Aretas Connects Vol. 14 | Move with Freedom: The Power of Mobility & Stability

Hey Aretas Performance Community,

You're committed to building strength and want a nice long healthspan. But how well does your body actually move? Beyond raw strength, the quality of your movement—your ability to move freely and with control—is fundamental to both peak performance and a pain-free life.

At Aretas Performance, we understand that true athleticism and lasting well-being are built on a solid foundation. This week, we're diving into two critical, interconnected concepts: Mobility and Stability, and why mastering them is essential for every body.

Mobility & Stability

Often confused, mobility and stability work hand-in-hand to create efficient, powerful, and safe movement.

• Mobility is your body's ability to move through a full, unrestricted range of motion at a joint. This involves having the necessary flexibility, coupled with the control to actively move into and out of those ranges. Think of it as your freedom of movement.

• Stability is your body's ability to control movement and maintain proper alignment, preventing unwanted motion. This encompasses the strength and coordination that allows your joints to be secure and your body to transfer force effectively. Think of it as your control of movement.

The Joint-by-Joint Approach

At Aretas Performance, we apply principles from leading experts like Gray Cook and Mike Boyle, who advocate for the Joint-by-Joint Approach. This concept highlights that our body's joints have alternating primary needs: one joint typically needs mobility, while the adjacent one needs stability. When this balance is disrupted, movement suffers, and pain or injury can arise.

Here's how it generally breaks down:

• Ankle: Needs Mobility (for walking, squatting, jumping)

• Knee: Needs Stability (to control movement)

• Hip: Needs Mobility (for powerful rotation and leg movement)

• Lumbar Spine (Lower Back): Needs Stability (to protect the spine)

• Thoracic Spine (Upper Back): Needs Mobility (for rotation and overhead movement)

• Scapula (Shoulder Blade): Needs Stability (to support the shoulder)

• Shoulder: Needs Mobility (for arm rotation and reaching)

Why This Is Crucial for You:

• Optimized Performance: Understanding this alternating pattern allows us to identify and address limitations. For instance, if your hips lack mobility, your lower back might try to compensate by becoming too mobile, leading to instability and potential pain. By restoring hip mobility and lumbar stability, you unlock more powerful and efficient movements like squats, hinges, pushes, and pulls, which are all foundational movements.

• Injury Prevention: Many common aches and pains (especially in the back, hips, and shoulders) stem from this imbalance. Poor mobility can force joints into vulnerable positions, while lacking stability means your body can't control forces, increasing injury risk. Consistent mobility work and understanding joint mechanics are key to preventing breakdown and building a resilient body.

• Pain Reduction: By addressing the root cause of compensation—whether it's a stiff hip or an unstable core—we can alleviate undue stress on vulnerable areas like your back and knees. Strengthening your core's ability to resist rotation and extension directly improves spinal health and reduces back pain.

• Enhanced Longevity: Moving well and pain-free means you can continue to enjoy your active lifestyle well into your later years, maintaining independence and vitality.

True resilience throughout your entire kinetic chain comes from integrated, controlled movement that builds strength and control through your full range of motion.

Bridging the Gap: Mobility, Stability, and the Journey to Motherhood

The principles of mobility and stability are foundational for everyone, but they become particularly vital during significant life stages, such as pregnancy and postpartum. This past weekend, I (Laura Sadowsky) attended Birthfest, and it became incredibly clear: there's a significant gap in specialized, evidence-based strength training and nutrition for pre- and postnatal women. While excellent yoga and Pilates offerings exist, comprehensive training that addresses the unique mobility and stability demands of this transformative period is often limited.

And it matters immensely. The journey from "bump to baby" demands incredible strength, resilience, and vitality. As a mom of two and a Certified Pre- and Postnatal Coach, I've seen firsthand how crucial targeted support is for navigating these changes with confidence and minimizing discomfort.

Why Specialized Strength & Nutrition are Your Superpowers During Motherhood:

• Alleviates Pregnancy Symptoms: Appropriate resistance training, focusing on maintaining crucial mobility (like in the hips) and stability (especially in the core and pelvis), can significantly reduce common discomforts like back pain and fatigue.

• Supports a Healthy Delivery: Strength training is shown to increase uterine blood flow and can enhance the likelihood of a vaginal delivery, with a body that's both mobile and stable for the demands of labor.

• Faster, Stronger Recovery: Intelligent postpartum training helps you rebuild foundational core and full-body strength, enabling effective healing and preparing you for motherhood's physical demands, ensuring your body regains its optimal balance of mobility and stability.

• Builds Your Baby's Foundation: What you eat directly fuels your baby's brain and body development, providing the building blocks for their entire life.

• Boosts Your Resilience: Proper nutrition and strength empower you with the vitality needed to combat fatigue and meet the daily demands of motherhood with power.

At Aretas Performance, we're passionate about filling this gap, offering evidence-based guidance and personalized programs to help you feel strong, capable, and confident at every stage of motherhood. You, or someone you know and love, can book their first free Bump to Baby session, or an assessment and free first class for any of the Women’s Performance Semi-Private sessions, here. 

Your Path to Optimized Movement with Aretas Performance

At Aretas Performance, our expert coaches specialize in designing safe, effective, and progressive programs that prioritize both mobility and stability. We focus on teaching proper form, building foundational strength, and ensuring you move well, feel confident, and live pain-free.

Ready to unlock your body's true potential and move with greater freedom and power? We're here to guide you. You can easily schedule your next training session or discovery call with our coaches through our new online booking system.

Need to book with your coach? Find their direct link below for seamless scheduling:

• Click here to book with Mitch Sadowsky, Head Performance Coach & Golf Fitness Specialist.

• Click here to book with Laura Sadowky, Director of Women’s Performance & Nutrition Coach.

• Click here to book with Drake Sutton, Head Performance Coach & Athletic Development Expert.

Other Aretas Updates & Community News

We're keeping the energy high this summer and have some exciting news for you!

• Rooted Nutrition 12-Week Performance Nutrition Challenge – Early Bird Ends August 10th! Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity to transform your nutrition and performance! Our 12-Week Performance Nutrition Challenge is designed to provide individualized support within a motivating community setting, complete with week-by-week priorities, focuses, and prizes. This is the only time the challenge will be priced this low.

  • Early Bird Price (Sign up by August 10th): $80 per 4 weeks. We’ll never do prices this low again.

  • After August 10th: August pricing kicks in at $100 per 4 weeks before increasing again on September 1.

  • Key Elements: 1:1 coaching, private challenge group, your personal coaching website created by Laura, prizes, in-depth reflection, and finally achieving your health & body comp goals.

  • Challenge Starts: Saturday, September 20th, with a Nutrition Seminar kickoff!

  • Ready for a fun, meaningful challenge? Secure your spot at the lowest price now! Learn more & sign up for the 12-Week Performance Nutrition Challenge Here!

• Fall Sports Prep: As fall sports season rapidly approaches, now is the critical time to ensure athletes are fully prepared! Drake continues to offer personalized sport-specific training programs designed to give a competitive edge. Email Drake for details on how to get ahead this season.

• Golf Fitness at The Wisconsin Club: Mitch and Catalyst Golf are actively elevating golf fitness at The Wisconsin Club Country Club (TWCCC)! Their dynamic junior and adult camps, precise movement screens, and specialized performance training are helping golfers enhance their game. For full details, email Mitch.

• Rise & Grind on the Beach: Our popular Rise & Grind beach workouts are a fantastic way to energize your Tuesdays and Thursdays! Join Mitch and Volley Life for a fun, effective outdoor session at 7:00 AM at Bradford Beach. Check the website here for details and to register.

• Drake's Speed Camp: As we head into August, there's still a limited window to join Drake's highly successful Speed Camp! Sessions run Monday and Friday mornings at 7:00 AM and 8:30 AM through September 5th. Sign up here to secure your spot before the season ends!

We're passionate about helping every athlete reach their peak performance, and every individual thrive. Thank you for being a valued part of the Aretas Performance community.

In Excellence, 

The Aretas Performance Team