28/04/2025
Things that impact mobility that most people dont think about.....feeling safe
Feeling safe has a few contexts. Obviously, in a literal context, if someone feels physically unsafe, they will move differently. Think walking through a room that's pitch black. You're not sure exactly where things are, and you will inherently move slower and not as well as if the conditions were normal. But a more interesting context is when someone doesn't feel safe moving their body for other reasons.....
Maybe because of an injury whenever they do X, there is pain, and so now they don't feel safe moving a part of their body because it might provoke that pain. They don't feel safe moving their body. They don't know when something will get provoked, and so it makes sense their mobility is impacted by more than just a mechanical issue.
This is one of the reasons why a movement practice that improves mobility can be so helpful. Not only can someone start to identify what specific movements are problematic for their body, but it can also start to build confidence with someone by reintroducing low level movements that are not problematic when their previous experiences would say otherwise. They feel safe moving things again because they know they can do it in one context, and it will only be a matter of time until they can do it in any context.
Feeling safe in your body is more than just a psychological or emotional interpretation, and it's something that can be trained. If you're looking for an easy opportunity to start that practice, I recommend you join me for my weekly mobility class. You can join live or follow along with any of the previously recorded classes. It's totally free and accessible for anyone. Just DM me for the info, and I hope to see you there!