everything in your body connects.
Whether you're an athlete looking to enhance performance or simply want to move through life without nagging discomfort, mobility work offers profound benefits. Take a moment today to notice how you're moving. Where do you feel restricted? What movements cause discomfort? Your answers will guide your first steps toward better mobility and a more comfortable, capable body. Subscribe and join us next time as we explore the fascinating world of muscles—how they function, strengthen, and respond to training.
If you like what you hear, subscribe and follow us on Spotify, iTunes and Amazonmusic. A new episode will come out every 1st and 15th of a month. You can also follow us on Instagram on theinspiredlifepodcast. If you want to mail me to discuss some of the things we are talking here or have a story to share on this podcast, email me at theinspiredlifeindia@gmail.com. This is Deepika and I thank you for listening.
Hello everyone, welcome back to the Inspired Life. I'm Deepika Rao, and today we are diving into episode 2, something that affects every single one of us movement and mobility. Have you ever felt stiff after sitting for too long, or maybe you've noticed that certain movements feel restricted even though you're active? That's where mobility comes in, and in this episode, we are going to break it all down what mobility is, why it matters and how you can improve it. So let's look at it. What is mobility and why does it matter?
Speaker 1:Mobility is often confused with flexibility, but they are not the same thing. Flexibility refers to how much a muscle can stretch, while mobility is about how well your joints can move through their full range of motion. Having good mobility means you can move freely and efficiently without stiffness or pain. It allows you to squat properly, reach overhead without discomfort and even do simple things like getting out of bed with ease. Poor mobility, on the other hand, can lead to pain, compensation patterns and even injuries over time. Think of mobility as the foundation for all movement. Whether you're lifting weights, running, doing yoga or just going about your daily activities, your body needs to move well to perform well. Please don't ignore it. Now how your body moves.
Speaker 1:Let's understand joints and range of motion. Our bodies are made up of different types of joints, each designed for a specific type of movement. Understanding these can help you figure out where you might need to improve mobility. I'm going to switch on my note bit and get you into middle school biology lessons now. So we have four types of joints. First one, ball and socket joints. These are found in your shoulders and hips. These allow for a wide range of motion in multiple directions. Then you have the hinge joints. Your knees and elbows work like hinges, moving primarily in multiple directions. Then you have the hinge joints. Your knees and elbows work like hinges, moving primarily in one direction. Then pivot joints these allow for rotational movements, like turning your head or rotating your forearm. And then you have gliding joints Found in your wrists and ankles. These allow for smooth, sliding movements.
Speaker 1:Each joint has an optimal range of motion and when that range is restricted, it can lead to compensations in other areas. For example, if your hips are tight, your lower back may start working harder than it should, leading to pain or discomfort. I actually have a personal experience with this. My right hip flexors are very tight, you know. I'm not going to go too much into detail explaining human anatomy right now, but just to show you how everything is so connected. And despite having an issue on my right hip, that led to bigger issues on my left knee right. So because of tight right hips, right side of my hip flexors, I would compensate in a way that started loading my left knee a lot more and, of course, mobility wasn't great in my hips, which eventually, you know, trails down. The example I just gave you. The posterior chain is just if you have an issue in your back, it goes to your hips and knees and ankles and you know by the time you realize a lot of things are going wrong. So it's really important to work on mobility, no matter which part of your body.
Speaker 1:Now, so how do we keep our joints healthy and moving? Well, here are some simple but effective ways. You know something most fitness coaches, and with me being in the same field, this is something we work with on a regular basis and recommend. So here I'm again recommending you to move in any way, or all these ways possible. First, you have dynamic stretching. Unlike static stretching, dynamic stretching involves controlled moving stretches that prepare your body for activity. Think leg swings, arm circles and spinal rotations. Then you have controlled articular rotations, or, you know, mostly called as CARs. These help to maintain joint health by taking them through their full range of motion. Shoulder CARs and hip CARs are particularly useful. Then you have foam rolling or self-myofacial release. Using a foam roller helps release tight muscles and improve tissue quality, which can enhance mobility. Then, of course, strength training through full range of motion Exercises like deep squats, lunges and overhead presses, when performed correctly, correctly, help maintain and improve mobility.
Speaker 1:You have yoga and mobility flows. These integrate flexibility, balance and strength to promote fluid movement. Of course, daily movement breaks. Simply avoiding prolonged sitting and moving through the day can make a huge, huge difference. Mobility isn't just for athletes or fitness enthusiasts. It's for everyone. Good mobility helps prevent injuries, improves performance and makes daily activities easier and pain-free. So take a moment today to check in with your body. How are you moving? Where do you feel tightness or restriction? Start incorporating mobility work into your routine and you'll feel the difference. If you found this episode helpful, don't forget to subscribe, share it with a friend and leave a review. Next time we'll explore the fascinating world of muscles, how they work, what makes them strong and how you can train them effectively. Until then, keep moving and stay curious. This is Deepika Rao signing off. See you in the next episode.