There are few (if any) ”hacks” when it comes to improving your running. But a short, dynamic mobility routine may be as close as it gets! If you want to reduce your injury risk and feel better at the start of every run, it’s time to prioritize mobility training.
Grayson Wickham working on his mobility
When runners are focused solely on getting out the door to run their workouts, they often neglect an important aspect of training: mobility work. Mobility is often confused with flexibility. While mobility employs a dynamic range of motion, flexibility typically refers to static stretching where connective tissues (muscles, tendons, etc.) are temporarily elongated.
Mobility is much more useful to runners because it requires elements of strength and control to move through a particular range of motion, while flexibility does not. Mobility work, like strength training, is often seen as an “extra” that time crunched runners don’t want to squeeze in. But also like strength training, a little can go a long way toward making you a stronger, more resilient runner.
Dr. Grayson Wickham on the importance of mobility training
This week’s guest on the podcast is a doctor of physical therapy and owner of the Lux Physical Therapy and Medicine practice in New York. Dr. Grayson Wickham is a certified strength and conditioning specialist and creator of the Movement Vault app. He has worked with athletes in a wide variety of sports at the elite level, from Olympians to tennis pros to NFL and MLB players.
Grayson’s specialty is sports and orthopedic performance and injuries. He has dedicated his time and energy to helping his patients use mobility to become pain free in their athletic endeavors as well as in their daily lives.
Grayson and I discuss mobility work in depth and talk about the most effective practices for runners. We focus on:
- How Grayson developed an interest in mobility and injury resilience
- The differences between mobility and flexibility
- How we can add functional mobility to our training as runners
- The variety of ways that runners can gain mobility
- How cross training can help runners learn new movement patterns
- What it means to have active joint mobility
- Grayson’s favorite dynamic stretches
If you are trying to understand how mobility work can benefit your training, be sure to check out this episode!
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