AMA: An Easy Way to Move Better
AMA: An Easy Way to Move Better
Improve your mobility, live longer, and be ready for anything.
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In today’s AMA, we’ll be tackling one question
I recently received a question from a Member of the Two Percent community. It’s a good one!
I loved the question because it highlights a problem everyone faces as we age. Yet it’s an easy problem to fix—and the solution delivers massive returns.
The question:
As I get older, other than the graying hair, the one thing that has made me feel noticeably older is getting up from the ground. But I'm also noticing that getting down to the ground is also less graceful. For example, getting into a crawl space or fixing a leak under the sink. I’m not as good at that as I once was. I'm not looking to move like a gymnast or dancer, but I'm wondering how much of this is flexibility, mobility, etc, and what I can do to fix the problem.
So the question is basically: How do I move well and not feel stiff as I age?
Why it matters:
Movement quality is at an all-time low.
Anthropologists at USC note that people in developed countries, on average, have less mobility and full range of motion in their joints. This is why we tend to have much higher rates of hip, back, and knee diseases.Yet the NIH notes that moving well as you age is a key to longevity:
“Older adults who lose their mobility are less likely to remain living at home; have higher rates of disease, disability, hospitalization, and death; and have poorer quality of life.”
Mobility is critical for performance.
People with poorer mobility generally perform worse in workouts, outdoor activities, and all sports. Not moving well hurts efficiency—it’s like using more gas to go the same distance.Solid mobility also reduces your risk of injury.
If you can’t get range of motion from the right joint, your body finds range from other places—which can put stress on the joints upstream or downstream from the stuck joint. For example, people with tight ankles often have knee or hip issues.Mobility is critical in an emergency.
Being able to move fast and well determines whether you’ll be able to get up and down off the ground or move quickly.
How we answered this question
I conducted some initial research, which I explain in the audio and transcript.
This section lays out the state of movement and why movement is essential.
It also covers four caveats to mobility and how to approach moving better in a way that helps you rather than hurts you.
Then I jumped on a call with Kelly and Juliet Starrett.
These two are arguably the godfather and godmother of the mobility movement. They popularized mobility and its importance.
Kelly’s book Becoming a Supple Leopard is basically the bible of mobility. And Kelly and Juliet’s new book, Built to Move, is a wonderful and practical guide to help us all move and live better.
Below you’ll find:
A link to the podcast.
My video conversation with the Starretts.
Important resources, citations, and links.
A rough transcript of the full Member episode.