You have undoubtedly heard much about flexibility, and you might have heard the term mobility. Do you know the difference between the two? Understanding will help you get more from your exercise while reducing your risk for injury.
Flexibility Vs. Mobility
Flexibility
Flexibility is best thought of as how far a muscle can stretch. It is limited to the muscle tissue itself and nothing else.
Mobility
Mobility is the ability of the body or part of the body to go through a motion. This can involve joints, strength, and the brain in addition to the flexibility of the muscle.
For Example
The large muscle on your back known as Latissimus Dorsi, commonly called the lat, attaches to your arm. If that muscle is stiff, it might make it hard to get your arm all the way up over your head. Stretching it out might fix the problem. That would be an example of flexibily.
However, for your arm to get over your head your shoulder blade also has to be able to move freely. If your shoulder blade is stuck, the lat can be nice and stretched out, but you still might not be able to get your arm over your head. The shoulder blade’s lack of movement is the problem. This would be an example of mobility.
What It Means For Exercise
The practical application is that if you are having trouble moving, stretching may or may not help because it is only part of the picture. In general, we are all very familiar with stretching, but not with mobility. If stiffness is an issue for you, look for ways to improve both flexibility and mobility. When in doubt, seek the help of a qualified personal trainer, strength coach, or physical therapist.
Related: 3 CausesOf Tight Muscles Stretching Won’t Fix
Epilogue
Quality movement – or more simply said, not being overly stiff – is a very neglected part of health. Good movement is important because it saves your joints from undue wear and tear and it also makes you stronger (to find out why, see here). Five of the top seven most frequently performed operations are related to joints.1 If we can improve our overall movement quality, we can reduce our reliance on orthopedic procedures and live more active, healthier lives.