Mobility

Why we need to improve it or work on it.

FIVE things to help improve it and reduce muscular imbalances and the incidence of aches and pains while improving posture and aiding range of movement through your joints.

PIGEON POSE-

This exercise is a great way to encourage range of motion in the hips and help stretch out your lower back.

It can increase flexibility through your hip flexors which can become shortened and tight

SUPINE Piriformis stretch – pain into the piriformis when sitting for prolonged periods or perhaps a excessive knee varus (knees flaring out excessively on a overhead squat) can indicate a tight piriformis, shooting pains down the back of the leg and reduced range of movement in the hip.

See the other article I have posted on this here

IT band

The LLIOTIBIAL band can cause issues by repeatedly rubbing against your femur (thigh bone) its a thickened band of tissue that sits on to the lateral part of the leg and can present in lateral knee pain in runners, cyclists and anyone that perform sports that doesn’t make time for mobility.

Running for a long time – in distance or time can cause the it band to become tighter

You over pronate – foot rolls in as you run.

And if you suddenly increase the amount of running you do or the time you run for eg training for a marathon and upping the training time too quickly.

It will usually present itself as you run or cycle

When there’s inflammation you can help by taking NSAIDS – non steroid anti inflammatory drugs eg aspirin, ibuprofen or naproxen.

Including other forms of training rather than just prolonged and repeated knee flexion movements and strengthening your abductors and glute max.

Foam rolling – please start by foam rolling just the top, this is known as the TFL (tensor fascia latae) as it will present less pain initially but will help to free up your IT band the closer you get towards your knee in many cases the harder it will become to stay on the roller!!

This is a great standing stretch for the IT band

TFL roll.

Standing pec stretch

Ideally find a door way to perform this and ensure you stretch both sides.

Place your hand on the wall or door frame , pull your shoulder blade back and down and gently rotate your body away from your hand which will allow you to feel a gentle stretch across your chest. hold for about 20 secs

Ankle

Grab a tennis ball or a recovery ball and roll underneath your foot, this will help to stretch out the fascia under your foot reducing the risk of plantar faciatitis, this can occur when inflammation happens due perhaps to being quite overweight, prolonged standing – think if your perhaps a hairdresser that kind of thing and intense exercise especially receptive high impact from running (another name for it is runners heel!!) or wearing ill fitting shoes.

If you have the start of PF you may feel pain around your heel and arch of your foot and can be worse first thing.

Please stretch out your calves with a foam roller or ball if you have the gradual on set of symptoms.

Rolling a ball under the foot can help reduce tension and aches and pains and improve the range of movement achievable through the ankle.

Hope this helps

Bethan xxx