If you follow me on social media (if you don’t, you can here), you’ll know that I love a bit of mobility and believe everyone should be doing something to mobilise each day as part of what I call “Daily Maintenance”.
It’s not just me who’s on the mobility hype, there’s tonnes of information, exercises, drills, WOD’s, and whatever else you want to call them, constantly posted online.
That’s not to say that this a new thing at all, social media has just put the importance of mobility in the spotlight.
I’ll be one of the first to advocate mobility exercises, especially to your average jack and Jill who sit down all day.
We’re more jacked up and stiff than ever before, so it’s not surprising that were constantly looking for ways to mobilise and feel better.
That last point is probably the most important
Because why do we do focus on mobilising? To make us feel better
Feeling stiff, tight, and restricted is a horrible feeling and it leaves our body with no choice but to either elicit a pain response or find an alternative route to movement (which often also leads to pain itself).
Whether you are a desk warrior or frequent gym goer, it’s not hard to tell when you’re lacking in the mobility department.
Whether a deadlift, squat, walking to the shops or playing with the kids; mobility discrepancies can rear their ugly heads and cause a whole host of problems.
While there is a tonne of exercises to improve your mobility, the technique in this post is a more advanced technique that aims to address mobility issues at the source; the joint capsule.
FREE 10 Minute Mobility Programme
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But First, What Actually Is Mobility?
Mobility is the ability to successfully move a joint (or multiple joints) through their range of motion with control and purpose.
Is It The Same As Flexibility?
Mobility and flexibility definitely have some overlap, but they are on the whole, different.
Flexibility is the ability to passively lengthen a muscle through a range of motion
Mobility is the ability to actively move a joint through a range of motion.
The main difference here is the active VS passive elements.
Standard Mobility Drills
I’ve posted a few times on some specific mobility exercises and routines, so I won’t repeat them here.
However, I will leave links to my previous posts below, as well as a link to my instagram where you can find a tonne of information and workouts.
For more, make sure you follow my instagram here.
Now onto the main point of this post..
Banded Distraction Techniques
Banded distraction involves using a resistance band to address lack of mobility at the source – the joint capsule
When we stretch, we often do so with compensations and limitations in place that affect the effectiveness of that stretch
Imagine a rubber band that is fat on one end and skinny on the other
When you stretch it, the skinny part stretches a lot but the thicker part not so much
That thicker part is the joint capsule and surrounding muscles
Now, when these surrounding muscles are tight, the joint capsule can become compressed and space for movement limited
By using a heavy resistance band that acts as a wedge between the joint surfaces at the capsule, you can create more space and allow the fluid that lubricates the joint to fill in
With more space and more lubrication, friction will reduce, and range of motion will increase
Here are some my top banded distraction exercises, focused on improving mobility in the lower body.
Check out the description of each video for key points on how to complete the exercise.
Hip Flexor
Glute & Hip Complex
Adductor
Groin
Ankle
FREE 10 Minute Mobility Programme
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