There comes a point where you realise your warm up is no longer optional.
In my twenties, I could walk into a gym half asleep, do two arm swings, maybe touch your toes once, then launch into a session like the Rock (yeah I know, I wish)
No warm-up.
No mobility.
No recovery plan.
No consequence.
Then I got a ‘little’ bit older.
Now when I bend down to pick something up I make a noise usually reserved for farm gates. I sit at a desk for a few hours and stand up like I have been assembled from old scaffolding. I start a workout and the first ten minutes feel less like training and more like negotiating with my knees, hips, shoulder, ankles and……….
I have realised that a lot of men say the same thing
“I need to get more flexible.”
Maybe.
But probably NOT!!!
For most men over 40, the bigger issue is not flexibility.
It’s mobility.
And no, they are not the same thing.
Flexibility is not the whole answer
Flexibility is your ability to stretch a muscle through a range of motion.
Can you touch your toes?
Can you stretch your hamstrings?
Can you pull your heel towards your arse without cramping like you have been tasered?
Well, that is flexibility. And yes It matters. Tight muscles can affect how you move. Stretching can help. I am not saying flexibility is not important or pointless.
But flexibility on its own does not mean you can move well.
Being able to flop into a stretch does not mean you can squat well, lunge well, press well, rotate well or control your body under load.
That is where mobility comes in.
Mobility is usable movement
Mobility is everywhere on Instagram and TikTok. Every influencer has a "fix your hips in 30 seconds" clip. The problem is not that nobody says the word, it is that hardly anybody means it. What gets posted is someone impossibly bendy folding into a position you will never reach, with no load, no repetition and no plan. When I hear mobility, I still picture a 90 year old cruising down Benidorm sea front on a pimped up mobility scooter.
But mobility is quite simply your ability to move a joint through a range of motion with control.
That last bit matters. With control.
Not just “can I get into this position if gravity is involved?”
Mobility is what lets us use our range of motion in real life and in training.
It is the difference between:
- Being able to stretch your hips on the floor.
- Being able to squat properly without your lower back joining in like an unwanted guest.
It is the difference between:
- Pulling your arm across your chest and calling it a shoulder stretch.
- Pressing overhead without turning it into a standing lower-back extension.
It is the difference between:
- Having flexible hamstrings.
- Being able to hinge properly without rounding yourself into a question mark.
Flexibility gives you range.
Mobility gives you control.
Strength gives you the ability to do something useful with it.
Why it matters more as you get older.
This is not one of those “after 40 everything falls apart” posts.
I hate that rhetoric.
We are not done at 35, 40, 50, 60 you get the picture. We are not finished we are not suddenly made of glass because we have a few miles on the clock.
But we do need to be smarter.
Our bodies get less forgiving.
Old injuries like to remind us that they still have our number. Recovery takes a bit more planning. Sitting down all day leaves a mark. Sleep, stress and work all start impact your training.
We CAN still train hard. We just cannot train stupid and expect to keep getting away with it.
That is the difference!
Stretching the tight bit is not always the fix
This is where people get it wrong.
Something feels tight, so they stretch it.
Hamstrings feel tight? Stretch hamstrings.
Hip feels tight? Stretch hip.
Shoulder feels tight? Stretch shoulder.
Lower back feels tight? Stretch lower back.
Sometimes that helps.
Sometimes that’s just a short term apology to an area that is annoyed because something else is not doing its job.
For example:
Your hips might feel tight because your glutes are not contributing enough.
Your lower back might feel stiff because your hips and upper back are not moving well.
Your shoulders might feel restricted because your upper back is locked up from years of desk work, driving and sitting like a prawn over a laptop.
That does not mean you need to panic. It means you need to look at movement as a system.
The body is very good at compensation, it’s what keeps us working in the moment.
Unfortunately, compensation usually comes back later, like that heartburn after a cracking curry.
I’m sure you can relate, right? Hurt your left shoulder and suddenly you can’t run that 5k without your knee complaining. That’s because your body works as a unit not a disparate set of muscles and joints.
What we ACTUALLY need
Extreme flexibility is not needed.
You probably do not need to do the splits.
Unless you have a very specific reason, and let’s not go there, it is not the priority.
What you need is usable range.
Enough hip movement to squat and hinge properly.
Enough ankle movement to lunge and squat without folding in half.
Enough shoulder movement to press, pull and reach without everything feeling jammed.
Enough upper back movement so your lower back does not have to do every job like that over eager office junior vying for your job.
Enough control to own the positions you train in. That’s the sweet spot.
Not bendy for the sake of being bendy.
But Capable!
So what do you need to do?
Hips
If your hips are stiff, everything starts to get messy.
Squats feel awkward. Deadlifts feel off. Lunges feel like a personal attack. Your lower back starts doing work it was never hired to do.
Good hip mobility helps with:
- Squatting
- Lunging
- Hinging
- Walking
- Running
- Getting off the floor without sounding like an 80’s ‘x rated’ movie.
Do these movements:
- 90/90 hip switches
- Hip flexor rocks
- Glute bridges
- Deep squat holds
- Controlled lunges
The goal is not to force yourself into some yoga position for an Instagram pose.
The goal is to move better and own more range.
Ankles
Ankles are boring until they are the thing ruining your squat.
Poor ankle mobility can make your heels lift, knees cave, torso fold forward or depth disappear completely.
And then people blame their knees.
Sometimes the knees are not the villain. Sometimes they are just stuck in the middle between your feet and hips.
Do these movements:
- Knee-to-wall ankle rocks
- Calf raises
- Tibialis raises
- Split squat holds
- Slow bodyweight squats
If your squat feels awful, look at your ankles before deciding your body is broken.
Shoulders
Shoulders are complicated.
They need strength, control and decent movement from the upper back and shoulder blades. Stretching the front of your shoulder for ten seconds before bench press is probably not going to cut it.
Do these movements:
- Wall slides
- Band pullaparts
- Controlled shoulder circles
- Dead hangs – Build up to these by starting with supported feet (its important)
- Light pressing and pulling patterns
Shoulder mobility should feel controlled.
If it feels sharp or pinchy stop forcing it.
Upper back
The upper back gets stiff very easily.
Desk work, driving, phones, stress and year of bad posture, yes, your parents were right!
When the upper back stops moving well, the shoulders and lower back often pick up the slack.
That is rarely good news.
Do these movements:
- Thread the needle rotations
- Open books
- Cat cow
- Foam roller extensions
- Half kneeling rotations
Core control
Your core helps you keep position while the rest of your body moves.
This matters for lifting, running, carrying, rotating and generally not folding under you like a camping chair after a few too many ‘hydration’ breaks.
Do these movements:
- Dead bugs
- Bird dogs
- Side planks
- Pallof presses
- Loaded carries
This is not about having visible abs.
It is about being able to brace, move and control your body properly.
Keep going.
No circus tricks.
No nonsense.
Just better movement, done consistently.
NOT DONE YET!