What is the Functional Mobility Formula? The Secret to a Pain-free Life
The Functional Mobility Formula is the foundational approach used in all programs within the Mobility Suite. It’s designed to help you identify, address, and improve movement dysfunctions, allowing you to move with greater ease, flexibility, and stability. This structured method combines mobility training with strength and stability exercises, creating a balanced, results-driven mobility training program that helps reduce pain, enhance movement quality, and prevent injury.
Here’s a breakdown of the Functional Mobility Formula, and how it can elevate your mobility training program for optimal results.
If you prefer videos, watch the video version below!
Step 1: Recognize
The first step in the Functional Mobility Formula is to recognize your movement dysfunctions, often referred to as your “weakest links.” These can be areas of stiffness, restricted range of motion, or muscle imbalances. Identifying these movement limitations before beginning a mobility training program allows for more targeted and effective improvements.
The recognition phase typically involves movement assessments to help you pinpoint problem areas. Knowing what is mobility training and how it addresses movement dysfunctions allows you to be intentional with every exercise, ensuring you’re building a solid foundation for your mobility journey.
An example of recognizing a movement dysfunction would be the ability to easily touch your toes. If you can’t, then tight hamstrings could be your “weakest link,” so in this article I’ll share examples of what moves you would do in each stage for overcoming tight hammies.
Step 2: Reduce
The next step is to reduce muscle tension and improve flexibility in targeted areas through specific stretching techniques. By releasing tight muscles and lengthening restricted areas, you set yourself up for better mobility and control in your movements. Mobility training exercises at this stage are carefully chosen to address tight or overactive muscles, helping you move more fluidly.
The reduce phase is essential to any effective mobility training program, as it clears the way for increased joint mobility. It also supports the next steps by making each movement smoother and more accessible, which is crucial for improving overall movement quality.
Here is an example of an exercise that helps REDUCE hamstring tension (video below).
Step 3: Restore
In the third step, the focus shifts to restoring joint movement and mobility with specific mobility training exercises. This is where the magic of what is mobility training comes into play, as you work through exercises that encourage joints to move through their full range of motion.
Restorative exercises for joints like the hips, shoulders, and spine are central here, targeting commonly restricted areas. With consistent use of mobility training exercises, this stage allows you to gradually rebuild your range of motion, prevent movement limitations, and strengthen your joints for the long term.
Here is an example of an exercise that helps RESTORE hip flexion range of motion after reducing hamstring tension (video below).
Step 4: Reinforce
The final step in the Functional Mobility Formula is to reinforce your mobility gains with stability work, often called prehab training. At this point, you integrate core and joint stability exercises to solidify your improvements. Reinforcing mobility gains not only maintains your progress but also supports movement integrity for safe, fluid motion.
This phase combines strength and mobility training, reinforcing stability in joints and muscle groups and helping to prevent injury. A well-rounded mobility training program incorporates this stability work, which helps to lock in your new range of motion and gives you control over your movements.
Here is an example of an exercise that helps REINFORCE both steps 2 and 3 (video below).
