Buzz
Flexibility used to be easy to grasp: if you could do the splits or reach your hands behind your shoulder blades, you were considered flexible. If not, it meant you needed to stretch. However, in recent years, the term mobility has gained traction, and it doesn't mean quite the same thing.
Mobility exercises go beyond stretching. You might incorporate foam rolling or perform movements that build both strength and flexibility, enhancing the range of motion in your joints. When focusing on mobility, dynamic stretches may replace static ones, as flexibility is a component of mobility, but not synonymous with it.
While definitions from experts may vary slightly, the general agreement appears to be as follows:
Flexibility refers to the extent to which you can stretch a joint without risking injury. A passive stretch, like attempting to touch your toes while seated with your legs extended, will test your flexibility limits, particularly the range at which your hamstrings can lengthen. This is roughly equivalent to your passive range of motion.
In contrast, mobility is the range in which *you* can actively move a joint. Take the example of a dancer standing and lifting her straight leg in front of her. If she's able to raise her foot high off the ground, she demonstrates excellent mobility. But it's not just about hamstring flexibility; it's also about having the strength, balance, and skill needed to hold that position.
Why mobility is important
Mobility is crucial for nearly every activity, not just flexibility. Whether you’re squatting with a barbell or bending down to lift a child, good mobility ensures you can bend your ankles, knees, and hips sufficiently to maintain balance and keep your feet firmly planted while supporting weight (whether it's the barbell or the child).
People with tight calves often find it difficult to squat to the right depth. Improving calf flexibility can enhance the range of motion in your ankles, helping you squat better. But flexibility isn't the only factor—several other elements influence your overall mobility.
The anatomy of your joints. For instance, some people have hip sockets positioned more toward the front of their pelvis, while others have them positioned more to the side. The precise placement of muscles and where they attach can vary from person to person. Your body’s natural structure sets the limits on your range of motion, even before taking flexibility into account.
Stability. Sometimes, muscles need to contract in order to stabilize a joint, which can prevent them from relaxing too much while ensuring your body remains safe and in control. Although strength and mobility are often seen as opposites, increasing strength can sometimes actually enhance mobility.
Increased strength. At times, we might simply lack the strength to move our body into a particular position. Take the dancer from earlier—she can’t achieve that position with flexibility alone; her hip flexors also need to be strong enough to lift the weight of her extended leg.
Whether you’ve warmed up. Muscles that are warmed up can stretch further than cold ones. This is why it’s common to feel stiff at the start of a workout, but experience better mobility as the session progresses.
How to improve mobility
The first step in improving mobility is figuring out which movements you need to work on and why. Once you know that, look for a routine or consult a trainer to guide you through the steps to enhance that particular aspect of mobility.
For instance, we have some advice here for enhancing your ankle mobility for squats. The first tip isn’t about stretching at all; it’s about using heeled shoes or plates. While this doesn’t directly increase your ankle's range of motion, it allows you to move with more control, which in turn lets your hips move more freely and allows for deeper squats. Our other recommendations include stretches and using a foam roller.
Foam rolling is a popular method for improving mobility because it stretches your muscles at a micro-level without requiring a specific, static stretch. After foam rolling the areas that need more flexibility, you’ll likely notice that they move more easily. This is why foam rolling is often incorporated into warmup routines.
Dynamic stretches are great for improving mobility and are ideal during warm-up routines. Instead of passively forcing a muscle into a stretch, dynamic stretches involve actively moving your body through various motions. One example is Controlled Articular Rotations (CARs), which involves slowly rotating a joint, like the shoulder, through its full range of motion. By progressively increasing the size of the circles, you're not only warming up the muscles, but you're also enhancing both strength and flexibility simultaneously.
Static stretches also play an important role in mobility routines. While flexibility is just one aspect of mobility, it's still a crucial component! Depending on your mobility objectives, you may or may not need static stretches. However, adding them to your routine can be a valuable way to improve your muscles' capacity to elongate.
