Many people experience joint restrictions, or have a general sense that their range of motion is more limited than they would like it to be. This may occur for various reasons, including pain and injury, sports and exercises that emphasise particular joint ranges over others, or lifestyle factors. However, when it comes to range of motion, it’s ‘use it or lose it’. The less frequently we move into certain ranges, the less able we are to access or control those ranges. Our range of motion becomes smaller, we have fewer movement options, we may feel stiffer, and we become vulnerable to possible injury in those restricted ranges of motion where we lack control and strength. Here’s where mobility training comes in. Mobility training is not just a dynamic warm-up, nor is it just passive stretching. Mobility training actively addresses the underlying restrictions in joint mobility. A good mobility programme helps you identify exactly which ranges of motion need work, and teaches you how to systematically gain access to more range, control and strength.

Functional Range Conditioning (FRC) is a science-based system of mobility training that uses specific strengthening and stretching strategies to improve joint health and function. More than just increasing your flexibility, FRC training entails learning to control your expanding range of motion. It is strength training for joints. So whilst we do spend time stretching in an FRC class, we also spend time training the muscles and building strength in those stretch positions. We discover precisely where a particular joint is weakest, and then gradually train and challenge the joint to produce force in those weak ranges, thereby increasing the overall resilience of the joint.
FRC is not so much a movement flow practice, but rather a system that gives you the building blocks you need to improve joint function. Once you’ve learned the fundamentals, you can expect to see and feel significant improvements in how you move. For some, results come fast. For others, results accumulate incrementally. Either way, adding regular mobility training to your routine is a smart way to take care of your joints. Whether your joints are hypermobile or extremely stiff, we can tailor a programme to your needs, and help you move with more ease.