Why I Mobilize, Not Stretch, Daily Towards Graceful Aging
By: Yan H.
Tags: Fitness, Aging, Self Improvement, Training, Workout

1) Tight is not the same as taut

When we say our muscles are tight, sometimes, we may confuse with it being taut. Tight muscles occur when they are kept in a shortened position for a long time, while taut muscles occur when they are kept in a lengthened position for an extended period of time.

How do we know the difference?

Let’s take for an example — the act of touching your toes comfortably. For most who aren’t able to do so, will say, “my hamstring/back of the thighs are tight, I need to stretch more.” While it is a possibility, notice that some of us who have been stretching our hamstrings often, never quite able to touch their toes comfortably.

So does that mean that stretching doesn’t work? Not quite, this is when we have to look at if we are actually stretching the right muscles. So going back to the toe-touch test. Take a look at your knees when you are standing upright. Are they both super straight, to the point, it looks hyper-extended?

If that’s the case, usually, it means your hamstring muscles are lengthened and because this is your natural state, these means your hamstrings are taut. So in this case, no amount of stretching will help you to touch your toes. We have to look elsewhere to get you to touch your toes one day.

Usually, we have to look at what joints are involved in this movement, and their joint range of motion. From there, you will be able to know what muscles are in need of a more frequent stretching.

2) Flexibility is not the same as mobility

Flexibility is how much the muscle can lengthen from its rest position like that of a rubber band; while mobility is how much the joint can move around for its natural function, a.k.a. the range of motion of the bones to move around the joint.

An example is the ball-and-socket joint of our shoulder joint. Mobility requires both healthy flexibilities of muscles AND ligaments/joints.

3) Too much flexibility, without strength, leads to injuries easily

Having flexible muscles without a healthy range of joint movements can sometimes lead to injuries easily.

I am born with flexible hamstrings and because I didn’t realize the difference between tight and taut muscles, I often over-stretch them and under-stretch my quadriceps. This has caused much of my chronic lower back /hip pain that flares up every now and then if I am not patient or careful with my workouts.

4) Human movement is a symphony of muscles, joints, and ligaments working in harmony

Just pause for a minute and observe the people walking by you right now. (Okay, if you are observing people now, I do want to emphasize that you do it respectfully and not sheepishly, because you will look like a creep.)

Notice how the parts of the human body are working together to keep the body in motion or in stillness, from the head all the way down to the toes. While sets of muscles are “actively contracting & relaxing”, the other sets are trying their best to be as still as possible, acting as stabilizers to the entire spine. Every movement is a beautiful performance of all the muscles coordinating and harmonizing together, just like in an orchestra.

By the way, if you notice “quirky” movements around their hips, arms, or neck, this could be a result of an immobile or limited joint range of motion, resulting in compensatory muscles-in-action.

It is interesting to start looking at our human movement patterns in sling actions, particularly the myofascial sling, a term coined in the late 80s and one highly sought after veteran in this field is Thomas Myers, LMT (licensed manual therapist).

5) Efficiency

I admit as life gets on, I want efficiency in my workouts. I want the best buck for the bang. There are only 24 hours in a day and much I want to do and achieve. Unless I am a professional athlete where I get paid and sponsored to train the whole day, I honestly do not have the means to train bodyparts two to three hours a day, daily. Besides, there’s more to life than just that.

I am sure like many of you here like myself, also love living the digital nomad lifestyle of being able to make a living out from anywhere. But I also want to feel good and look good. This is when shifting my training philosophy as movement-based has helped me continue to build a healthy body, mind, and soul. A triple win!