Do you know that by the second week of February, around 80% of people fail to keep their New Year's resolutions? In fact, a majority of people report failing their resolutions by January 12th. What is it about getting fit, losing weight, and improving our lives that seems to evade us? Short and sweet: fat loss and the like are motivated by addressing external perceptions of ourselves. However, setting intrinsic goals that have utility (such as feeling better during a run, reducing aches and pains, or managing stress better) have a higher chance of success. In order to achieve your fitness goals, you need to adopt an approach that is based on logic and lays down the proper movement foundation. And the real secret source, its really discipline. I would suggest just showing up is 90% of the equation - we can easily help you with the rest. Remember: basics work best. That’s it. If you have mastery of the basics, you'll be able to squat jump, swing kettlebells, run sprints, push/pull, do a handstand, or pretty much anything else to your heart's content—BUT only after you've got the basics down to a science. Mobility, flexibility and core stability are crucial foundational building blocks. No amount of muscle strength or willpower can compensate for a lack of mobility, at least not without serious repercussions—for instance, pain or injury. Restricted movements will force the body to compensate, which will lead to further dysfunction. Also, if a muscle is not able to reach its ideal length, it cannot produce sufficient force. That’s where Stick Mobility comes in.
What Is Stick Mobility?
Joint mobilization, strength training, and active stretching are the components of Stick Mobility. It reduces the risk of injury, speeds up recovery from strength and conditioning training, and improves athletic performance. The benefits of this activity are wide-ranging, irrespective of one's skill level, fitness level, or experience level. The exercises use a stick as a tool to improve range of motion, muscle activation, coordination, and body awareness to build a strong foundation for better movement and training. This training system is based on the scientific principles of:
● Leverage ● Stability ● Feedback ● Irradiation ● Isometrics ● Coordination
By focusing on applying these principles to your lifestyle (daily living activities), recreational, sporting and good form movement and posture in general, you can potentially reach your optimal health, fitness, performance potential goals, as well as any New Year’s resolutions you may have put in place.
How to STICK to Your New Year's Resolution in 2023
1) Make a S.M.A.R.T. Goal
Get specific. If your goal is vague, you won't be able to monitor your progress or even know when you've reached it. This goes for all of your fitness goals, whether you’re working on mobility, nutrition, strength, or all three!
2) Keep It Simple
If you want to be more active, try Stick Mobility at Gravity Laboratory. That way you don’t have to go crazy and overhaul your whole life on January 1st. After all, having too lofty of a goal usually means you won’t stick to it. Break it down into short duration, attainable goals. Think about getting 1% better each time...that adds up real quick!
Stick Mobility will take you through the three phases of joint mobilization, strength training, and active stretching techniques. Once you’ve built a habit of exercise, you’ll be able to apply the six scientific principles to other active spaces in your life.
3) Enroll in the 6 Week Introduction Program at Gravity Laboratory
Two 55-minute Stick Mobility sessions per week for 6 weeks will address joint mobilization, strength training, and active stretching techniques that will teach you techniques for improving range of motion, muscle activation, full-body strength, and body awareness. You'll learn about the six scientific principles on which this training system is based: leverage, stability, feedback, isometrics, and coordination, and how to integrate these into your daily life and/or training or sporting activities.
Get a head start on your New Year's Resolution and sign up to our intro program at Gravity Laboratory today! Or, if you know someone who would appreciate the gift of mobility, why not package it up as a New Years gift? It’s easy to register online, so you won’t have to worry about a package arriving late or getting lost in the mail!
For more information on Stick Mobility, or to find out more about the other programs that Gravity Laboratory has to offer in Port Moody, BC, contact us on our website or by phoning (604) 351-2517.
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