Why Mobility Is Essential for Your Health
Remi & Nate here today —
That’s right, today we’re bringing you a special blog post that we’re writing together! Nate’s going to start off by sharing some important background information with you, and then I’m going to jump back on and share some simple exercises you can do to stay healthy and fit! This post is going to be FULL of helpful information, so let’s get right into it!
Today, we’re focusing on why movement and exercise are important. Of course, we all know that you have to exercise to lose weight effectively, but that’s not the only benefit movement has for your body. Our bodies were designed to be mobile, and we need to get moving to stay healthy!
But sometimes, that’s tough when we’re at work all day. I know that I find myself sitting still at my desk for hours at a time, and it can get tough on my body. I have to find easy ways to get my body moving throughout the day so that I don’t get too stiff — but more on that in a minute!
Before we dive into some specific exercises, Nate’s going to share a little bit about the science behind movement and why it’s essential for good health (he’s the science one lol). I’ll get back on in a minute, but for now, here’s Nate:
Why Movement Is Essential
I want to share a few more details about why mobility is so important. I promise, this does not have to be difficult or painful, and you can give yourself so many health benefits just by moving a little bit throughout the day.
TRAINING CONCEPT — Mobility — simply moving your body — is a training discipline all by itself. It should be a mindful practice to be implemented hand in hand with a well-rounded training program. It should be taken as seriously as any other training day. That means it’s not quite enough to just sit down in a pigeon stretch and scroll through Instagram. If you truly want to make a change, you have to get your body moving and think of it as part of your entire movement philosophy.
PASSIVE vs. ACTIVE — For pretty much all types of movement, you have a passive range and an active range. Passive range is simply how far you can move a part of your body naturally, or without really trying. This is all about your body’s baseline ability to move. For example, if you sit or lay down on the ground and raise your relaxed leg up off the ground as far as your body will allow it, that’s a demonstration of your passive range.
Active range, on the other hand, is how far you can move your body when you’re pushing to your max. To use the same example, this is when — under your own strength — you raise your leg up off the ground as high as you can possibly take it. This probably falls outside of the normal range of movement you may do during everyday tasks, and these two ranges are almost always different.
We believe that gaining a solid foundation of active control is equally, if not more, important than passive range. When our bodies are under fatigue and we become “disengaged” in a particular area, our passive range decreases. That ultimately makes it harder for us to do basic, everyday tasks like carrying heavy groceries or walking up and down stairs. And that’s exactly when injuries can happen.
When we haven’t developed a strong enough active range in a certain area, our bodies will either resort to using incorrect muscles to achieve the task at hand or possibly injure or strain the muscle that became disengaged. That’s why Remi and I hone in on both of these methods rigorously in the workouts we create for Hōmebodies. Active ranges will usually only be seen sprinkled into training days as somewhat of a preparation for certain movements because they require an adequate mind-muscle connection and keep you mentally engaged.
MOVEMENT EXPLORATION — Here’s the good news: There is no one right way to move. There are only more effective ways to move in order to prevent injury and/or improve movement efficiency.
The general cues you will always hear us say when we are moving weight will be things like: “knees tracking over your toes,” “pin your shoulder blades back,” “paint your shins,” “neutral spine,” and, “pin your low back down.” While these things are very important when completing large scale reps under fatigue with the intention to build muscles, they don't apply to real-life movement.
Yes, there are best practices for moving heavy loads efficiently, but the important thing is that you start to get used to being “out of position” when you move. Explore different positions and patterns during your mobility in an effort to strengthen and become more resilient to whatever movement might be thrown at you in the real world. Just by doing some exploration and moving your body in new ways, you can develop that passive range and prevent a wide range of injuries.
A Little Prevention or a Lot of Cure?
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
I think Ben Franklin said this. But no matter who said it, it’s brilliant in the context of keeping your body mobile and healthy BEFORE an injury sets in.
The more we keep our bodies moving, the more we can prevent injuries and long-term health problems — it’s that simple. But in the context of our own individual health, which is almost entirely within our control, instead of just exercising even a little bit throughout the day, we wait until we’re injured, and then spend a painful number of months or even years, trying to reclaim our body. That’s a ridiculously hard way to live if you ask me.
None of this is complicated. When all of these simple practices snowball together, you have an unshakable body that will perform whatever tasks life could throw at you. You will feel more energized, and that will lead to more productivity. Your body’s immune system will become rock solid, helping to keep you healthy.
Feeling like crap from getting sick is frustrating alone, but here’s the thing: You won’t be nearly as productive with your work, and you won’t be able to train or do anything at max effort if you’re spending extra time recovering because you didn’t keep your body moving in the first place. You’ll have to spend those couple of days trying to “get better” by slamming EmergenC packets, when in reality, if you just simply ate a few more servings of veggies, you would really be stacking the odds in your favor to fight off whatever sickness wants to come at you.
It doesn’t take much at all to increase your resilience to injury and enjoy movement pain-free. Here are a few strategies you can use to get moving:
Perform some form of self-care for your joints and muscle tissue at least two times per week, if not daily. This doesn't need to be some daunting and painful task — it should actually leave you feeling great afterward. Just think about all of the time that we require our bodies to be in poor positioning, and try to offset that just a little bit by reversing some of the poor mechanics that could come from slouching over at a computer screen. (As I check myself typing this post, I’m slouched over.)
Do a minimum of 30 minutes of cardio two times per week to build aerobic fitness.
Lift weights that you can control across balanced movement patterns.
Prioritize your sleep.
Eat a balanced, nutrient-dense diet, built around whole-foods.
Simple Tips to Keep You Moving!!!
Remi again!
I sit on my desk ALL DAY LONG. By the end of the day, my body feels super stiff from being immobile for so long and my hips get extra tight. That’s why movement is so essential!
If you can relate, It’s time to get moving! One really single way to give your body a little bit of exercise throughout the day is to find some exercises you can do right at your desk. I 100% recommend keeping a LAX ball right where you work and trying these five drills to keep your posture in check and loosen a tight back and hips. (If you want to see a quick video of me demonstrating these exercises, check out this post on Instagram!)
T-spine opener + wringing out the washcloth: This one is super simple. Start by sitting up straight and putting your hands behind your head. Then, gently rotate in your shoulders to bring your elbows in front of you, and then rotate back. Do that a couple of times. Then, stretch your arms out beside you with one palm facing forward and the other facing back. Gently twist your arms, rotating the direction your palms are facing — just like wringing out a washcloth! This helps your posture immediately if you’re slouching and also works out the tightness in your back.
Seated Windmills: For this exercise, sit with your knees slightly apart. Lean forward, gently twist to one side, and extend your arms — one straight down between your knees, and the other straight up into the air. This helps decompress your low back from sitting for so long! Ahhh feels like a massage.
Seated pigeon (add LAX ball for more intensity): Place one foot on your thigh with your knee pointing out to the side — it’s that simple! If you want to add a little more intensity to this stretch, place a LAX ball under the hip of your bent leg. This will help lengthen and release tension in your the hips and glutes
LAX ball foot smash: Simply flex your foot and roll your lax ball around to put pressure on your arch. (You can kick your shoes off and work at the same time!) This is a simple exercise that helps with tight calves, ankles, and Achilles tendons.
LAX ball forearm smash: Pretty much exactly the same as the foot smash, except you’re rolling the LAX ball under your forearm against the desk. This helps prevent carpal tunnel from typing all day. Hurts so good.
Now Get Moving!
We hope this post inspired you to get moving! It really doesn’t have to be complicated or painful — mobility is all about improving your regular range of motion, loosening up any tension you have from sitting still at work, and preventing injury. And there are plenty of very simple exercises you can do right at your desk to correct your posture and relax your muscles.
How do you keep yourself moving at work? Have you tried any of the exercises we mentioned? Let us know! Please feel free to leave a comment under this post or tag me on Instagram, @rrayyme, to share your best tips and strategies you use to get moving throughout your day!
And if you want to partner with us in a BIG way, consider joining Hōmebodies, our subscription-based workout program! Through this program, we’re bringing intentionally crafted workouts that you can do right at home to get moving and improve your physical fitness. We’d love to have you join us!
Thanks for reading through this whole post! We hope you enjoyed hearing from both of us today! Until next time — LOVE YOU LOTS!!! <3
