Grow the Good

Mobility for Peak Performance with Kelly Starrett The Ready State

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If you pay attention to mobility for peak performance then you've probably heard of Kelly Starrett from The Ready State (formerly MobilityWOD). Kelly is a wealth of knowledge. He has spent over 10,000 hours as a movement and mobility coach for players in the NFL, MLB, NHL, and NBA, Olympic gold medalists, and other world-class athletes. He is also a Doctor of Physical Therapy.

Kelly is also the author of several books including the NYT bestseller Becoming a Supple Leopard: The Ultimate Guide to Resolving Pain, Preventing Injury, and Optimizing Athletic Performance and Deskbound: Standing Up to a Sitting World.  He has been on more podcasts than I can count including Tim Ferriss and Joe Rogan, so if this is the first time you've heard of Kelly, I encourage you to go deeper!  Another fun fact is that he is 2x National Champion in whitewater rafting.

"Mobility has 2 components... does my body have the raw biomechanics to have the ability to achieve the shapes native to human beings?  What is typical ROM? Do I have the skill tp express those positions?"  Does my brain understand what good shapes and good technique is. And secondarily, can I get into that shape?"  The problem with traditional stretching is you pull passively on tissues. What's wrong with it is the brain is not involved with the process and we are not taking a systems approach- more than one component may be limiting our ability to move.  Take a systematic approach to restore our movement mapped with technique."

A note from Kelly Starrett, DPT:

What exactly is “mobility,” anyway?

We define “mobility” based on two components. First, you should be able to put your body into any pose or shape that is normal for a human being. In other words, you should have access to the full range-of-motion for the human body. But having access is not enough. The second aspect of mobility is that you need to actually be able to achieve those positions in real life. In other words, you need to have the motor control skills to actualize your complete range-of-motion.

How is mobility different from stretching?

To be blunt, stretching is not an effective way to restore your body’s range-of- motion. When you follow traditional stretching practices, all you do is passively pull on your tissues. But it turns out there is a lot more to restoring full range-of-motion than that.

First, stretching doesn’t get your brain involved. And remember, even if your body has full range-of-motion, you don’t have true “mobility” until your brain develops the motor control to actually express that range-of-motion. Also, unlike mobilizing, stretching does not look at your body as a system. It neglects key factors like your joints and sliding surfaces.

Mobility takes a systems approach to restoring your range-of-motion. It accounts for all the varied ways your body can lose its natural ability to move. Mobilizing restores your joints, sliding surfaces, soft tissue, and even blood flow. Plus it helps you develop the motor control you need to express that range-of-motion in your daily life.

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The Grow the Good Podcast is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co.