Mobility and stabilty training isn't just for injured athletes

Are you always looking after your mobility and stabilty or waiting until you have issues? I'll put my hand up and say when training is going well I might forget to do the extra work.

When we get injured, come out of an off-season, or are building things back up there is a focus on strength training, stability training, and increased flexibility.

When training starts going well it normally leads us to forget all these things.

Why?

The common thought is more is better.  If we are running, swimming, or cycling well then you just need to do more right?  

You don't need to do any strength, stability, stretching, or mobility work right? The training is making us strong enough right?

Probably not.

If you are an older athlete, often injured, or been in the sport definitely not.

You always want to be balanced, and by including a focus on being strong enough to maintain form, mobile enough to have a good movement pattern, and stable enough to not develop an overuse injury.

Lots of people know this. I know this.  Does that mean that I have always been doing my exercises? 

Normally yes. 

In the last two months no.

The result was a tight back, right glute, and adductor.  Luckily I'm not training for anything at the moment and concentrating on just getting some good runs in. 

However it is a reminder to anyone that we shouldn't drop strength, stability, or mobility work during any phase of a build-up regardless of how many hours of training you have done and how smooth your technique is.

This is even more important if you find yourself sitting too often or long.  We are not designed to sit.

Regardless I would recommend getting into the habit of doing some dynamic stretching or going through some movement patterns soon after getting up to enable more blood flow and release any tightness.

When I first started doing big running weeks (140km+) I would often have morning runs where the first few steps made me feel like I had never run before, and then slowly everything would feel better, but still stiff and after a kilometer or so of easing in to it and then suddenly it would click and I could drop the pace 1min/km or more.

Nowadays I don't run the same distances during the week, but that feeling is still there. However, if I loosen up before running I have different sessions and lighter legs.  

2-5 minutes of easy work can save your week.