Mobility vs. Flexibility - what’s more important?

A couple of fitness buzzwords are the subject of the day: flexibility and mobility! Let’s dive into what they are, and of course… which is more important? 

If you’ve read even a handful of our emails, you’ll know that the answer to most questions is… ding, ding, ding, it depends! 

But before we go there, let’s start with some definitions. 

1. Flexibility: 

   1. Involves the length of muscles and other soft tissues

   2. Is generally measured passively - e.g. how far you can stretch a muscle with help (like pulling on your leg to lift it up, or using gravity in a split)

   3. Will affect your mobility, but it’s not the only thing that determines it

2. Mobility: 

   1. Is the ability to actively move a joint through its full range of motion

   2. This requires flexibility but also strength, stability, & coordination

   3. For example, your mobility determines your ability to move through a range of motion with control (not just pull your leg as high as it can go)

Which is more important? Both flexibility and mobility serve important functions, and they are related to each other. You may need to work on one or the other more often, depending on your individual needs. 

You need flexibility (and we’re not talking ballerina-level here, just enough to serve your range of motion) as a prerequisite for mobility, but being flexible alone doesn’t provide the full range of benefits. Being able to work through and support your range of motion actively is the job of mobility. Together, they have several benefits: 

• Posture Improvement - especially important in this age of digitally-induced tech-neck! 

• Injury Prevention - stability, coordination, & flexibility all reduce the possibility of joint stiffness & muscle strain. 

• Improved Performance - you have more movement with which to play and train (think about how getting deeper into a squat will provide more activation and benefits!)

• Less Pain! - increased flexibility & mobility can help reduce pain associated with stiffness, sitting for long periods of time, and unequal distribution of stress. 

• Better Circulation & Muscle Function - helps increase blood flow & circulation to the muscles (which in turn, supports skeletal health too!). 

So now that we know that working on our flexibility & mobility is GOOD for us – how do we do it? 

It doesn’t have to be complicated, or take a long time, but it does take consistency. An easy way to start would be to:

(a) Stick around for the stretch at the end of your RiseUp workout, if you can, 

(b) Think about actively working through your full range of motion when we work on strength exercises in class, make sure you’re really connecting your mind to your muscles - don’t zone out! Ask the trainer if you need help here. 

(c) If you’re really looking to up the ante, you can take it a step further, maybe once or twice a week. Make sure you’re warmed up, then look up a few simple mobility drills on Youtube. 

Of course, if you have serious concerns about your ability to work on these concepts, reach out to a qualified physical therapist, who can help address your individual physical attributes and needs. 

Ready to start getting stronger today? Try your first RiseUp Fitness class for FREE!