Fitness Expert: Add Resistance to Mobility Work

Assistant Professor of Exercise Science Alexander Rothstein, Ed.D., is quoted in an article in The New York Times detailing the benefits of adding resistance to mobility exercises. For those who enjoy range-of-motion exercises, but feel stiff or limited, adding a resistance band or light dumbbell is the next step toward getting more out of the movements being performed.

“Even if you’re super strong, I would lean toward the one to two pounds before the five to 10 [pound dumbbells],” says Rothstein, who notes that incorporating a bit of weight may calm the body’s protective sensory receptors that resist stretching, allowing the body to trust new positions and sink into stretches easier.