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yoga inspired mobility

WHAT IS MOBILITY?

The term ‘mobility’ is often used interchangeably with ‘flexibility’, and although they are related, there is a clear distinction between the two.

People often talk about the desire to be more flexible, but having more mobility is really the true desire. Flexibility is a component of mobility and is equivalent to your passive range of motion (ROM). Mobility, on the other hand, is equivalent to your active ROM, and you can’t have mobility without having flexibility.

Mobility = flexibility + strength + control

Passive ROM can also be seen as the portion of range of motion that you DON’T OWN. You have no strength or ability to control in those areas, which means you don’t have access to those ranges unless assisted by some external force. It also means that you are vulnerable for injury since you have no strength to protect yourself there in the event that something goes wrong.

Active ROM (mobility) is the portion of range of motion that you DO OWN. You have the strength and control to actively (with no external forces) bring yourself in and out of that range. Contrary to passive ROM, you are more protected from injury as you have access to strength here as a line of defense.

WHAT IS YOGA INSPIRED MOBILITY (YIM)?

As a certified Yoga Teacher and Functional Range Conditioning Mobility Specialist, I created an innovative yoga inspired movement practice that thoughtfully and seamlessly integrates Functional Range Conditioning (FRC) principles with yoga. This hybrid style of yoga, which I refer to as Yoga Inspired Mobility (YIM), provides the mental and physical resilience that can take an athletes game to the next level. 

YIM is a form of mobility training that strives to promote joint health and function while improving your movement capacity and your ability to control those movements throughout your entire range.

Simply put, the goal of my YIM practices is to get you moving better and feeling better so that you can do all the things you want to do. When you take the time to optimize the state of your body and mind, you will experience immediate improvements in anything that you do.

BENEFITS TO ATHLETES

Improved mobility benefits everyone, however, athletes in particular are a population that can benefit greatly from it. 

Many sports involve an immense amount of repetitive movements, which results in a lot of wear and tear on an athletes body. Although repetition is essential for mastering skills as an athlete, it comes with impacts to articular health and longevity. Constantly stressing some tissues and not others, and training along the same lines that are beneficial to your sport takes a toll on your joints health and its ability to express movement. 

My YIM classes address the imbalances and restrictions in your body by honing in on your joint quality and function. Joint optimization improves the way your body moves, feels and performs by providing more degrees of freedom for movement and improved incoming information to your central nervous system.

The specific benefits of adopting a consistent mobility practice are vast, but here are a few that many athletes find the most compelling:

IMPROVED PERFORMANCE

Enhanced mobility improves the overall physical and mental state of your body, allowing you to get even more from your training.

A body with more movement capacity allows you to maneuver your body in ways that are most effective for generating strength and power. This, in conjunction with improved full body strength and proper body mechanics that you will gain with a mobility practice, also allows your body to move, recruit muscles, and transmit force in the most efficient way.

You can also experience improvements to your endurance. Breathing and maneuvering your body around into several different positions that demand balance and strength improves your body’s respiratory capacity, improves your circulation, and teaches you how to conserve energy by becoming more efficient with your movements.

INJURY PREVENTION

The increased tissue resilience that you gain from a consistent mobility practice help maintain a healthy body, including healthy joints, which are common injury sites from repetitive sports movements.

Sport-specific repetitive movements also have the consequence of continuing to strengthen and stress certain lines of tissue while others remain underdeveloped. This creates imbalances, vulnerabilities and affects joint quality, which in time can be a precursor for aches and pains, poor range of motion, and even injury.

A mobility practice that is focused on restoring joint health, resilience, and maintenance can safeguard you by providing an effective method of injury mitigation.

MENTAL STRENGTH

Yoga is an excellent way to improve your mental focus and resilience, which is an invaluable skill, and is often what differentiates good athletes from the greatest.

Athletes are constantly training to push their limits to the max, and it’s often the athlete with the greatest mental strength that perseveres. Learning to stay focused and composed as you step outside your comfort zone is a valuable skill as an athlete, especially when the pressure and stakes are high.

Mentally challenging poses, uncomfortable sensations, and resisting the urges of your mind are all aspects that can be incorporated into my YIM practices that help build mental toughness and set you up to excel when faced with a challenge.

ENHANCED RECOVERY

As an athlete, it can be easy to focus all your efforts on ‘doing’ and ‘pushing’ to reach that new level of peak performance. This can make taking the time to rest and be still almost unbearable.

Yoga, specifically, is an excellent tool for both passive and active recovery. It can relieve physical and mental stress, gently release tension, and give your body an enjoyable break from the demands of your sport.

A consistent movement practice can also improve your circulation and lymphatic flow, which means that it can speed up the time it takes for your body to heal and recover from your last training session or sports event.

LONGER SPORTS CAREER

A consistent mobility practice helps to develop a body that is healthy and resilient. With the improved joint health and longevity, you can extend the amount of time that you are able to enjoy your sport in the future.

Nothing can derail your career like an injury can. So, doing what you can to enhance your body resilience puts you in a place where you can continue to keep progressing in your sport while mitigating any unnecessary diversions.

ONLINE CLASSES AND PROGRAMS

If you are interested in using Yoga Inspired Mobility to improve the way you move and feel while simultaneously enhancing your athletic potential, I’d love to help you reach your goals.

Click the following links to learn more about my Online Classes, Coaching Programs, and Tailored Programs.

Ready to team up and discuss your vision and goals? Schedule a discovery call to see if one of my coaching programs is the right fit for you.

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