Parenting Mobility Guide

This article is for parents asking me how to address mobility for young people, but I hope this makes the subject of mobility simpler for anyone who reads it:

Stage 1 of 4: Do Nothing!

If you observe children, you’ll see they naturally spend time on mobility. In fact, they’re masters! Enjoy the fact that you don’t have to rush “mobility” or “exercise” for kids: Just let them be kids!

*Before I explain the exercises: I don’t think young people need to work on any of these moves more than ONE TIME PER WEEK.

I believe in a wide variety of sports, daily music, daily personal reading time, etc., and rotating through different physical fitness methods no more than once per week each.

It’s amazing how well young bodies can develop through fun, consistency and recovery over years instead of rushing and abusing them.

Stage 2 of 4: Ankle-Knee Prep Window

You have an incredible opportunity to build lower body strength and flexibility before problems occur.

Age 10-15 is my general estimate on when it would be advantageous to master this.

Deep split squats to the front and sides allows you to address:

-ankle mobility

-knee and leg strength

-groin and hip flexibility and strength

These are exponentially harder to learn later in life. (But we will get to that, too!)

When it comes to knee problems later in life, ample research shows: STRENGTH MATTERS.

When it comes to lower back problems later in life, ample research shows: MOBILITY MATTERS.

When it comes to protecting your body, I see it as both scientific and common sense that THE ABILITY OF YOUR BODY MATTERS.

You have no guarantees.

Life is hard.

Better control of your body can help.

Stage 3 of 4: Lower Spine Prep Window

It’s surprising and disappointing how many teenagers develop lower back problems!

I believe Stage 2 above helps prevent them.

However, teenagers are often thrown right into heavy weight lifting which may be too much for the lower spine, no matter how good your lower body strength and flexibility is.

My best friend in high school was forced into max squats at age 15 and broke his back. He spent the next year having to wear some sort of PVC/metal vest around his torso!

His mental toughness was incredible, and he pushed onward with a smile on his face, but even into adulthood he had extreme fear around his lower back.

My advice is simply to BUILD UP SOME MUSCLE AROUND YOUR LOWER SPINE BEFORE YOU LIFT NEAR-MAX WEIGHTS.

This can be done simply for the lower back muscles and the QL (quadratus lumborum) muscles, which are on each side of your lower spine and attach into your lower spine.

I’m showing you only 4 exercises!

I believe these 4 are workable as a basis of mobility for life, but please note that exercise is a beautiful freedom and different methods can add up to the same or similar results.

If you told me I couldn’t do any of the 4 exercises, I would simply work on other methods of addressing the same qualities.

I chose these 4 for their accessibility and effectiveness at building well-rounded abilities for the lower body and lower spine.

Stage 4 of 4: REVERSING IT

Once you’ve lost mobility, especially if you’re in pain, it can be tough to get back.

Fortunately, two factors jump out to give us a roadmap:

RANGE

LOAD

(You could also think of this as a progression from STABILITY back to MOBILITY.)

Adults often assume they “can’t” do all sorts of mobilities, when in fact, they have some degree of strength and some degree of flexibility.

Both the lower back and QL muscles can progress from simply HOLDING the top position, then 1 inch of movement, then 2 inches, etc.

I have no judgment on how far you go or how much load you use!

You can also reduce the range and load of the split squats by:

-elevating the working leg

-elevating the heel of the working leg

-assisting

-only going down as far as you are pain-free

Thousands of adults have now used this knowledge to improve mobility and reduce knee and lower back problems.

Mobility isn’t something you “have or don’t have.”

You have some degree of it, and you can control its factors and thus better control your mobility, whether teenager or grandparent.

Yours in Solutions,

Ben

Mobility Made Simple program and form-coaching:

https://www.atgonlinecoaching.com

Equipment:

https://www.atgequipment.com

To see if there’s an in-person coach near you:

https://map.atgforcoaches.com

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