Joint mobility is a fairly new concept in the golf world, and is commonly mistaken with stretching and flexibility. There are some elements of stretching involved in certain joint mobility drills, but those tend to be side effects of the movements.
What is joint mobility?
Joint mobility is the pursuit of joint health through movement. As we grow older the cartilage in our joints begin to degrade, as a result our ability to move them in a full range of motion and with ease deteriorates. Arthritis and joint degeneration are common side effects of lack of mobility. Your joints that allow movement are lined with cartilage. This cartilage is what protects the joints and allows for shock absorption during activity. Your body secretes a fluid called Synovial Fluid, think of it as WD40 for your knees. Synovial fluid carries oxygen and nutrients to the cartilage and lubricates the joint. These joints are called Synovial Joints.
As we grow older, our joints become a dumping ground for all sorts of toxins. This can lead to degenerative joint disease. The best way to avoid these problems, and develop greater range of motion, to decrease risk of injury in your game is perform joint mobility drills. These drills will help stimulate the release of Synovial Fluid and keep the cartilage free of contaminates. When performing joint mobility drills, you must use your muscles. When you use your muscles you increase the blood flow to them. Simply put, this increases the temperature and makes them more pliable and less prone to injury. It also energizes the nerves attached to the muscle, prepping them for movement.
Try these following drills, focus on keeping the movements smooth and keeping a nice erect posture.
Neck Rotations
oSlowly turn your head to the left then the right
oSlowly tuck your chin down then tilt you head up
oSlowly tilt your head from side to side trying to touch your ear to your shoulder
Shoulder Circles
oBegin the exercise by shrugging your shoulders up then back, down, forward then up, continue
oMaking large circles then reverse the motion.
Hula Hoop
oStance should be hip shoulder width apart
oPlace your hands on your hips
oBegin to rotate your hips in a circular fashion
oBe sure to keep your shoulders stationary
oKnees can be locked or unlocked
Spine Twisters
oBegin with your feet shoulder width apart
oStart to twist your torso to the right allowing your arms to swing loose and freely
oTwist in the other direction, allowing your arms to bend naturally and tap your lower back
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