“I always feel tight, Do I need more mobility work?!?” One of our favorite conversations to have with athletes. It’s rich dialogue, one full of debunking “Nopes” and replacing them with Hope. The content below comes from a paraphrased conversation I had with a world-touring performance artist who was reporting feeling tight hamstrings while lying down on a treatment table, her knee was able to touch her shoulder…
“I always feel tight, Do I need more mobility work?
Is mobility needed to be successful in a particular sport? Yes.
If you don’t have the required mobility for the demands of the sport, does that increase injury risk? Yes.
Does the method in which you attain that mobility matter? Yes.
While stretching, foam rolling, and manual therapy provide short-term success in mobility gains by giving input to change the output of the nervous system, if these are the only relied upon methods you will continue to need them over and over and over again, because they don’t create lasting impact.
The best way to improve long-term mobility is to ask this question: what creates the ‘tightness” you are feeling?
The typical answer, “tight muscles, bruh (the use of bruh is athlete-dependent).”
The next question really opens up the dialogue… What tells a muscle to be tight, and why does it do that?
What Creates The “Tightness” Feeling
A muscle does not know its job; it doesn’t know when it should contract or relax on its own. It has to rely on the signals coming from the nervous system. So why would the nervous system tell a muscle to contract while you are trying to rest, OR when you are trying to perform?
It senses threat or danger; therefore, it protects. To protect against that threat or danger, the nervous system wisely tells the muscles to be tense, giving us the feeling of “tightness”.
The Long-Term Solution
The long-term solution to mobility gains is a nervous system that feels safe.
How do you improve nervous system safety?
- Prepare your body for the demands it is going to be facing by utilizing a Strength & Conditioning program rooted in sports science that allows your body to experience new ranges of motion while also improving the resiliency of the muscles and tendons.
- Equip yourself with the tools to better adapt to the human stressors you face both in and out of sport.
- Understand how the nervous system works and then use it to reach new levels of performance [Learn more about the Brain + Performance here]
FAQ: Muscle Tightness & Mobility
1. Do I need more mobility work if I feel tight?
Short-term tools like stretching, foam rolling, and manual therapy can help, but lasting mobility gains come from addressing why your nervous system is signaling tightness in the first place.
2. What causes the sensation of muscle tightness?
Tightness is usually a protective signal from the nervous system. Muscles contract in response to perceived threat or danger to safeguard joints and tissues, even during rest or performance.
3. How can I improve mobility long-term?
Focus on creating a safe and adaptable nervous system through strength & conditioning programs that progressively expose your body to new ranges of motion, build resiliency in muscles and tendons, and teach your nervous system that it’s safe.
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Author:
Dr. Dillon Caswell, PT, DPT, SCS
Doctor of Physical Therapy | Board Certified Sports Specialist
Hope Evangelist | Top-Selling Author & Speaker | Human Performance Expert
