Physical fitness is defined by several different factors, including endurance, flexibility, and stamina. Two of the most important aspects of physical health include body mobility and stability.
What Are Body Mobility and Stability?
There are several joints throughout the body that facilitate movement. Being able to bend, stretch, or crouch depends on the strength and agility of these joints.
Poor mobility and stability have several causes, including a stationary lifestyle, poor exercise form, or an unbalanced workout plan. Past injuries can also impact mobility, as you may overuse other muscle groups to avoid pain or re-injury.
When body mobility is high, muscles and joints can easily move within their range of motion. Mobility requires the active stretching of connective tissue known as fascia. Fascia is a thin membrane beneath the skin that surrounds much of the structures in the body.
Without constant engagement, the fascia can become stiff. This limits muscle movement and increases the risk of injury. Tight fascia can also be a source of body pain. Engaged fascia is flexible and enables muscles and joints to move freely. This prevents uneven muscle development, as all muscle groups are engaged during physical activity.
Stability, on the other hand, refers to the body’s ability to maintain balance. High joint stability can keep your body centered and balanced throughout various movements. One common stability test is joint movement during exercise.
If the knees, hips, or other joints shake during activities like weightlifting or bodyweight exercises, it can indicate low joint stability. This can put you at risk of injury.
Improving stability requires strength training exercises that target stabilizer muscles. This refers to the muscle group that must be engaged to maintain stability during a specific exercise. Technically, every muscle could be a stabilizer.
Benefits of a Strong Upper Body
In the upper body, several muscle groups contribute to mobility and stability. This includes the pectorals, internal rotator cuffs, and serratus anterior muscles near the ribs. Tight or weak upper body muscles can make it difficult to perform strength training exercises properly.
Strengthening and loosening upper body muscles allows the chest to expand to its capacity, thus reducing breathing blockages. Upper body muscle stability also prevents poor exercise form from causing chronic pain in the neck and head.
Upper body mobility and stability are also responsible for maintaining dynamic and static posture. This means that the body is correctly aligned both at rest and in motion.
In correct static posture, the curve of the spine is kept intact and the head, shoulders, and hips align. Poor posture is correlated with all types of musculoskeletal problems, including back pain and joint mobility.
On the other hand, proper posture can improve organ function, engage and strengthen core muscles, and prevent breathing problems.
Exercises That Improve Upper Body Stability
Tightness in the midback can contribute to poor upper body stability and mobility. This is becoming a more common issue among clients who remain in rigid, seated positions due to their work.
Further, sitting and scrolling on a smart device can also encourage individuals to sit in harmful positions for prolonged periods. All of these can contribute to stiffened fascia and weak upper body muscles.
Trainers can identify if their clients need to improve their upper body mobility and stability through several tests.
In the seated shoulder mobility tests, the client should try to sit against a wall while holding themselves up with their bent legs. If their posture is correct, their head, hips, and back should touch the wall without strain.
Another test requires the client to stand, raise their arm above their head, and try to touch their palm to the opposite shoulder blade. The arm should bend at the elbow. Then, the client lowers their arm and attempts to reach the opposite shoulder blade with the back of their hand.
Clients who cannot perform these exercises will need to increase flexibility and strength in their upper body muscles.
There are a few exercises that can help with this goal.
Downward dog: This exercise comes from hatha yoga and engages the upper back and shoulder blades. The client should begin by placing their hands and knees on the floor with their feet out behind them.
The knees and hands should align with the hips and shoulders, respectively. From this position, the client should engage their core, push their hips up, and create a triangular shape with their bodies.
Chicken wings: This exercise begins in the same position as the downward dog. The client will keep one hand on the ground and bring the other hand to the back of their head. Their arm should bend at the elbow and form a triangular shape.
The client then rotates through their shoulder muscles, bringing their elbows up to the ceiling. When rotating down, the client should touch their elbow to the opposite arm. The head should follow the elbow.