MAIN TOPIC: WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO MOBILIZE?

Mobility is a factor that can help every athlete, especially those looking to run better and stay healthy. Mobility is essential to improving the performance of the kinetic chain. This week we have leading musculoskeletal specialist, Phil Wharton on the A to Z Running Podcast to help us dive into mobility and the benefits of AIF (Active Isolated Flexibility). 

First, what do we know about mobility?

 Jay Dicharry’s presents 3 aspects of mobility in his book Running Rewired (affiliate link) including joint inhibition, myofascial adhesion, and general shortness of muscle tissue.

We know that because there are different aspects of immobility, there are different ways and reasons to mobilize. We should be incorporating some form of myofascial release, especially when needed with perhaps some manual manipulation built in to the process (like a lacrosse ball, etc.). We should also include some form of dynamic mobilizing to lengthen, break inhibitions around joints, and activate muscles properly.

This last part is one of the most controversial… static? Dynamic? No stretching? Yoga? 

That’s why, to best answer the question, we decided to talk to one of the running world’s leading experts, musculoskeletal specialist and founder of the Active Isolated Flexibility technique as we understand it today, Phil Wharton.

About our guest: Phil Wharton

Musculoskeletal Specialist, Author

Phil Wharton’s path to becoming a musculoskeletal specialist started when he was a young runner. He developed a 33-degree curvature of the spine/scoliosis, which produced constant pain. Through this work, he was able to end the pain, correct the problem, and continue his running career.  He later went on to run a 2:23 marathon.

The Whartons have taken the mystery and confusion out of attaining optimum health, providing simple solutions to complicated problems. A key component of the Wharton Process is education – providing people with the tools necessary to harness and achieve their optimum health.  Health, fitness, and athletics are a metaphor for the human spirit, a spirit that is indomitable and expansive. 

 Phil Wharton is the renowned author of The Wharton Health Series – which includes The Wharton Stretch Book, The Wharton Strength Book, The Wharton Cardio-Fitness Book, and The Wharton Back Book – the Whartons have worked with hundreds of Olympic athletes in a variety of disciplines.  They have also been featured on Dateline NBC, The Discovery Channel, and they have appeared in many publications including Runner’s World, Shape, USA Today, and The Wall Street Journal.  They have also been featured on the online editions of The New York Times and National Public Radio; their columns, “The Body Shop” and “Whartons Simple Solutions” appeared for several years in Runner’s World and Running Times respectively. 

Follow Phil Wharton
Instagram: @whartonhealth
Twitter:@phil_wharton
Website: https://www.whartonhealth.com/

EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT: 15% off all Wharton Health educational products and services. “AZRUNNING” is the discount code to use at checkout. Hurry though, the offer expires 10/31. 

You can use the discount shopping Wharton Health educational products, digital downloads, streaming channel, books, and blog. 

Check out Wharton Health’s free resources in the library,  articles and more information in the pressroom. 

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