7 Steps To Addressing “Tightness”
I often get asked about help with Mobility and people often say to me that they feel tight.
Obviously a good look at each individual through a movement screen is useful and we find this helps those that we work with to understand better their movement patterns and where they need to work on.
Here are a few examples of the ways in which you can combat tightness….. choosing your method depends on your situation and current movement status.
1. Joint distraction – breathing, brachiation (hanging), inversion and band applications. I actually find the banded distractions really useful and user friendly.
2. Stretching – develops stretch tolerance and can use different methods such as PNF stretching, static
stretching, dynamic stretching and isometric techniques (hold positions). Here is a simple follow along static stretching routine that you may use to help: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZhToo2cs8w . I would not suggest using this when “cold”… always more effective after exercise.
3. Myofascial release and considerations – fascial manipulation to achieve a release using a number of
tools and methods. These include foam rollers, lacrosse balls, massage guns and sticks to name a few. Here is a basic foam rolling routine you could use as a starting point : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ku-BpZZ72Hg
4. Increasing blood supply – yes believe it or not getting the blood flowing is great for this….cardio, correct breathing, sauna’s, infra-red and dynamic warm-up’s as we like to use at the start of every session we do. We have an infra-red sauna at our facility which we find really effective.
5. Posture control – By achieving and maintaining optimal posture, the body’s position will encourage range of movement and joint stability. Whilst mobility is a big buzz word, we really know that this really is the precursor to stability which is all about joint integrity. Having the ability to move through your fullest range of movement but then being able to control this is where the magic is. Strengthening the soft tissue around the joint and stabilising the joints is what we all want to work on no matter our goals…whether it be injury prevention and or athletic performance. This video here gives you 3 examples of hip stability exercises you can do: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bO5MZF4xyFI&t=4s
6. Reducing inflammation – managing inflammation can improve joint mobility as well as reduce stress on soft tissue. This is not only to do with our exercise habits but also our nutrition and sleep. Inflammation is part of the healing process to repair damage. Chronic inflammation can lead to physical limitations that make intervention with nutrition really useful, but sometimes we need to look at medical intervention as well.
7. Monitoring Growth – lastly, because we do also get asked about younger populations. If you have a child within your home things such as regular measurements for height are simple, quick and can easily help identify growth spurts so that you can make sure you know when to adjust their exercise volume.
If you are interested in anything I have mentioned here please feel free to pop me an email (mattluxtonpa@gmail.com) or if you would like to join our Mobility and Movement programme because you need to work on this then again just ask and we will help you.
Matt Luxton Pg.Dip, BSc(Hons), MMA-CSCC, Pn1
Owner of MattLuxtonHealthandFitness& The Tamar Performance Centre
VotedCornwall’s Best Fitness Instructor 2016
VotedThe UK’s Most Innovative Fitness Entrepreneur 2012
International Best Selling Author ofThe Fad Free Fitness Formula
Author ofThe Hot to Trot Cook BookandThe Equestrian Athlete Plan
Email: mattluxtonpa@gmail.com / Phone: 07841 136302
