3 Must-Have Pieces of Mobility Equipment for Skiers
Mobility has been the hot word in fitness for the past several years. That’s not to say that mobility training and recovery programming hasn’t been present in the sports world. Rather, with prominent sports therapy figures like Dr. Kelley Starrett, author of “Becoming a Supple Leopard”, the idea of mobility was placed front and center in the fitness world. Everyone wants a piece of mobility.
The utilization of techniques described in Kelley’s book coupled with the industry growth of companies like Therabody and Hyperice even further bolstered mobility training’s place in sports and fitness. These companies will continue to anchor themselves to sports teams, athletes, and individuals in the general population looking to live a pain-free enjoyable life.
But what is mobility, how do we improve it, and what tools should we actually use to maintain proficiency? I cover these three questions below:
What Is Mobility:
The Oxford dictionary describes “mobility” as “the ability to move or be moved freely and easily”. This can be easily considered in terms of socioeconomic position, work from home capabilities, or access to roads that either enhance or limit one’s mobility between cities.
But in sport, we use this term to specifically mean the ability for a joint to be moved freely and easily through the entire available range of motion. Poor mobility would suggest that these ranges are limited due to a myriad of factors such as muscle length, the presence of arthritis, the lack of cartilage, or restrictions from a nearby tendon or ligament that prevent the joint from operating properly.
Someone described as having good mobility can be imagined to access any and all ranges of a joint without pain or restriction. However, mobility and stability need to be kept entirely separate for the sake of this blog post. Stability has much more to do with muscle capabilities and how they act on the joints they support. We will cover that in a future blog post.
Now that we have a clear understanding of what mobility is, let’s cover different ways to improve mobility.
How to Improve Mobility:
The main goal of any program should be to first screen the body for current limitations in range of motion, assess the best way to tackle these limitations, and finally devise a plan to incorporate various exercises and tools to promote a full range of motion that can then be stabilized to support increased loading over time (more weight per exercise) which will lead to a more capable athlete in any circumstance. This doesn’t mean that the individual needs to squat 2x their bodyweight because they have good hip mobility, it means that they should improve the total amount of weight they can lift relative to their starting point because they have good hip mobility.
Once a joint is identified as having a limit in the range of motion, such as the knee being unable to flex past 90 degrees, then a plan must be established that combines static and dynamic stretching, the use of mobility tools, and various foam rolling approaches that help release fascial tissue that can bind the muscle fibers. The joint should also be assessed based on the individuals height, weight, and desired use. This is a key aspect because the requirements for mobility are entirely sport specific. A skier needs a much different range of motion proficiency at the knee than say a kayaker. For this, the sport must be considered in establishing goal ranges.
Recommended Pieces of Mobility Equipment:
The following tools are recommended based on opinion but not expertise within the physical therapy, orthopedic, or chiropractic field. These are my opinions based on my experience. That being said, It is advisable to first clear any and all questions with your doctor or medical professional before attempting to use any of the following pieces of mobility equipment.
The Pso Rite was developed in order to best target the psoas muscle in the absence of a physical therapist. The tool works by applying pressure to the abdominal wall, penetrating the abdominal wall, and applying pressure to the psoas muscle which connects the lumbar vertebrae to the front of the pelvis. Tension in this muscle can contribute to lower back pain, creating limitations on snow. I personally suffered from disc issues as a mogul skier and had to regularly see a physical therapist for manual releases of the psoas muscles.
Today, I am able to lay on the Pso Rite for long enough durations to provide some release to the psoas and temporary improve mobility at my hip. Although the Pro Rite was designed with the psoas in mind, I find it particularly useful for release of the posterior neck muscles as well as my glutes and erectors.
The Hyperice Hypersphere Mini provides excellent spot relief around tough-to-hit muscles such as glute medius and soleus (calf muscle). I also like to use the mild vibration setting on my quad muscle while laying face down.
The Hyperice operates using vibration technology that assists in the release of fascial tissue through percussive therapy. I prefer the mini sphere to the full size foam roller because of its portability. I can very easily put the mini sphere in my ski bag and travel with it or use it right before putting my boots on. As I always say, consistency is king, and the mini sphere allows for maximum consistency in your mobility routine and recovery due to portability.
3. Trigger Point Grid Foam Roller
There are many different foam rollers out there and they all operate on the same principle; apply pressure to the fascial tissue to release tension, increase circulation, and provide temporary improvements in the joint’s range of motion. My go-to is the Trigger Point mini foam roller because, once again, it’s small and portable.
Mobility and self-myofascial release (foam rolling) are extremely important to me when I’m traveling or flying to ski a new mountain. Plane flights are notorious for shortening our hamstrings and causing unwanted tightness on ski trips. The small foam roller is easy to pack and provides good full body relief once I land.
Unlike the Hyperice, the Trigger Point roller covers more surface area so it’s preferable for massaging larger portions of the body versus specific zones or tension points. One is great but both is optimal.
Remember that mobility must be practiced and implemented in a structured fashion. Some foam rolling is better than none but sticking to a mobility program such as Mobility Level II or III is even better. You will undoubtedly feel the difference of structured, consistent, self-massage compared to sporadic needs-based attempts to fix issues.
Here are three things to remember before you go:
- Always roll, release, and mobilize after long flights and car rides
- The Trigger Point Grid Foam Roller is the most versatile and cheapest option
- Consistency beats intensity. Do a little, consistently, and see big changes.