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Fitness isn't only about strength – flexibility and mobility are just as vital. If you can't bend or stretch enough to complete certain movements, exercising becomes a real challenge. Here’s how to enhance these key areas.
Although 'flexibility' and 'mobility' are often used interchangeably, they are distinct concepts that impact your fitness in different ways. As Tony Gentilcore, Co-Founder of Cressey Sports Performance, aptly put it:
Mobility:
refers to how a joint moves.
Flexibility:
describes the length of a muscle.
Think of mobility as a broad category that influences the range of motion around a joint. Flexibility is a part of it – it's hard to move a joint if the muscles surrounding it are too tight. But there are additional factors to consider, such as lacking the strength to carry out exercises, soft tissue damage (like inflamed tendons), and issues with other joints involved in the movement. So, even though stretching the muscles around a joint can theoretically increase range of motion, it won't be effective if other mobility restrictions are present.
Why should this matter to you? Beyond the gym, both mobility and flexibility are crucial for your joint health in daily life. If you struggle with mobility issues that hinder your movement, your body won’t be operating as it should. Over time, this leads to increased wear-and-tear and discomfort. When you're working out, these faulty movements are done under higher intensity, which can result in painful injuries over time. Tony highlights the example of basketball players, many of whom limit their ankle mobility by wearing high-top sneakers. This restricts ankle movement, affecting balance and shock absorption, which often leads to knee problems down the road.
Mobility is essential, and flexibility plays a part in it. But that doesn’t mean you need to spend extra hours at the gym every day loosening up every joint. Matthew Ibrahim, strength and conditioning coach, suggests focusing on areas that are known to be tight or have a history of limited movement. Anything else is unnecessary.
Common trouble spots include the hips, shoulders, knees, and upper back. If you’ve had issues in any of these areas, here are three key steps to help improve mobility:
Foam Rolling: It may be painful but is usually effective. Foam rolling is a self-massage method to release tightness in your muscles. If you're not sure where to begin, Eric Cressey has a great video to guide you.
Mobility Drills: These exercises target the range of motion around joints. MobilityWOD is one of the most comprehensive online resources for these drills. Just search for the relevant body part, and you'll find a series of exercises tailored to it.
Stretching: Stretching isn’t always necessary, especially for naturally flexible individuals, as it can sometimes increase the risk of injury. However, if you’ve always been stiff and it’s interfering with proper exercise form, a few stretches before your workout, as well as longer stretches afterward, may benefit you.
Image by Angela Aladro mella.
