You’ve probably heard the phrase “use it or lose it.”
It applies to your muscles, your memory, and—yep—your mobility.
Enter: range of motion (ROM) training.
Not the flashy stuff. Not the contortionist-in-a-circus stuff.
We’re talking about the kind that helps you move better, feel better, and stay strong long term.
But most people skip it.
They think it’s boring. Or unnecessary. Or they’ve never actually been taught what it is or why it matters.
Let’s change that.
What Is Range of Motion Training?
Range of motion (ROM) is simply how far a joint can move in a specific direction.
ROM training is using intentional movement to:
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Explore the current limits of that range,
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Strengthen the joint through that range,
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And help your body maintain or increase access to it over time.
ROM training isn’t just about being “flexible.”
It’s about control, strength, and joint health.
It’s what allows you to squat low, reach high, twist, lunge, crawl, rotate, hinge, and do it all without your joints yelling at you later.
Why It Actually Matters
Here’s the truth:
If you don’t train a range of motion, your body will slowly stop giving it to you.
That overhead reach?
Gone if you never use it.
That deep hip hinge?
Goodbye if you spend most of your day sitting.
ROM is like a credit line. If you never use it, the bank assumes you don’t need it—and shuts it down. ROM training is how you keep the account open.
And listen—I get it. This kind of training doesn’t have the same dopamine hit as a sweaty HIIT class or a heavy lift.
But this is the stuff that keeps you moving well as you age. It’s injury prevention. It’s nervous system regulation. It’s body literacy.
Where It Shows Up in My Approach
This is why I created the Body Scan Warm-Up Ritual.
That moment before the programming begins—that unscripted 5-15 minutes of movement exploration—is a built-in space to practice ROM work.
No weights.
No pressure.
Just you and your body, checking in and moving through the edges of your available range.
You’re not just getting “warmed up.”
You’re keeping your joints online.
ROM training doesn’t have to be a separate thing. It can be integrated into your prep, sprinkled into your cooldown, or layered into your regular training days.
The point is: you do not have to lose mobility as you get older—but you do have to actually train it.
Easy Ways to Start
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Add controlled articular rotations (CARs) into your day—neck, shoulders, spine, hips, etc.
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Use your warm-up to gently explore the end ranges of each joint (ahem—Body Scan Warm-Up Ritual).
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Hang. Deep squat. Twist. Reach. Crawl.
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Move your joints like you want to keep them.
Final Thoughts
ROM training is quiet work.
It doesn’t make you sweat buckets.
You won’t see flashy before-and-after pics.
But it’s the stuff that keeps you doing the things you love for the long haul—lifting, hiking, chasing your kids, walking pain-free, sleeping better, moving through life without constantly being reminded that something hurts.
So let’s stop treating it like an afterthought.
Your body deserves to be taken care of now—not just when something breaks.