When it comes to strength training, there are the major muscles and muscle groups that most of us are probably pretty familiar with: quads, biceps, glutes, you know—the heavy hitters and leading ladies of the body. But then there are the supporting players, the ones that a lot of us might not have paid much attention to. Turns out, in order to increase mobility, balance is key and those quiet powerhouses play a critical role in how your body moves and stabilizes. Neglecting them can lead to imbalances, discomfort, and even injury. Let’s shine the spotlight on some of these muscle groups and discuss how sharing focus with them can make a huge difference in improving and maintaining mobility as we age.
Gluteus Medius
The gluteus medius (or “glute” medius to his friends) is located on the outside of the hip, and is one of the main muscles responsible for hip abduction. When you lift your leg to the side, like when you do a Jane Fonda-style side lying leg lift, the glute medius is powering that motion. Thanks to all the sitting so many of us do at desks, it’s very common for the glute medius and its fellow hip abductors to weaken. Hip abductors play a crucial role in hip and knee stability, so that weakness can lead to knee injuries, lower back pain, hip pain, and more musculoskeletal issues. Women in particular can be prone to injuries like ACL tears due to the angle at which the femur exits the pelvis (the Q-angle). Ever wonder why so many teen girl soccer players tear their ACLs? As young women grow, that Q-angle is a new development in their musculoskeletal system and in a dynamic sport like soccer, they’re putting a lot of stress on a growing and changing system.
Exercises for Strengthening the Gluteus Medius/Hip Abductors:
- Side lying hip abductor (leg lifts)
- Fire hydrants
- Forward lunges
- Lateral banded crab walk
- Clam shells
- Single leg squats
- Single leg deadlift
Stretches for Increasing Flexibility in the Gluteus Medius/Hip Abductors:
- Cross-legged glute stretch
- Z-sit or pigeon pose
- Figure-four stretch
- Standing side bend
Posterior Chain
The posterior chain is essentially everything on your back body (hence the term “posterior”) and consists of calves, hamstrings, adductors, glutes (including our pal glute medius), transverse abdominis, spinal erectors, rhomboids, lats, posterior deltoids, and upper, middle, and lower traps. The posterior chain helps you maintain balance and stability, which in turn improves mobility, allowing you to engage in exercises like running with better form and reduce your risk of injury with better alignment. How come the posterior chain is considered a neglected muscle group? Well if you work out in a gym with mirrors, the front side of your body is the one you’re usually looking at, and as they say, out of sight, out of mind. Strengthening the posterior chain is something all the desk-sitters out there definitely need to pay attention to, since doing so helps you maintain upright posture and prevent back pain. And a strong posterior chain is especially important for preventing age-related sarcopenia, or bone and muscle mass loss.
Exercises for Strengthening the Posterior Chain:
- Deadlift
- Glute bridges
- Reverse lunges
- Calf raises
Stretches for Increasing Flexibility in the Posterior Chain
- Seated four-figure stretch
- Standing hamstring stretch
- Downward-facing dog
Hip Flexors and TFL (Tensor Fascia Lata)
Your hip flexor muscles allow you to flex your hip, like when you bring your knee closer to your chest, or do a high forward kick (anyone else obsessed with the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders kickline?), or even just take a step. Thanks again to the amount of sitting we do in this modern age, hip flexors can actually shorten and tighten. Shorter, tighter muscles generate less power, causing functional problems that can lead to anterior pelvic tilt and lower back pain. Strengthening and stretching hip flexors is super important for maintaining mobility as you get older, because they can improve your balance and ameliorate other issues. Hip flexor flexibility is essential for maintaining a healthy stride while walking and running, as well as upright posture.
The TFL is a small muscle in the side of your thigh that works with other muscle groups to help move and stabilize your hips and knees. Its main function is in assisting in walking and is a vital part of mobility. Like the hip flexors, the TFL can also get tight from prolonged sitting, and cause anterior pelvic tilt or other issues.
Exercises for Strengthening Hip Flexors and TFL:
- Hip hike
- Internal hip rotation
- Lunges
- Straight-leg raises
- Psoas hold
- Mountain climbers
Stretches for Increasing Flexibility in Hip Flexors and TFL:
- Hip extension bridge
- Reclining spinal twist
- Seated half spinal twist
- Low lunge side bend
- Half kneeling hip flexor stretch
- Knee to chest stretch
- Pigeon pose
Core Strength and Pelvic Alignment
We’ve mentioned anterior pelvic tilt a couple times already. It’s common in folks with lower back pain and often due to tight hip flexors, but a weak core can also be a contributing factor. Strengthening your core, glutes, and hamstrings can help to neutralize pelvic tilt, improving posture, and reducing lower back pain. The transverse abdominis is the deepest abdominal muscle and it’s particularly important for supporting the spine and maintaining proper alignment. Activating the transverse abdominis before workouts can enhance your stability throughout your body.
Exercises for Core Strength to Support Pelvic Alignment:
- Transverse abdominis activation
- Pelvic floor activation
- Table top leg lifts
- Heel scrapes
- Bridge
- Floor superman
- Oblique twists
- Planks
- Bird dog
Stretches for Supporting Pelvic Alignment:
- Half-kneeling hip flexor stretch
- Knee to chest
- Knee to opposite shoulder
- Child’s pose
- Happy baby pose
- Flat frog pose
- Hamstring stretch
Shoulder and Upper Body Strength
Rounded shoulders (yet another side effect of all this sitting and staring at screens!) can limit shoulder mobility and increase injury risk, especially when lifting or handling objects (or grandkids). Strengthening the muscles between your shoulder blades, like the rhomboids and lats, helps you maintain good posture by pulling the shoulders back, increasing mobility and reducing the risk of shoulder impingements. Engaging these muscles during everyday tasks can prevent common injuries and enhance overall upper body movement. Strong rotator cuff muscles support your shoulder joint and are less prone to injury, and stretching them improves and maintains your range of motion, which further helps prevent injury.
Exercises for Strengthening Shoulders and Upper Body:
- Prone bent-arm external shoulder rotations
- Side-lying external shoulder rotations
- Pendulum
- Scapula setting
- Seated press ups
- Front raise thumbs up
- Scapular wall slides
- Alternating bring backs
- Belly penguins
- Reverse snow angels
- Pulse row
- Seal push up
- Planks
Stretches for Flexibility in Shoulders and Upper Body:
- Cross-body shoulder stretch
- Child’s pose
- Doorway stretch
- Sleeper stretch
- Wall press
- Eagle pose
- Cat-cow
- Downward-facing dog
- Upward-facing dog
- Neck stretches
- Clasped-hand extension
Foot Mobility and Activation
Your feet are the foundation of your body, but when was the last time you thought about your foot strength? It’s time to give those puppies some love, because weaknesses in your feet can have a domino effect on other body systems. For example, flat feet or pronation (where the foot rolls inward) can lead to inordinate stress on the feet and lower body. Strengthening and limbering up your feet and ankles can help you prevent injury and chronic pain issues.
Exercises for Strengthening Feet and Ankles:
- Toe curls
- Toe raises
- Toe splays
- Barefoot beach walk in sand
- Ankle alphabet
- Heel raises
- Ankle pump up and down
Stretches for Flexibility in Feet and Ankles:
- Toe extensions
- Big-toe stretch
- Achilles stretch
- Bent-knee wall stretch
Get Balanced
Strengthening and stretching these oft-neglected muscles and muscle groups will do wonders for improving and maintaining your mobility, especially if you’ve been working out the better-known muscles and may be experiencing some imbalances as a result. Any workout plan should hit every major muscle group on a regular basis to ensure you’re giving yourself the best chance at staying active as you age.
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