By Miguel J. Ortiz
It’s very important to balance out the proper amount of strength and recovery when it comes to putting together a quality training program. If you have a busy schedule or are tight for time, getting the appropriate splits between training and recovery can sometimes be a challenge.
What we don’t want to do is favor one over the other. Too much training can lead to heavy fatigue, which could force the body to recover at an inopportune time. Too much recovery and the body can potentially fail to progress through the proper strength requirements. It could even lead to excess soreness when the training kicks back into gear. A great way to keep everything balanced is to utilize “mobility flows” in your training routine. These are similar to yoga poses except you move in and out of the osition instead of holding a stretch. Mobility flows provide great total body core strength and stability during the movement while also adhering to some quality stretching. So, if don’t have enough time to go through a full recovery session and your struggling to balance between strength and flexibility add these mobility flows to your training routine to ensure you stay on track.
Our first movement is a Downward dog, wave unload, cobra flow (youtu.be/FXlEIH-CBb0). It is important to keep flowing. Instead of holding one position, try to increase your range of motion every rep by utilizing proper strength to make the movement smoother. The strength portion of this exercise is felt during the unloading from the downward dog position and smoothly transition into cobra as your upper body has to stay balanced and your core is responsible for unwinding the spine. This exercise will loosen up your hamstrings, lower back and lats. It will also strength your core and upper body specifically the shoulders.
The second movement is the scorpion stretch (youtu.be/5PULJd89N0c). Don’t let the name fool you, there is a lot more strength in this move than you think. The scorpion stretch activates the posterior system while stretching the anterior (or front of the body) simultaneously. While lying on your stomach place your hands wide making a T. Begin by bending your right knee and lifting your foot off the floor. You’ll then activate your hamstring and glutes in order to lift that right knee off the floor. The strength comes in when you begin to touch your right foot to your left hand, crossing your body over and fully activating your posterior system. The stretch will occur on the front of the body in your quads, hip flexors and core. You will only be able to touch your right foot to your left hand if both the strength and flexibility are equal enough to allow the body to do so.
Lastly, give this weighted OH side bend (youtu.be/1MwQjKwuDI0) a try. I highly recommend keeping the weight very light or even holding a T-shirt overhead. This can be very difficult on your core and back when not done properly. If your unable to sit with your legs wide in a tall position, I recommend sitting with your back against a wall to help keep your back upright. This exercise has a fairly simple set up but challenges your core and inner thighs. By staying upright and leaning to reach for your foot, you’ll be stretching the hamstring of the foot you are leaning towards and your opposite lower back. When unwinding back to the original position is where the strength comes. The same side that gets stretched is the same side that will be strengthen in order to bring you back up. It provides great flexibility and strength to the hips, core and shoulders. Have fun including these movement flows in your training routine so you can stay balanced when it comes to proper strength and mobility.
Miguel J. Ortiz is a personal trainer in Atlanta, Georgia. He is a Master Trainer for Pain-Free Performance and a Certified Nutritional Consultant with more than a decade of professional experience. He can be found on Instagram at @migueljortiz. You can find his YouTube channel at tinyurl.com/ORTfitness.
