With the health & fitness industry changing at such a rapid pace it is becoming harder to keep up with new research and of course whats trending on Instagram.  However something that has a lot of people scratching their heads over is Mobility VS Flexibility and what the difference is?  First of all, mobility is NOT flexibility.

Flexibility & Stretching

The main advantages of stretching is to increase your range of motion, flexibility and to prevent injury.  Flexibility is not only important when it comes to fitness, but a vital component of your everyday life.  You will find it easier to bend, stand, sit and squat just to name a few.  When I think about flexibility, an image of Novak Djokovic at full stretch reaching for a forehand comes to mind.

Mobility

If I were to talk about improving mobility for a specific sport or performing a movement in the gym, mobility will allow your body to get into the correct position to be able to produce maximal power output or to perform the task with sound biomechanics and full range of motion.  Mobility can also be classified as a strength system.  You will find some of the biggest bodybuilders in the world to have fantastic mobility.  Mobility can be implemented before training to a lesser degree (2-3min) with the majority of work done post training (5+min) and on rest days.

Joint mobilization such as manual therapy performed by a Physiotherapist will help restore function and alleviate symptoms, which limit movement and performance.

Still Confused?

Essentially think of mobility as “how a joint moves” and flexibility as the “length of a muscle”.  Mobility is an umbrella, which covers a range of issues with ONE component being flexibility.  

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