Move Beyond Your Limitations With Mobility & Strength In Motion

When each of us steps into the gym or onto our yoga mats, we all have different goals in mind. Some of us want to lift heavy and see our strength improve, some want to experience a fiery new level of cardio fitness, while others simply want that feel-good endorphin rush or a routine that will keep them in good health. 

Whatever gets you motivated to move, we can all agree on something - we want to move well and feel good in our bodies for as long as possible. The must-have ingredient when it comes to moving beyond our limitations? Mobility training.

In a first for the Sweat app, trainer Kelly MacDonald is bringing you Mobility & Strength in Motion - a program unlike anything you’ve seen before. And more importantly, a program unlike anything you’ve felt before.

What can you expect in Mobility & Strength in Motion?

Mobility & Strength in Motion is a 6-week training program designed to increase your range of motion, flexibility, strength, posture and body alignment to help you move every day with more freedom and confidence.

“The dictionary defines mobility as the ability to be able to move or be moved freely or easily in relation to the joint, but to me mobility is so much more than that,” says Kelly. “It gives you the freedom to confidently walk through life knowing your body is capable of whatever challenge you throw at it.”

For anyone who is thinking - is this just a bodyweight stretching routine? Heck no. Mobility training is about so much more than a good stretch and it really is for everybody, and every body. Each week, you’ll have four 30-45 minute full-body workouts, alongside cardio sessions to keep you moving. Each workout includes a warm-up, activation, combined mobility and strength section, and cooldown. 

You’ll also be working with a range of equipment (more on that later), alongside a wide variety of unique exercises that will test your mobility and your strength.

How does the program progress?

Kelly has designed her program to progressively improve your strength and mobility over the course of six weeks by increasing the exercise complexity, using exercises where you’re encouraged to push yourself to a deeper range of motion when you feel comfortable, or using heavier weights to challenge your strength in those deeper ranges.

By the end of the six weeks, you might notice your body can move to greater depths much easier, your recovery and overall athletic performance has improved, or your enhanced mobility and strengthened mind-muscle connection allows you to move through your workouts and life in a way you never have.

Why should you care about mobility training?

“Mobility is often thought of as just stretching, but it is so much more than that,” explains Kelly. “Mobility is about the ability of your joints and the strength of all the stabilising muscles to get your body into different positions.”

She’s a firm believer that mobility training is an essential part of any fitness routine, having seen it transform the lives and bodies of countless clients over the years, as well as her own. Start mobility training and get ready to improve how you move.

“It prevents injuries, enhances performance, improves posture and alignment, and is great for recovery. Without mobility training, you increase your chances of injuring yourself, reduce your body’s ability to perform, limit your functional movement and you increase your risk of living in chronic pain or discomfort, either now or in years to come.” 

Now a passionate and sought-after trainer, Kelly’s personal fitness journey originally began as a gymnast - a path that took her to the world stage to represent New Zealand in the Commonwealth Games. Her sights were set on the 2016 Olympics trials, until she faced a career-ending hip injury and was told that it wasn’t the Olympics in her future, but a hip replacement. 

“I refused,” Kelly told us. “I decided to quit gymnastics and dived into strength and mobility training instead - a life-changing move that has guided my career to where it is today. My relationship with my body is now so positive and I’m very grateful to be able to move and bend into positions with confidence and without pain.” 

Kelly quite literally moved beyond what everyone thought was possible, and now she helps others to do the same.

What equipment will you need?

Having access to a gym will allow you to get the most out of the program by using a range of small equipment (detailed in the second list below) as well as large equipment and machines, including: 

• Cable machine

• Squat rack

• Incline bench and decline bench

• Plyo box

• Barbell

• Back extension 

• GHD machine

If you’re working out at home, you can use the exercise substitution feature in the Sweat app whenever these larger pieces of gym equipment appear, but you’ll still need access to smaller pieces of equipment such as:

• Fitball

• Dumbbells

• Foam roller

• Recovery and resistance bands

• Weight plate

• Step

• Slider (can be substituted with a towel) 

• Pilates ball (can be substituted with a rolled up towel) 

• Dowel (can be substituted with a broomstick)

• Slant board (can be substituted with a weight plate for heel elevation).

What if you don’t want to commit to a full program?

If you’re in the middle of another Sweat program and don’t want to switch, but are interested in making mobility a regular party of your existing workout routine, we’ve got you! Kelly also has a collection of individual mobility sessions available in the On Demand section of the Sweat app - simply scroll down and you’ll find her Mobility Series where you can complete standalone sessions from the comfort of your own home when it best suits you.

Ready to rethink everything you know about mobility training and stretch the possibilities of your training? Mobility & Strength in Motion is available exclusively in the Sweat app now.