MichaelFounder @ Longevity 100, Firefighter, 40 years old, Training to be strong at 100. Helping men aged 30–50 add 10+ active years through a personal coaching community with 12 niche experts.
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Our recent mastermind session with Jakob Moser focused on the importance of mobility for longevity and maintaining independence as we age.
Jakob, a mobility expert, shared his insights on how mobility plays a crucial role in sustaining movement and avoiding frailty.
Below are key takeaways and community questions from the session inside our community.
Key Points from Jakob:
- Mobility for Longevity: Mobility helps sustain your capacity to move without restriction. It’s a key factor in avoiding weakness and injury as we age.
- Movement Patterns Matter More than Muscles: Jakob emphasized that physical aesthetics aren’t important for longevity. Instead, focusing on movement patterns, such as walking and running, helps keep your body agile.
- Strength Training Is Essential: Even for those who prefer leg-dominant sports, 1–2 full-body strength sessions per week are recommended to build longevity.
- A Holistic Approach to Movement: Jakob encourages a “Movement Practice” — going beyond traditional exercise. It involves integrating acrobatics, dancing, hand-balancing, and more, focusing on movement qualities that translate into daily life.
- Morning Routine: For a 15–20 minute daily mobility routine, Jakob directed participants to his resources on X and his website, Move or Perish.
Top Community Questions and Answers:
- Q1: Can leg-dominant sports maintain upper-body strength? A: While leg-dominant sports like running and cycling promote upper-body rotation, strength training should still be incorporated for longevity. Beginners can start with gymnastic rings to build full-body strength.
- Q2: Does mobility training replace other forms of exercise? A: No. Mobility training supports general fitness, but to bring everything together, Jakob recommends focusing on a generalist approach to movement rather than specializing in a single sport.
- Q3: Can mobility replace stretching post-workout? A: Stretching has limited benefits, and static stretching alone might not help reduce tightness. Instead, Jakob suggests using myofascial release, decompression, and progressive loaded stretches to improve mobility.
- Q4: Best exercises for limited time (30–45 minutes/day)? A: Focus on basic human positions (standing, squatting, kneeling, etc.) and flow movements. Rotate every joint and explore smooth transitions between positions to increase mobility.
- Q5: How do you assess someone’s mobility? A: Jakob assesses students by looking at 6 key areas, see below.
Jakob’s Mobility Assessment Criteria:
Jakob shared the specific areas he focuses on when assessing someone’s mobility. These assessments are designed to gauge the range of motion and mobility restrictions across key parts of the body:
- Neck Flexion & Extension: Evaluates how well the neck moves forward and backward
- T-Spine Flexion & Extension: Looks at the flexibility and movement in the thoracic spine (upper and mid-back).
- T-Spine Rotational Quality: Assesses the rotation and range of motion in the thoracic spine.
- Shoulder Extension & Range of Motion: Focuses on how far the shoulders can extend backward and their overall mobility.
- Hips — Dynamic Activation: Measures how effectively the hips can move and stabilize during dynamic movements.
- Knee Flexion: Checks the range of motion in the knees to ensure smooth bending and straightening.
These mobility assessments provide a comprehensive understanding of areas that may require targeted mobility work, helping individuals address weaknesses and improve overall movement capacity.
Related Reading
- Being More Flexible Could Extend Your Lifespan - health.com
- Strength, balance and mobility - New Scientist
- Mobility - Colorado State University
