Issue link: http://www.wacmagazine.com/i/249166
Getting Fit By Sara Moser, Personal Trainer A delicate balance Active lifestyles require mobility and stability together T here are infinite ways to go about training and exercising. Whatever we do, long-term success and pain-free living require as few injuries as possible. How can we reduce our proclivity for injuries? To answer this question, we must look at the way we move our bodies. Certain joints in our bodies are meant to provide more mobility, while others provide more stability. A good way to look at the body is to go joint by joint, starting from the bottom up. Our ankles should be mobile while our knees should be stable. Our hips should be mobile while our lower back (the lumbar spine) should provide stability. Our upper backs (the thoracic spine) should be mobile, while the connection between the upper back and shoulder blades should be stable. This list goes on. The joints in our bodies have some degree of both mobility and stability, but each tends to favor one over the other. Through a joint-by-joint approach, we can look at pain, injuries, or lack of flexibility in a whole different way. Let's say someone is experiencing lower back pain. It's easy to look at the lower back as the source of the problem. But if the hips lack mobility, the lower back may be compensating by providing more mobility rather than the intended stability. Compensation such as this eventually leads to pain and injury. Though mobility and stability are both important, mobility issues should be addressed first. With mobility, the saying rings true: "If you don't use it, you lose it." All of the sitting most of us do nowadays—desk jobs, driving, watching TV—decreases our mobility. Above all, we need to move every day. Foam rolling paired with stretching is a great way to increase your range of motion. Corrective exercises such as wall slides (which improve shoulder posture) also improve mobility. Lack of stability may be caused by weak muscles, lack of motor control, or previous injury. To perform to the best of our abilities, our bodies need to move properly. If we're unbalanced—too mobile where we should be stable, or vice versa—we risk injury. By achieving and maintaining proper mobility and stability, we can live active lifestyles for the long term. Determine your mobility and stability challenges with a Functional Movement Screen. To schedule, contact ptcoordinator@ wac.net or 206.839.4783. 24 | Washington Athletic Club Magazine | FEBRUARY / MARCH 2014 SAMPLE EXERCISES WAC personal trainers specialize in tailoring exercises based on members' specific mobility and stability needs. Band walk: Place exercise band around ankles. Walk side-to-side, forward, and backward. Strengthens hips, glutes and core. T-spine rotations: On hands and knees, place right hand behind head. Bring right elbow down toward floor, then reverse to bring up toward ceiling while looking for that right elbow. Improves thoracic spine mobility. Hip swings: Stand on left foot facing a wall and touch wall with left hand. Swing right leg and right arm out and in, crossing the right leg in front of the left leg. Switch sides. BRIAN FRANCIS Foam rolling helps increase your range of motion and can contribute to pain-free living.