Mobility vs Joint Motor Control (what IS the difference?!)

"Brainy What-Why-How"

Your weekly nibble of science-backed goodness to help you move better and feel unstoppable.

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What (the TL:DR)

The quality of your larger, more complex movements comes from the quality of your smaller, more basic movements.*

Meaning: if you want to do the fancy impressive movements like handstand, then work on each joint involved.

This is not the same as mobility training; it's joint motor control. I explain the difference here

Why (the geeky neurology)

Our bodies will at least TRY to find a way to do what we ask them to do.

Example: Lifting your arms overhead

But when the joints that SHOULD do most of the movement lack the appropriate range of motion, other joints will compensate.

Example: Shoulders get stuck, so the ribs flare out (as demonstrated HERE)

How (apply it to your life)

Get curious about isolating the movement of each joint.

And because this is actually harder than you might think...

(it's one of those things, like flushing a toilet, that is so quotidian that surely you understand it, but might prove to be quite the head-scratcher if you really think about it. Like...how DOES the toilet flushing mechanism actually work?!)

...And because working on the mobility of each individual joint is...🤔 how can I put this...**BORING**...

...I recommend letting someone who's super geeky about joint motor control (ahem....🙋🏻‍♀️ ) help you!

I add things like finger circles and wrist figure-8s and ankle tilts into my yoga classes. (It's way more fun than just doing them as stand-alone drills)

And September means we've got a new movement focus: backbendy lunges! Check out this month's Vlog where I explain it all.

Not yet a MWA member?Get started HERE with a 7-day free trial,and get moving with science-backed tools today! (if you enjoy my emails, this is the best way to support me to keep 'em coming!)

Thank you for reading! Hit reply if you have any questions!

And please share with a friend or colleague who might find this valuable.

Sending motor control ❤️love❤️ to all your joints,

Adell xoxo