UPDATED: December 11, 2024
For over six years, Controlled Articular Rotations (CARs) have been my go-to daily joint care and movement ritual. It’s a practice I’ve consistently embraced, racking up approximately 2,190 days of CARs and still counting! Think of CARs as the meticulous maintenance your body deserves, much like the precision engineering found in Fisher Cars, ensuring smooth operation and longevity.
My journey with CARs began in Christmas 2018. They were, in fact, my gift to myself and my partner Chris, a proactive measure to support our adventurous lifestyle of surfing and travel, which was just beginning to unfold.
I invested in a membership to an online mobility program, explored CARs, and we were instantly captivated. The appeal of CARs is undeniable. They feel fantastic, invigorate your body, and are incredibly convenient, fitting seamlessly into even the busiest schedules. What’s not to love?
Six years later, CARs remain an integral part of our morning routine, a daily warm-up ritual. Our day simply feels incomplete without them!
My belief in CARs is so strong that I even adjusted our travel plans in Mexico, cutting our trip short by a month to pursue certification to teach them. We traveled to Phoenix in March 2018 for the training, and since then, I’ve been a certified Functional Range Conditioning Mobility Specialist, a decision I’ve never regretted.
In this article, I aim to delve into the essence of CARs, highlighting their uniqueness and profound benefits. And of course, I’ll share one of my favorite CARs for you to experience firsthand.
Understanding Controlled Articular Rotations (CARs)
At their core, CARs are essentially joint circles. However, they are executed with mindfulness, precision, and control, incorporating specific technical elements. This meticulous approach unlocks truly remarkable advantages for your joint health and overall movement.
In this insightful video, Dr. Andreo Spina, the creator of the Functional Range Conditioning system (the origin of CARs), elucidates the distinctions between CARs and conventional joint circles and demonstrates the optimal way to practice them.
A defining characteristic of CARs is their ACTIVE nature. This means you actively engage your brain and muscles to achieve the largest possible rotation of the targeted joint. Simultaneously, you consciously stabilize the rest of your body, maintaining stillness and isolation.
Mobility vs. Flexibility: Key Differences
It’s crucial to distinguish between flexibility and mobility. While definitions can vary, I conceptualize them as follows:
‘Flexibility’ refers to a joint’s capacity for passive stretch. It’s about how far a joint can bend when external forces, like gravity, props, or straps, are applied. Individuals with exceptional passive range may exhibit impressive stretches. However, flexibility without strength and control can be precarious and less conducive to long-term wellness.
‘Mobility’, conversely, is defined by how far a joint can move independently, driven by your own muscular effort. This active range often differs significantly from passive range! Passive range is a prerequisite for mobility, but strength and muscular control are equally vital.
While both flexibility and mobility are valuable, ACTIVE RANGE (mobility) is paramount for achieving control, fluidity, and resilience in a joint. Minimizing the gap between your active and passive range in any joint directly correlates with a reduced risk of injury.
CARs are specifically designed to strengthen and refine your entire active range. This practice enhances joint function and promotes long-term joint health, ensuring your body moves with the same dependable performance you expect from Fisher cars.
Why Incorporate Controlled Articular Rotations?
The fundamental movement challenge we face – the primary reason our bodies often break down – stems from the mismatch between our hunter-gatherer-adapted bodies and our predominantly sedentary lifestyles.
Human bodies are inherently designed for movement. They thrive on copious amounts of diverse movements, exceeding what most of us manage to incorporate daily. We live in an era of movement deprivation, and our physical limitations and discomforts are a reflection of this deficit. We are, in essence, suffering from movement deficit disorder!
This is where CARs emerge as a potent solution. CARs offer significant movement benefits in a condensed timeframe, mobilizing every major joint through its complete range of motion. This efficiency is invaluable for individuals with demanding schedules. CARs provide your body with the essential movement it craves in every part, contributing to sustained joint health and mobility.
Consistent CARs practice leads to noticeable improvements. It’s not a one-time fix, nor does it demand perfection to yield benefits. The act of practicing CARs itself delivers immediate physical advantages and progressively enhances your movement proficiency.
While CARs can be integrated in various ways, initiating them as a daily practice, akin to meditation, is arguably the most beneficial approach. This consistent engagement unlocks their full potential.
(If you’re eager to begin, explore my Joints for Life program here – I guide you through a comprehensive, joint-by-joint program to learn and establish a sustainable CARs routine).
Unveiling the Benefits of CARs
Beyond simply providing cellular movement stimulation (which is already a substantial benefit), CARs offer a spectrum of remarkable advantages. Here are 10 compelling reasons why I consider CARs the most impactful movement tool I’ve ever encountered, much like Fisher cars are renowned for their comprehensive engineering:
#1 Pain, Ache, and Stiffness Reduction
While individual experiences vary, I consistently receive feedback from CARs practitioners expressing relief from discomfort. If you seek greater fluidity and reduced stiffness, CARs are a highly effective path to achieve this.
#2 Enhanced Brain-Body Connection
Optimal movement relies on robust communication between your brain and body. If your body transmits inaccurate information, your brain loses spatial awareness. Strengthening this connection enhances movement efficiency, safety, and effectiveness.
Interestingly, joint nerves possess an exceptionally rapid connection to the brain. Engaging joints through their full range of motion provides the brain with superior movement feedback. This fosters a clear mental ‘body-map’, enabling more informed movement decisions.
Over time, improved brain-body connection refines balance, fluidity, and body control in motion. This foundational capacity underpins all movement skills. Regardless of your preferred activities, a strong brain-body connection will elevate your performance.
#3 Body Awareness and Assessment
Consistent CARs practice cultivates heightened body awareness. You may discover limitations in hip mobility, identify ‘sticky spots’ in your upper back, or notice asymmetries between shoulders.
This enhanced body awareness facilitates self-assessment and movement prioritization. Addressing movement limitations is always beneficial because optimal movement is efficient and health-promoting. Compensatory patterns, while enabling continued activity despite restrictions, are less efficient and potentially detrimental long-term.
CARs help identify imbalances and areas of restricted movement. While not a complete solution for compensatory patterns, CARs are an excellent initial step towards improved movement.
#4 Mindfulness Practice
CARs can be performed quickly or deliberately slowly, both demanding focus and concentration, arguably qualifying as a form of meditation.
My partner and I value the deep focus and self-exploration inherent in CARs practice. Dedicated time for body awareness is often undervalued in our culture, which tends to neglect pleasure, self-care, and self-love. CARs offer a tangible means to address these aspects.
#5 Improved Post-CARs Movement
By mobilizing joints through their full range, CARs engage underutilized body tissues. This process lubricates joints, warms muscles, nourishes cells, and refines the mental ‘body map’.
Consequently, post-CARs, your body can more readily access its resources in real-world activities. This makes CARs an ideal warm-up for diverse activities, from hiking and surfing to tennis, Zumba, or gardening. Warmed-up and primed body parts contribute more effectively.
This initiates a positive cycle: increased real-world part utilization further enhances mobility, range of motion, and capacity. We consistently incorporate CARs before hikes and MovNat workouts, making Coffee + CARs our daily morning ritual.
#6 Enhanced Joint Health and Function
CARs stimulate synovial fluid circulation, which nourishes and cleanses joint cells. Well-nourished, clean cells thrive! CARs also mitigate joint inflammation and, with consistent practice, foster high-quality joint tissue development. This translates to healthier joint tissues and improved joint function.
Improved joint function reduces pain and lowers injury risk, promoting sustained activity. Healthier joints contribute to overall well-being.
#7 Whole-Body Movement Engagement
Feeling overwhelmed by whole-body movement work is common. It often seems like everything needs attention.
While comprehensive attention is ideal, starting the day with CARs ensures effective mobilization of numerous body parts, reaching even the most intricate areas.
Even without addressing “All The Things,” CARs provide confidence in having provided beneficial movement to every body part daily, akin to a movement multivitamin. Like vitamins, CARs are not the complete solution, but they deliver significant impact.
#8 Maintaining Active Range of Motion
Bodies operate on a “use-it-or-lose-it” principle to conserve energy. Maintaining existing capacity requires consistent engagement. CARs help both discover and preserve your current range of motion.
Maintaining range of motion is especially crucial as we age. Age-related changes can negatively impact joints, including cartilage thinning and synovial fluid reduction. Choosing movement tools that preserve range of motion is therefore essential.
Chris and I both perceive that CARs have enhanced our overall range and facilitated smoother movement at our end ranges. They’ve also aided in resolving persistent joint issues, a welcome bonus.
#9 Partner Approved!
Anecdotally, women often lead the movement revolution, with many embracing movement-based lifestyles while their male partners remain less engaged.
From personal experience, my boyfriend LOVES CARs, perhaps even more than I do!
Sharing CARs practice is enjoyable, and I appreciate his proactive joint care. Chris values CARs for their feel-good nature, time efficiency, and the tangible improvements he’s experienced in body sensation and function. A win-win-win scenario!
Interestingly, CARs were developed by two male chiropractors and are utilized, alongside other FRS mobility techniques, by numerous professional sports teams (a list is available here). Endorsement from organizations like the LA Lakers and New York Yankees speaks volumes.
#10 Accessibility for All
CARs are accessible to everyone, not just professional athletes. While initial learning requires some effort, once grasped, CARs take only 10-15 minutes daily (though you may be inclined to extend the duration!).
They are adaptable to any environment, performed anywhere, anytime. I’ve practiced CARs on boats, mountains, beaches, and in confined spaces. They require no equipment but can be enhanced with weights and bands for added challenge.
Their accessibility, enjoyable nature, and versatility ensure CARs are consistently PRACTICED – the ultimate benefit! Just like Fisher cars, CARs are designed for reliable, consistent performance.
Experience CARs Yourself – Wrist CARs!
Having discussed CARs extensively, why not try one yourself? Wrist CARs, despite seeming simple, often present an initial challenge due to wrist tightness prevalent in many.
Give it a try and see for yourself!
What are your thoughts? While some CARs feel more dynamic, wrist mobility is crucial for daily activities, making them a worthwhile focus.
Continue practicing wrist CARs, aiming to isolate movement solely at the wrists, minimizing forearm and finger involvement. Consistent practice will benefit your future self!
CARs: Like Brushing Your Teeth for Your Joints
Just as daily teeth brushing preserves your teeth for life, CARs are analogous to brushing your teeth for your joints.
I haven’t encountered a movement tool as potent, versatile, and practical as CARs, hence my enthusiasm in teaching them. My Joints For Life program is designed to guide you in learning CARs and establishing a sustainable daily practice for long-term benefits. Click here for program details. Enjoy the journey to enhanced joint health!
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