When we think about the bodies of retired athletes, one thing that comes to mind is PAIN. Pain from a past injury, pain from playing 4-5 years at the highest levels of competition, maybe even pain from going from being an athlete to a 9-5 desk job where sitting is the main activity. Pain is THE most common complaint in the United States today. So, how do we become pain-free?

The game-changer for minimizing pain is mobility. Joint mobility is how well our joints can move uninhibited before being restricted/stopped by surrounding tissue. Let’s start with the hip joint, one of two ball and socket joints in the body, the other being the shoulder. This type of joint allows for a greater range of motion than the other types of joints. 

This is how mobility works: Take your right hand and make a fist. Now grab it with your left hand as hard as you can. When you try to move your right hand while grabbing tightly with the left, there isn’t much room for that right hand to go. It can even be uncomfortable and frustrating. This is what happens in our hips when the tissue surrounding the joint is tight; there is no room for the ball of the ball and socket to move. If this joint isn’t moving correctly, then another joint surrounding the hip will start to pick up the slack, i.e., the low back and knees. 

Now, release some of the grip of your left hand and continue to move your right hand. This is what happens when you train mobility. Specific drills are performed to piece by piece increase the room that you have to move a specific joint/articulation, eventually creating a greater and more controlled range of motion. When you have a greater capacity for range of motion and can train strength within those ranges, you remove strain from the surrounding joints, decreasing discomfort/pain.

Mobility is something that you can use as part of your warmup, activation, working set, and cool down. Youth athletes, college athletes, and retired athletes are all victim to an excessive amount of sitting, with school/classes, studying, driving, Netflix-ing, etc. As an ex-athlete or current athlete, implementing mobility into everyday life will prevent chronic joint pain and even long term deficiencies while maximizing performance.

Two big things are hip and shoulder mobility; here are some drills that you can add to any routine.

Hip Mobility Demonstration 1

• 90/90 Side Reach

  • 30s each side in warm up or cool down

• 90/90 Overhead Reach

  • 30s each side in warmup/cool down or active recovery during workout

• Windshield Wipers

  • 30s in warm up or cool down

• Windshield Wiper Switch

  • 60s during warmup, cool down, or active recovery during workout

• 90/90 Knee Lifts

  • 15 reps each side as warmup or activation

Hip Mobility Demonstration 2

• Childs Pose Hip Rock

  • 30s as a warmup

• Hip Brace Shoulder Floss

  • 30s each side as warmup

• Uneven Hip Rock

  • 30s each side in warmup

• Worlds Greatest

  • 60s as a warmup or active recovery during workout

Other great resources for mobility drills are:

Dr. Andreo Spina of the Kinstretch protocol

Moveoultion, ONNIT Academy Foundation Protocol