Mobility/Neuromotor for Discomfort Points

• Maintenance of joint flexibility and mobility helps decrease the risk of injuries and supports movement throughout life.

• Neuromotor performance decreases with age, but this can be counteracted by exercise. This makes neuromotor exercise key to incorporate at all ages to promote range of motion and ability to live your life to the fullest.

• Neuromotor exercise is often not prioritized until an injury occurs, but improved mobility will allow you to make greater strides in your cardio and strength plans and improve your overall fitness and performance.

Try the Y-Balance Test (video below)

• This test highlights any side to side differences in your body as well as balance and coordination deficits.

• This test is often used with athletes to help decrease their risk of injury and improve their athletic performance.

• Grab a buddy to help you measure and give this test a try! Can you maintain your balance in all three directions on both legs? Record your results so you can retest later to see your improvements.

• This study showed improvement on the Y balance test in participants after 12 weeks of conventional strength training or functional training (a combination of balance, stability and dynamic force exercises).

• Pre-exercise warm-up routine

• Warming up prior to exercise is important to prime your body and help reduce the risk for injuries and support performance.

• Incorporate your prescribed warm-up and mobility exercises, as they challenge your balance and coordination and count toward your neuromotor activity recommendation.

• Your targeted warm-up exercises will help address any range of motion deficits and muscular imbalances that could be contributing to your discomfort.

• Strength training routine

• Many resistance training exercises also challenge your balance and ability to coordinate multiple body parts moving at once.

• Performing bodyweight or loaded movements through a full range of motion is a great way to also improve your mobility.

• Single leg/arm movements are especially beneficial at challenging and targeting your balance.

• Post-exercise mobility routine

• Exercise stimulates our sympathetic nervous system, the part of the nervous system responsible for fight or flight or adrenaline mode. Your post-exercise mobility routine will get your body out of this reactive state and support recovery

• Control and slow your breathing in order to allow your parasympathetic nervous system, the part of your nervous system responsible for rest, digestion and recovery, to take over and enhance your recovery.

• Increased parasympathetic nervous system activity is also linked to improvements in pain management.

• Your mobility exercises are targeted for your specific discomfort point(s) and the entire body to help improve your range of motion and ease your discomfort.

Yoga and Tai Chi are great examples of other neuromotor exercises. They incorporate a combination of mobility, balance, and breath paired with movement. Pilates and barre are other great ways to challenge your neuromotor skills while incorporating a strength component. There are many great resources available to perform these on your own, but if you prefer to exercise in a group many gyms offer classes.

• Yoga Videos

• Pilates/Yoga Videos

• Tai Chi Video

• Barre Videos

1. Perform a general warm-up of 5-10 min of incline walking, walking, light jogging, biking, elliptical, stairmill, jump rope, jumping jacks, etc., to get your body temperature and heart rate slightly elevated.
2. Perform your body part specific and/or full body warm-up that you will find below.
3. Perform your strength training and/or cardio program. If you are performing a compound lift like a squat, bench press, or deadlift, make sure you perform a few warm-up sets at a lighter weight first.
4. Finish with your targeted and/or full body mobility program below.

Recommended Equipment:

• Mini loop band

• Large loop band–medium-heavy resistance

• Light dumbbell or kettlebell

• Yoga mat