Free to Move

When you hear the word mobility, injury rehab may be what comes to mind. In reality, though, training your range of motion leads to massive gains in performance and strength.

- Jennifer Nied and Andi Breitowich

The saying "move it or lose it" should be the official slogan for mobility. Beyond your 20s, the ability to move freely and easily through a joint's full range of motion begins to decline...unless you do something about it. "Our muscles and tendons have less pliability after the age of 30, which means less fluidity in our movements," says Candace Young, CSCS, DPT, a staff physical therapist at the Hospital for Special Surgery. But nowadays, greasing up the joints is about more than rehabilitation and recovery. It's actually tied to strength gains.

You might be thinking that mobility isn't a brand new concept, and you're right. But it's on everyone's minds lately. In fact, the past two years saw a significant uptick in interest, according to Google Trends. (Experts suspect all the extra sitting time resulted in stiffness, hence the hunt for relief.) Thing is, research on mobility is still centered on how it plays into injury recovery. But the science is starting to catch up when it comes to overall fitness-and that's the area experts are eager to help the everyday exerciser and athlete better understand.

Shout it from the rooftops: Mobility is, in fact, the secret sauce for staving off physical decline and improving performance for the long haul. "The practice is dynamic and essential to maximizing our quality of life," says Amy Hutson, DPT, of SSM Health Physical Therapy. In addition to preventing injury, you'll get posture perks and faster recovery time. It primes your bod for activity and offers a boost on goals. And, the biggie: It helps improve strength significantly, says trainer India McPeak, CSCS. "For example, by improving hip and ankle mobility, you can achieve a deeper squat with proper form, which ultimately results in your ability to lift heavier and longer." Love to hear that.