6 Ways To Improve Mobility
The ability to move your body in all the directions that a body should be able to move, in order to function as it was designed to function, is crucial for overall health. The human body evolved to throw, climb, jog, sprint, leap, walk across varied terrain, and carry heavy objects. But in this modern age when so many of us have jobs that involve little physical exertion and lots of sitting, and when many people’s main outside-work “activity” is sitting on the sofa watching Netflix, our bodies are not getting the mobility-preserving workouts they require. Our bodies are not being used as they crave to be used, and so they stultify, calcify, seize-up, and die.
When your body seizes up and becomes less mobile than it should be, life becomes difficult. An immobile body is a less energetic body; it’s a body rife with aches and pains; it’s a body more susceptible to injury and illness; it’s a less productive body. An immobile body is a body that is merely surviving, but certainly not thriving.
Immobility is a real problem, especially in our modern, obese world. Many people require the use of a disabled parking permit due to their lack of mobility. But the great news is that, whatever your current level of mobility (whether you are an Olympic gymnast or a centenarian who uses a handicap parking space), there are lots of things you can do that will improve your body’s functionality and range of motion.
Here is our list of six ways to improve mobility.
Do Yoga
Yoga is a wonderful way to improve mobility. The poses and stretches happen gradually, and over time they elongate the muscles and tendons and increase the range of motion of every joint in the body. The beauty of yoga is that it can be done at any level. People who are already super-bendy can do grueling, 90-minute sessions of high-level hot yoga, while people who are on the bottom end of the mobility spectrum (perhaps those whose immobility requires them to use handicap parking) can find a beginners’ class that will be slow and manageable, and yet will do a great job of slowly but surely increasing mobility.
Learn Gymnastics
Have you ever heard the one about the immobile gymnast?! No, neither have we… Because they don’t exist! Gymnasts are some of the most mobile, flexible, and healthy people around. But you do not need to be an Olympic-level gymnast to enjoy the mobility benefits that gymnastics provides. People of all health levels, even disabled parking permit users, can get great benefits from taking even a beginners’ gymnastics class. Even the lightest and most laidback of gymnastics classes will work wonders to help you improve mobility.
Perform a Morning Home Stretch Routine
Probably the easiest and most hassle-free way to improve mobility is to devise a short stretching routine that you can perform in the comfort of your own home each morning. A home stretching routine is ideal for people who need to use handicap parking, as it can be done without going through the often arduous task of traveling to the gym. A few basic stretches for each body part are all you need. So pick some some of your favorite stretches, write them on a piece of paper, and stick it to the wall in a place where you can’t miss it – this will remind you to do your routine every day!
Get De-Knotted With a Deep Tissue Sports Massage
Muscular knots and stiffness can often be a root cause of mobility issues. Knots are painful and can make moving in a full range of motion unpleasant and often impossible. When muscles are knotted and stiff, a person is constricted – trapped in a cage of tense, tight flesh. No fun! A great way to get rid of knots and stiffness is to get a deep tissue sports massage. No matter your medical condition, even if you are immobile enough to need to use telemedicine and handicap parking, you will be able to reap the benefits of deep tissue massage. Many massage therapists will call to your home, and many are based at clinics with handicap parking, so getting a deep tissue massage is easy to do, and will work wonders for your mobility!
Practice Pilates
Pilates is similar to yoga but it focuses more on relaxing stiff muscles and improving core strength. As you might imagine, relaxing while stretching and strengthening your muscles will do great things to improve mobility. Like yoga, pilates classes vary greatly in difficulty, so it is easy to find a suitably challenging pilates class whether you are an aspiring Mr. Universe or someone less mobile.
Undergo a Course of Rolfing
Rolfing is a form of full-body massage that aims to restore a natural and full range of mobility (and in the process alleviate chronic injuries and pain) by reorganizing the connective tissues, known as fascia, that permeate the body. Fascia get stuck in wonky positions and pull the body in unnatural and therefore painful directions. This causes imbalances and a lack of mobility. Rolfing releases these stuck fascia and allows the body to find its natural position and integrate itself optimally with gravity.