Move It or Lose It: Pilates & Mobility
We are a population of chair-shaped humans. Blame it on technology, work practices, over-reliance on cars, whatever it is - the good news is that it's never too late to do something about it.
The key to undoing our chair shape is paying attention to the amount of movement we are capable of, and integrating a mobility routine into our lives. Mobility refers to the ability to move or be moved freely and easily with economy and efficiency.
One of the unfortunate realities of today is that most of us move less than previous generations. Joy Puleo, education program manager for Balanced Body in Sacramento, California, says, "Staying mobile is where Pilates rocks. Whether you are on the Mat, Reformer, or various Apparatuses, you are moving not just your bones, but all the tissues in your body. This movement stimulates the nervous system, calls on the circulatory system to bring nutrition and hydration to the tissues, and regulates our oxygen and carbon dioxide levels through our breathing".
Puleo adds, "If you are an athlete or performer, mobility is a requisite to healthy mechanics and development of strength in your desired activity. If you are simply a human who is working all day, working out when you can, and binging on 'Bridgerton' at night, maintaining your mobility is what will help you stay healthy longer, active through your lifetime, and physically engaged with the world around you."
It’s Not Just Mobility, We Need Stability
It's not enough to simply be mobile. We need both mobility and stability. Again, this is where Pilates really makes a difference.
Maintaining stability and balance as we age is key to preventing falls and injuries. It’s also a necessary component of living independently. After all, we need balance for common everyday actions such as walking, getting up and down from a chair or bed, and picking up and carrying objects or children.
Pilates improves your stability because of its focus on alignment, whole body exercises, and it’s specific emphasis on core strengthening.
And while the promise of a mobile and balanced future is attractive, will this work help you today? Next week? This year?
The short answer is, absolutely. If you want to run faster, jump higher, squat lower, lift weights more efficiently, and achieve your ultimate fitness goals, mobility training is a must. Incorporating mobility and flexibility is vital when wanting to gain peak fitness and functioning. Adding mobility work into your routine helps prevent overcompensating when using muscles and joints, which is how you get injured.
Mobility vs Flexibility – What’s the Difference?
Flexibility is the amount of passive stretch in a muscle. Mobility is the range of motion at a joint. Good mobility requires flexibility but also strength. Both play an essential part in health and fitness and should be considered when building a routine.
However, working on flexibility alone is rarely beneficial. For example, while doing the splits may look impressive, there are few physical benefits to having such an extreme degree of flexibility unless you’re a gymnast or a dancer.
Mobility, on the other hand, is beneficial to everyone. Gaining the strength to have control over your flexibility means you are less likely to get injured and it can help protect your joints. It also means you’ll get more out of your normal strength-training routines.
A Pilates practice keeps a body moving with precise and slow, controlled movements, combining both stretching and strengthening, which improves overall strength, flexibility, and mobility.
Keep On Moving
Working on your Mobility can help you avoid injuries, protect your joints from wear and tear and improve your workouts.
Pilates balances the body by strengthening muscles, mobilizing what’s rigid, and lengthening tight areas. This, in turn, enables you to react quickly and prevent injury.
Research performed on athletes in multiple sports demonstrates improved speed, gains in muscle mass and trunk strength, a more stable core, improved vertical jump, and better flexibility when kicking.
The moral of this story? Move your body! However you can incorporate more movement into your days is a win. While we at Fuse believe Pilates is the best path forward, the best exercise is the one you’ll actually do. So give something new a try this month, or come visit us and see how we can help!