Mobility vs Flexibility – whats the difference, and how can you improve them?

By Coach Hunter Bennett

In the world of fitness, the terms “mobility” and “flexibility” are often used interchangeably.

However, they are distinct physical qualities that impact how you move and perform in different ways.

As such, understanding the difference between mobility and flexibility, and how you can improve them, can have a significant impact on your health and performance.

Mobility vs Flexibility

Flexibility refers to the length of your muscles and their ability to stretch passively. Conversely, mobility refers to your ability to control a joint through its full range of motion.

Taking this into consideration, you can view flexibility as the maximum amount of range you have available, and mobility as your ability to control movement through that range.

It is for this reason that some people can be extremely flexible but have somewhat poor mobility.

Importance of Flexibility

Flexibility provides an indication of how much range of motion you have available to you. If you have poor flexibility, then your ability to simply perform movements that require large ranges of movement will be limited.

Interestingly, there is also evidence indicating that having low levels of flexibility can increase injury risk. As such, increasing flexibility may make you more resistant to getting injured.

Importance of Mobility

Good mobility is essential for performing movements with a full range of motion easily and effectively. Having good mobility is what allows you to squat deep, lift things over your head, and move freely in all directions.

By allowing you to maximize your range of motion, better mobility has the potential to make your gym training more effective – particularly if you want to maximize muscle growth.

How to Improve Flexibility

1. Static Stretching: Incorporate static stretching into your training regime. Hold each stretch for 20-30 seconds, focusing on major muscle groups such as the hamstrings, quadriceps, calves, chest, shoulders, and back.
2. Yoga or Pilates: Try yoga or Pilates, which are two modes of exercise that emphasize flexibility and mobility. As little as one session per week is likely to improve flexibility.
3. Foam roll: Foam rolling has been shown to cause transient increases in flexibility. Give it a shot before your gym sessions to improve range of motion before your train.
4. Keep lifting weights: Strength training has also been shown to improve flexibility. However, it needs to be completed in a controlled manner, while focusing on loading the muscle in its stretched position each rep.

How to Improve Mobility

1. Mobility Drills: Perform specific mobility drills to address areas of stiffness or limited range of motion. Examples include thoracic spine rotations, shoulder dislocates, and ankle mobility exercises. These are best done with intention, focusing on controlling the joint through its full range of motion.
2. Joint Mobilization Techniques: Explore joint mobilization techniques, such as controlled articular rotations (CARs). These improve your mobility by teaching you how to control movement at your joints end ranges.
3. Lift using a Full Range of Motion: Weight training using exercises that emphasize a full range of motion will not only lead to improvements in flexibility, but also improve your ability to control those ranges of motion (i.e., mobility) in a big way.

Mobility vs Flexibility: Take Home Message.

Mobility and flexibility are two individual (but related) components of fitness that influence your health and performance.

If you have limitations in movement, both should be a focus of your training regime.

Want to read more? Check out our article on minimalist strength training