A Funny thing about foam rollers...
So what is “mobility work”? Basically, it is the art of fixing mobility issues by finding muscle knots. So what are muscle knots? Knots occur due to trauma, underuse or overuse. The layers of issue you have in a certain area will “gum-up” for lack of a better word. Mobility work centers around breaking up the scar tissue and restoring movement. This is not unlike what a Massage Therapist will do if you request a deep tissue massage, only this is do-it-yourself.
What I do at M Factor Fitness is called functional training. This is the art of restoring movement that you need in everyday life and encompasses mobility work, flexibility, balance and strength training. All of which are necessary. If you are weak in any of these areas, it will filter down into the other areas.
Everybody I train starts with Mobility Work.
Your job is to find a few problem areas that are causing you issues and start fixing them.
- Sore Neck
- Tight Shoulders
- Painful shoulders
- Lower back pain
- Hip pain
- Knee pain
- Tight hamstrings and calves.
- Ankle pain
- Plantar Fasciitis
The Rules of Mobility Training
- As a general rule, the place where you feel the pain is not the cause but the effect of an imbalance.
- You need to work up and down the chain of muscles to find likely suspects.
- The whole body is linked together with a tough webbing called fascia. This means the cause of your pain may be far away from where you think it is.
- There are a number of techniques that work. Take time to learn different approaches and build your toolbox.
A Couple of Things to Keep in Mind.
Mobility work does not take the place of qualified medical attention. If you think you tore something or you are in constant pain, get an MRI and consult with a specialist.
All we are doing is releasing tight muscles and for 90% to 95% of the time this fixes the issue.
Our Methodology is pretty straightforward:
- Test the area of concern by noting the range of motion, pain etc…
- Apply a compression technique for 1-2 minutes.
- Re-Test. If it feels better, you are on the right track. If it didn’t make a difference, move on and try something different.
Putting pressure on a knotted up muscle is not pleasant. Apply as much pressure as you can and try not to tense up.
Basic Tools You Need
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Foam Rollers
Most people don’t realize that foam rollers come in different densities. They also come in knobbed form and true rollers that are as hard as a rock. What you need to think about is this. Too soft a roller won’t reveal muscle knots as effectively as a firmer one. However, if you are sensitive to pain, a harder roller might be too much. My advice is start with a medium to high density but use your own judgement. They should start around $20.
Various Size Balls
You don’t have to get fancy here. I use a golf ball, tennis ball, lacrosse ball and a softball for all my mobility work. Here are some fancier versions you can check out.
Advanced Corrective Exercise Tools
Here are some other ideas and products I use.
The Videos
Introduction
Here is a nice, simple introduction to what I do. I realize that for a lot of people, this is your first introduction to mobility work and there are some concepts that are going to seem bizarre.
The most important part I can’t stress enough is …
Test and Retest.
This is the only way you will find out what works and what doesn’t. Don’t waste time on areas that aren’t sore.
Releasing the Calf Muscle
If you have Plantar Fasciitis, ankle pain, pain in the back of the knee, tight hamstrings, check the calf muscles. Also be sure to check the sides of the shin. This is a pretty good video on how to explore the areas around the calf and how to get the muscles to release.
How to Unglue The IT Band
This is a technique I picked up from Kelly Starrett over at Mobility Wod. The IT band is a very thick tissue that runs down the outside of your thigh. If it gets angry at you, you can experience pain on the outside of the knee, hip or lower back.
Glute Piriformis Release
Anyone who sits a lot will most likely have issues here. Glute and Piriformis knots lead to a host of problems including but not limited to back pain, hip pain, tight hamstrings and calves.
There is no mistaking the discomfort when you hit one of these knots. Either do the work yourself or have a massage therapist work it out.
Tricep Rolling
It is amazing to me how much trouble the tricep can cause. It attaches by the shoulder, so it can cause shoulder issues. It also attaches below the elbow, so it can cause elbow issues which can translate into wrist issues.
Usually the issues are above the elbow but try these techniques out and see if they help.
Rolling Back, Chest and Shoulders
Here is a quick intro into rolling your upper body to check for knots.
Foot Rolling
If you have plantar fasciitis, you can get it fixed but it will take time and patience. Rolling on a golf ball is the gold standard to see if your feet are fixed. if you can roll without any pain, you are good to go.
If a golf ball is too painful, do this.Get a water bottle and pour some water out, then freeze it. Roll on the frozen water bottle for a week or two. Then switch to a tennis ball. Then move to a lacrosse ball and finish with the golf ball. This process may take weeks but it will fix your foot.
Rolling the Lower Body
I did this video a long time ago but I think it is a good intro to lower body rolling.
Shoes should never do the work of your feet.
We have two major issues.
- People have weak feet because they buy shoes that have a ton of built in support.
- Most shoes have what is called a drop, which is the difference in height between the heel and mid-foot. In effect, most running shoes and workout shoes are a version of high heel shoes. The heels are higher and they put you in a position that will shorten the achilles tendon and tighten the calves.
In today’s world we sit a heck of a lot. We sit eating, driving, working, eating, watching tv, etc… When we do this over time, the body changes. The hip flexors in front of the pelvis shorten and the glutes weaken because they are in a state of extension. In other words, your front gets tight and your back gets weak.
To fix this, we need to do a couple of things.
1. Make sure the quads aren’t all knotted up.
2. Check the Piriformis and make sure it isn’t knotted.
3. Start doing bridges to strengthen the glutes and stretch the hip flexors and get some mobility back.