Let’s start with defining these two terms:
Flexibility is the amount of passive range of motion a person has - i.e. how far I can move you if you’re totally relaxed.
Mobility is the ability to actively utilize the range of motion that’s available to you - i.e. how far you can actually move your tissues and access them with activities.
Both are very important and without both the body will not function to full capacity; however MOBILITY is by far the most important of the two.
When do you need to train flexibility and when to train mobility?
Flexibility training: If range of motion is limited too much both passively and actively, flexibility training is likely needed first.
This can be time intensive as making changes in long term tissue quality takes a very long time – research suggests that a 2-3 minute hold on each affected tissue daily for months and months is the best way to improve flexibility.
That’s a LOT of time - and it may not be necessary for you (it is not necessary for the vast majority of people).
Mobility training: If passive range of motion is adequate but less motion is achieved when you try to actively move your joint on your own, then mobility training is likely needed.
This takes a much more active approach.
There are specific groups of movements that we can incorporate to teach your body to learn to use the range of motion it has available to it - essentially training your nervous system how to access what you didn’t have access to previously.
You end up having better control of everything that is available to the joints and muscle tissues - and more control generally results in more resilience, better strength, and better overall performance!
Again, the vast majority of people believe they need flexibility training when in reality, they have the available joint range of motion, they just can’t control it or are not strong enough to perform it, so they actually need MOBILITY training!
What about things like foam rollers, lacrosse balls, massage guns, etc - they feel like they work, right?
In reality, we don’t have one shred of evidence that they do anything meaningful to improve tissue extensibility or mobility.
THANK GOODNESS that our bodies aren’t so fragile and pliable that a piece of foam, rubber, or a pulsating ball can actually change the internal structure of our tissues - we would be hurt ALL the time. Change has to come from the inside, out!
Do you want to improve the quality of your movements, make your joints feel better, improve your resilience to injury, perform better as an athlete, and generally feel less tight?
If your answer is yes, then you need to employ active mobility work for your major joints (all joints really, but let’s start with the spine, ribcage, shoulders, and hips).
If you have tried static stretching in the past but did not see long term results, you may need to incorporate active mobility training into your routine.
If you’re not sure how, schedule your FREE call with us below, and we can teach you!