One of the (many) things that CrossFit is great at is exposing our weaknesses through the constantly varied, functional movement patterns that we employ.
In a single movement (such as an overhead squat) we are able to identify movement dysfunctions ranging from knee/shoulder issues to trunk (mid-line) instability and at the same time, expose our deficiencies in areas such as strength, flexibility, and balance. From there, it is then up to us to do something to improve the dysfunctions and deficiencies that we have identified.
As a starting point for this, Kelly Starrett, a Doctor of Physical Therapy and Owner/Coach of CrossFit San Francisco, has created the MobilityWOD to so that athletes can begin to “systematically begin to address their nasty tissues and grody joint mobility.” If you find yourself tight or sore on a regular basis (if you do CrossFit, you should be nodding your head right now), this is a great resource that is freely available to the community at large. If you aren’t tight or sore, check it out anyways and you might be surprised at how many “issues” you find.
The MobilityWOD takes about 10 minutes each day, and is a great way to start moving in the right direction. If 10 minutes seems like to much of a hassle, check out this 5 minute video, which may or may not change your mind (Warning: video contains cadavers…):
Everyday we try to throw in a few of these “mobility” pieces into our programming. While many of these pieces are geared towards improving movement quality and recovery, the other reason for programming mobility work is to simply expose everyone to different body maintenance strategies. Eventually, it is my hope that everyone will develop a large “toolbox” of things to do when they feel tight or sore and will at least be able to take a crack at addressing their issues, whatever they may be.
Until we get to that point, remember to drink lots of water, and try your best to keep “the fuzz” at bay.
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