Mobility exercises and stretching are essential to guarantee a full warm-up and recovery before an intense body workout. But what exactly is mobility? To put it simply, mobility is the ability to perform functional movement patterns with no restrictions in the range of motion of those movements. We shouldn’t forget that our human body is made to move around. Therefore, we must look after our joints and muscles.
During our daily physical activity, it is important to start in a warm-up phase that prepares our body for what’s to come. This is the moment when we raise the temperature of our body and mobilize our joints. We do this to face up to the physiological demand our exercising session demands. For this to work, the exercises must be picked accordingly with the right duration and intensity. The parts of our body we should focus the most on are, predictably, those more prone to getting injured: our ankles, foot, knees, hips, trunk, shoulders and neck.
Never underestimate the importance of mobility:
- Mobility exercises are quick, efficient and easy
- It keeps our joints healthy and working properly
- It decreases our risk of injury
When is the best time to stretch?
If the type of workout done was continuous, such as running, bicycling or swimming, the stretching is more effective when done at the end, contributing to muscle recovery.
On the other hand, if the types of exercises are divided or fractionated, it is advisable to include it during rest times. The point of this is to avoid muscle contractions and cramps.
In other words, the more intense the workout, the more important mobility and stretching is. Mobility is indispensable not only to get a more effective workout but to avoid contractions and injuries.
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