Mobility vs Flexibility - Which is More Important?
This blog was spurred by a conversation I had with a new client who said they wanted to try Pilates so they could touch their toes and be more flexible.
After digging deeper into what she was really looking for, we decided it was MOBILITY that she really needed. Working on flexibility alone is rarely beneficial. For example, while doing the splits may look impressive, there are few physical benefits to having such an extreme degree of flexibility – that is, unless you’re a gymnast. Mobility is a broader term that accounts for a full range of motion with active control. Mobility includes joint stability, overall strength, balance, and coordination which is what we should be striving for as we age.
Why Mobility is Important
1. It reduces the risk of Injury – Being mobile means having more stable joints which allows you to have a wider range of motion.
2. It improves the quality of your movement – With a greater range of motion, you’ll feel that your muscles and joints are less stiff when performing even the most basic tasks (such as bending over) or even just standing comfortably.
3. It improves posture – Studies have already been made that correlate poor hip, leg, spine, or even shoulder mobility to poor posture. If you want a strong, comfortable, and proper posture, build the necessary mobility in the right areas.
4. It minimizes future aches and pains – There are tons of people enduring avoidable aches and pain through the years just because they don’t have the proper mobility in certain areas. Shoulder and back pain is quite often because of lack of mobility in the shoulder girdle or spine.
5. It prepares your joints for the years to come – Effects of time on our joints are inevitable. Slow degradation of joint quality starts as early as 30 years old!
How to Improve Mobility
✔️ Skip the static stretches and make them dynamic.
✔️ Do daily mobility drills - shoulder circles, neck circles, wrist circles, cat/cows, ankle circles, gentle spinal twists (All the things we do to warm up in our classes!)
✔️ Practice full range of motion of exercises – performing an exercise to your fullest range simply means when you take the joints involved in the movement through their absolute range. For example, when squatting, a full range of motion would have an extremely high amount of bend at the hip and knee. (For example, sit your bum to the grass and stand right back up).
You must find a balance of training both flexibility and mobility to guarantee an overall healthy body that’s free of injuries. But, don’t worry about doing the splits or touching your toes - focus more on keeping your joints mobile so you can move through your life free of pain and strain.