Strength

What advice could you give someone in their 50s for improving mobility?

Unlock Your Mobility Potential: Range, Control, Strength

Hi, Greg. So, what advice could you give somebody in their 50s for improving Mobility? Well, we need to remember that Mobility is a combination of range of motion motor control and strength. So the range of motion, can you move through a specific range of motion that you need? Everybody's requirements for range of motion are different based on their lifestyle choices, their Sport and or what they want to be able to do motor control. How do you control All that movement through your shoulder or hip or leg and three. Do you have the strength to move through that range of motion with control? So those three things that you really want to look at when you're looking at Mobility. So you know, to say, hey you need to stretch every day to improve your Mobility. Well, that could be. That could be argued. Okay, I'm not going to say no. But I look at those three things. When I'm prescribing, Mobility Program for person for a person. Now, again, going back to why do you need that Mobility? Do you need that Mobility? How much Mobility do you need? So, what advice I would get somebody to assess whatever Mobility area you are concerned about and or a full body movement, assessment to see where you're at. And if it's what you need and then go from there, not just, I would suggest not just plucking things out of anywhere. I would definitely get a targeted program to work on on your Mobility Program that you need.

When improving Mobility, you should assess the range of motion, motor control, and strength in the area you are concerned about. Then, create a targeted program to work on your mobility needs.

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For someone in their 50s looking to improve mobility, there are a few key factors to consider. Mobility is a combination of range of motion, motor control, and strength. It's important to assess these three aspects when working on improving mobility.

First, evaluate your range of motion. Can you move through the specific range of motion required for your lifestyle, sport, or activities? Everyone's range of motion needs are different, so it's important to understand your individual requirements.

Next, consider motor control. How well can you control your movements through your shoulders, hips, or legs? Motor control plays a crucial role in mobility and should be addressed alongside range of motion.

Lastly, assess your strength. Do you have the strength to move through your range of motion with control? Strength is essential for maintaining mobility and preventing injuries.

Rather than simply recommending daily stretching, it's important to take a targeted approach. Assess the specific areas of mobility you are concerned about or consider a full-body movement assessment to understand your current mobility level. From there, you can develop a targeted program to address your specific mobility needs. Avoid randomly selecting exercises and instead focus on a program tailored to your individual requirements.

What is the most consistent movement or strength dysfunction that limits performance?

Unlock Your Performance Potential: The Key to Maximizing Glute Power!

What is the most consistent movement or strength? Is function, that limits performance? So I am going to say, definitely the hip hinge, okay? You need that hip hinge to get hip flexion, which is very important for glute. Activation glute activation, the most powerful muscle, one of the most powerful muscles in the body. Your glutes, really important for forward drive in the sagittal plane. Really important for frontal Drive change of Direction. Reaction, speed power, everything is driven by the glutes. And as we sit a lot as our hip flexors get tights and quads get tight, we tend to get glue to you. I'm nisha's. So, I see that people who do not have or lose the ability to hit Flex or hinge are losing out on the for the major Force generator of the glutes.

The hip hinge is the most consistent movement or strength and is important for glute activation, forward drive in the sagittal plane, frontal drive change of direction, reaction, speed and power. People who lose the ability to perform a hip hinge are losing out on the major force generator of the glutes.

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The most consistent movement or strength dysfunction that limits performance is the hip hinge. The hip hinge is crucial for hip flexion, which is essential for activating the glutes. The glutes are one of the most powerful muscles in the body and play a significant role in forward drive, frontal drive, change of direction, reaction speed, and power. However, due to prolonged sitting and tight hip flexors and quads, many people struggle with proper glute activation. Those who lack or lose the ability to perform a hip hinge are missing out on utilizing the glutes as a major force generator.

I’m a swimmer that feels like gym work negatively affects my swimming due to aches and fatigue. What exercises would best suit me in the gym?

Swimmer's Gym Woes: Beat Fatigue with These 3 Exercises

Okay, so you're a swimmer that feels like Jim work, negatively, affects your swimming due to aches and fatigue. So first of all, you know, with Jim work and swimming. You definitely want to make sure that they are periodized together and that your sport coach or Swedish swim coach and and your and your strength coach are on the same page as far as loading parameters, so do except to, to have some aches and pains during some phases of your training is completely normal. And that's how we get some, some improvements and adaptation. I'm just strength, but in the times that you are feeling that it is too much, I'm going to show you through 33. It's freaky exercises that I use with my swimmers. When they are experiencing a little bit too much fatigued. You can also find this on these on my YouTube channel, which I'll link to this video, as well. The first one is called hand to me rolling. Okay? So, it's a rolling pattern. So you're going to get yourself on your back. Legs up in the air, going to put your right hand on your left knee. Other arm overhead, other leg. Straight come into a little crunch position and you're gonna push your hand into your knee and roll over controlling yourself with your torso and then roll yourself back to neutral. You can do a few reps, going One Direction. And then with that, same hand to me, you're pushing your hand into your knee and your rolling to the other side for a few reps. That's the first one, the second one. Call snow angels so you can grab onto something. Like, I'm going to grab onto this Bakugan, my son's Bakugan here, and you position your arms down by your side. You can't see all of me right now, but your hands down by your side, your legs together. What you're going to do is look at chest up legs up and you can open up your legs and your arms, passing the Bakugan or Whatever item behind over your head and behind your back. Pass it here. I'm going over And back, and then you can switch directions hands down by your side legs together. Okay, so from this view, we're like this legs up and open and close, open and close. So that's us face down. Snow angels. And that's also on my YouTube channel. One last one before my time runs out. Here is a single leg lower with a weight back is against the grant. That back is against the ground. Legs are straight up in the air. Lowering one leg. And exhaling. There's a few single leg lowers. Check my website.

You should make sure that your swimming coach and strength coach are on the same page as far as loading parameters. It is normal to experience some aches and pains during training, but if you're feeling too much fatigue, there are exercises you can do to help. These include Hand to Knee Rolling, Snow Angels, and Single Leg Lower with a weight.

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As a swimmer, you feel that gym work negatively affects your swimming due to aches and fatigue. It's important to ensure that your gym work and swimming are properly integrated and that your sport coach, swim coach, and strength coach are aligned in terms of loading parameters. Some aches and pains during certain phases of training are normal and can lead to improvements and adaptations.

However, if you're experiencing excessive fatigue, I can recommend three exercises that can help alleviate some of the strain. You can find detailed instructions for these exercises on my YouTube channel, which I will link to this video.

The first exercise is called hand to knee rolling. Lie on your back with your legs up in the air. Place your right hand on your left knee and extend your other arm overhead. Perform a little crunch, pushing your hand into your knee, and roll over, controlling your movement with your torso. Repeat this movement in both directions.

The second exercise is snow angels. Grab onto something for support and position your arms down by your sides with your legs together. Lift your chest and legs off the ground and open your legs and arms, passing the object behind your head and behind your back. Repeat this motion, switching directions.

Lastly, try the single leg lower with a weight. Lie on your back with your back against the ground and legs straight up in the air. Lower one leg while exhaling and then raise it back up. Repeat this exercise for a few repetitions.

These exercises can help alleviate some of the fatigue and strain you may be experiencing. For more detailed instructions, please visit my website.

What tips or tricks would you suggest for activating glutes while running?

Activate Your Glutes While Running: Expert Tips & Tricks!

What tips or tricks would you suggest for activating the glutes while running? I love this question because I have, you know, osteoarthritis osteoarthritis on my knees. And so, I know immediately, when I'm running, when my glutes aren't contributing as much as they should, and actually it got to the point where I actually designed a program called running for non-runners, which includes glute activation, and running together to train your body to get these glutes fired up. So, it is, I'll put a link in this video but to things that 22 of the tricks out of many that I've found helpful when I'm running grabbing onto a pole or a tree or something, but your back back foot up on it and it's called well, I call him wall hit turns. So from here, you want to push your leg, your foot into the ground and you rotate your hips and your chest, okay? Outwards as you do this, you actually give this this knee a little bit of a push outwards this way in order to keep the knee aligned over your your foot, what you don't want is for this need, To collapse inwards. Okay, that's going to fire up your glutes there, do both sides from there. It get into a squat with a reach. Okay, so from there, I go from here, big squat, reach and through, so big reach, loading your glutes back here, and through, as we're getting a hip hinge, and a little Squat and through. So if you do about 30 seconds of each of those, that's going to get your glutes, Fired Up and Away. You go running, and you should feel a difference in your glutes while you're running there, turn it up.

To activate your glutes while running, try wall hits, which is pushing your foot into the ground and rotating your hips and chest outward to keep your knee aligned. Also, do squats with a reach, by reaching forward and hinging at the hips while loading the glutes in the back. Doing 30 seconds of each of these exercises should help you feel the difference while running.

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For activating the glutes while running, I have some helpful tips and tricks. As someone with osteoarthritis in my knees, I've personally experienced the importance of getting the glutes engaged during running. In fact, I even designed a program called Running for Non-Runners that focuses on glute activation while running.

One effective exercise is called wall hip turns. Find a pole or tree, place your back foot on it, and push your foot into the ground. As you do this, rotate your hips and chest outward, giving a slight push to the knee to keep it aligned over your foot. This helps prevent the knee from collapsing inward and activates the glutes.

Another exercise is the squat with a reach. Start in a squat position, then reach and load your glutes before coming back up. This movement combines a hip hinge and a squat, engaging the glutes.

Doing about 30 seconds of each exercise can help activate your glutes before running. You should feel a difference in your glutes while running. Give it a try and turn up the intensity!

What exercises or workouts would you recommend for IT band issues when running?

Unraveling IT Band Issues: Key Exercises for Running Recovery

Okay, so IT band issues. Yes. So your IT band is connected to your tfl which is a muscle up at your hip. The first thing I would do is really get a really good assessment by a physio or Cairo looking at back hips, ankles, you know, alignment. There's there's there's something going on there that that's not that that's causing your tfl to be overworked, okay? A movement assessment by a strength coach, and I would highly suggest a gait analysis as well by side by somebody trained who can look at your Running and how you're loading that leg, is something going on, that is causing that that that muscle to to be overworked, okay? So once you've just tried to unravel and gain an understanding of why that's happening generally would have found has helped people in the past is, you know, they have a week BMO or vastus medialis or media quad muscle. So for this exercise terminal knee, extensions, either with a bam, they abandoned Minami extension or sing, a single leg, leg extension with the leg extension machine, higher volume, okay, lower lower weight, higher volume for this. Just the terminal part to get the VMO fired up. Could even use some isometrics with that, or with the stability ball. Grouping that stability, ball between your feet and doing leg. Just terminal part of the leg extension their glutes. Glute me glute, Max. Okay. Three-way band. A three-way band routine that you can be found. My website here. Okay, are done, website, and YouTube channel, Gina grain. Any kind of glute Max work as well, but making sure that your hips are like everything with. IT band seems to be really responsive to getting out of the movement patterns that are causing dysfunction, okay? So, you want to make sure that your hips are level and aligned, when you're doing any kind of glute hip lifts or RDL, you want to make sure that we're not compensating and and falling. Back into the patterns that were guided towards with, with, with, with, with guarding. Okay. So anyways, back to glute. Max were good. Hip lifts another one. I really like is the the wall glute? Hold, okay. So you, so you can YouTube that the wall glute hold. So there's some suggested exercises. Give it a go. Good luck.

The first step to dealing with IT band issues is to get a good assessment from a physio or Cairo. You may want to also get a movement assessment and gait analysis from a strength coach. Exercises such as terminal knee extensions, three-way band routine, glute max work, hip lifts, and wall glute holds could help strengthen the muscles and improve movement patterns.

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For IT band issues when running, it's important to start with a thorough assessment by a physiotherapist or chiropractor to identify any underlying alignment or movement issues in your back, hips, and ankles. Additionally, a strength coach can perform a movement assessment and a trained professional can conduct a gait analysis to evaluate your running mechanics and identify any potential causes of overworked muscles.

Once you have a better understanding of the root cause, there are some exercises that have been helpful for others with IT band issues. Weakness in the vastus medialis oblique (VMO) or the medial quad muscle is often a contributing factor. Terminal knee extensions can be performed using a resistance band or a leg extension machine with lower weight and higher volume to activate the VMO. Isometric exercises with a stability ball can also be beneficial.

Targeting the glute muscles is important as well. A three-way band routine for the glutes can be found on my website or YouTube channel. Exercises like glute bridges, Romanian deadlifts (RDLs), and the wall glute hold can help strengthen the gluteus maximus. It's crucial to ensure proper hip alignment during these exercises to avoid compensations and reinforce healthy movement patterns.

Remember, addressing the underlying movement dysfunctions and maintaining proper alignment are key in managing IT band issues. Give these exercises a try and good luck!

Is it harmful to do some agility ladder exercises in the pre warm up of a basketball practice?

Agility ladder drills: Great warm-up, but don't forget the unplanned movements!

Is it harmful to do some agility ladder exercises in the pre-warm-up of a basketball practice? I do not think it's harmful to do some agility ladder drills. It's a great way to warm up. It's a great way to get connected with your body. But we have to remember an agility ladder is not all agility. Agility also requires you to react to an unplanned stimulus. So by going through an agility ladder drill, you're kind of pre-planning your movements unless you have somebody tossing a basketball at you at different directions. We're actually having to react to an unplanned stimulus. So using agility ladders is a great way to warm up. But if you're really wanting to target that agility, you're also wanting to do some unplanned movements and reactionary stuff as well.

Doing agility ladder exercises as part of a pre-warm up for basketball practice is beneficial, but it is important to also incorporate unplanned movements and reactions to really target agility.

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Doing agility ladder exercises in the pre-warm-up of a basketball practice is not harmful. It can be a beneficial way to warm up and connect with your body. However, it's important to remember that agility involves reacting to unplanned stimuli. Agility ladder drills involve pre-planned movements unless you incorporate elements like someone tossing a basketball at you from different directions. If you want to specifically target agility, it's recommended to include unplanned movements and reactionary exercises alongside agility ladder drills.

Neither AnyQuestion nor its Experts provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment or otherwise provide professional healthcare services.

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Gina Grain answers your Strength questions. See all the advice Gina Grain has and get answers to your own Strength questions.

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Gina Grain is a Canadian Strength & Conditioning coach and a retired professional road and track cyclist. She won a silver medal in the women's scratch at the 2006 UCI Track Cycling World Championships and later represented Canada at the 2008 Summer Olympics. Throughout her career she raced with U.S. and Canadian teams and Hong Kong's Giant Pro Cycling. She earned a number of titles, including the U.S. Pro Tour Championships and the Canadian Championships in Saint-Georges, Quebec. She also scored stage triumphs at the Grand Montreal Cycling Tour, Tour de Gastown, and Tour of the Gila. After retiring in 2010, she focused on her kinesiology career. Gina has her masters in Exercise Science. Gina volunteers with various soccer clubs around Vancouver including the Phoenix Women’s Soccer Team helping with pre-game physical preparation and post-game recovery. 