This is the story of my Mobility Day creation. It was purely out of necessity as my hips were so tight that running had gotten to a point of pure pain. It all started because I was sitting too long at work during the day and not stretching - even after working out.  

My lesson is for all types of people, though. Whether you are young or old, in shape or not, sitting for too long can well make you really good at sitting.  Standing, walking, running and other movements will continue to become more painful each year you ignore it. Here is how I mixed in mobility and flexibility training into my week, along with adding a standing desk option that changed everything for me 10 years ago when I thought I was no longer going to run. 

As an avid exerciser and now over 50, I faced a daunting challenge almost 10 years ago. I was in the midst of a running cycle, but the pain in my hips was unbearable. I thought this would be my last year running, as the agony of each step seemed to echo through my entire body. 

I could still do squats, bike, and swim, but running had become a test of endurance (and pain tolerance) that I was failing. I felt like my hips were bleeding with each stride, and the high-mileage run cycle I was doing was looming over me like an insurmountable obstacle.

When the time came, I opted to get on a stationary bike for a day instead of running with my training group. I told them to go on without me and hoped to find solace in the familiar rhythm, but I was immediately bored.

I got off the bike and started to stretch, just to ease some of the tension that had built up. And something remarkable happened. The stretching felt great, and I found myself back on the bike, without the usual discomfort. This pattern of biking and stretching became my focus for the next hour, and it was a revelation.

The Mobility Day was created!  5 minutes of cardio + 5 minutes of stretching/foam rolling/massaging for 45-60 minutes is now my mid-week go-to workout.

I walked out of the gym that day feeling literally in NO PAIN. For the first time in months, I was free from the persistent pain that had plagued me. I called it "Mobility Day" and started sharing it with my friend Jim, who was equally amazed by the results. Then, I added it to my latest training and weekly personalized coaching programs. Some weeks since then, I will do an entire week of mobility days just as a training reset in between cycles, but each day now has a short version as a daily cooldown of the above Mobility Day. 

Even for the Young - Mobility Will Help You with Treading and Swimming!We continued incorporating this routine into our weekly training, and the impact was undeniable. Young and older guys found relief and improvement in other activities like obstacle courses, treading water, swimming tighter streamlines, and ankle pain when SCUBA diving/swimming with fins. Fewer injuries and increased performance became the norm, and I felt like I had stumbled upon something life-changing personally. I often tell people who start my online coaching program, "If you learn nothing but how to do this Mobility day from me, it will be worth your time and money just with this added to your life."

After a month of embracing "Mobility Day," as few times a week, I ran again without pain, and my flexibility and joint mobility from head to toe had improved to what they had been in my teens and 20s. The most important thing for me was not being able to run again but being pain-free for everything from walking, sitting, standing, and load-bearing activities. 

As word spread, others began to experience the same transformation, and the possibilities of change became a reality for all of us. The triumph of the human spirit resonated among us, and we found ourselves inspired by the endless potential for growth and transformation. This Mobility Day is so important for me that I share it freely with as many people as possible. However, if you are looking for programming that includes Mobility Day, all of my latest military, police, and special ops training programs incorporate it just like the Tactical Fitness 40+ series. 
 

This program offers a step-by-step instruction with such titles as: 

Part 1) Rebuilding the Foundation (12 weeks) Beginner

Part 2) Taking It to the Next Level (12 weeks) Intermediate

Part 3) Ready to Compete (12 weeks) High Intermediate / Advanced

Part 4) Tactical Fitness for the Athlete over 40 (16 weeks) Advanced

This 4-part series totals 52 weeks of training and can change your life in less than a year so you can rebuild yourself and be proud of your progress and abilities without risk of reinjuring yourself as you will learn about some life changing workouts. IN FACT check this out for FREE: 

See Mobility Day - This is life-changing, and I am offering it to you for FREE even if you don't buy a thing.  Just adding this 1-2 times a week will help you rebuild and move with less pain.  See Don't Skip Mobility Day because learning only this ONE thing from this series will change your life! 

You will learn much more than that!  Some new rules depend on the extent of previous injuries, but you can see huge results IF you follow these new RULES for Fitness Over 40 (and 50+).

In as little as the first week, this program starts out easy with habit-forming workout challenges and progresses logically each week until you are who you used to be. The answer is here. Check out this user's comments:

This book series creates a path to create good fitness and health habits, lose weight, and get into top shape to become an asset (not a liability) in certain situations when needed.

I promise that just because you’re an OG does not mean you can’t perform at a certain level that can save your own life and that of others around you.  You can still train hard – you just have to train smarter." 

There is More To StewSmithFitness.com than You May Know

(In fact, there are more than 40 books, 1000+ articles, online coaching - and more) 

Who is Stew Smith CSCS? Coach, Trainer, Writer, Podcaster: I'm the former Navy SEAL that tactical candidates go to for books, ebooks and online coaching to prepare themselves to get to and through intense tactical assessment and selection programs and qualify for service in their chosen tactical profession.  See More at StewSmithFitness.com

Where to Find More Information About Optimal Performance Training Programs

When you start training again, consider the seasonal tactical fitness model.  I call it A WAY to train and obviously not the only way to train. But it offers the opportunity to never neglect your weaknesses, helps with flexibility and mobility, but will also put you at a level of physical abilities where you are happy with your overall ability to do just about anything. We have a system where the seasons dictate our training. When it is nicer outside, we tend to run and do more calisthenics. When it is colder and not so nice, we lift more, run less, and still maintain our outdoor activities with shorter runs and rucks. Check it out: Seasonal Tactical Fitness Periodization System.