Mobility vs. Flexibility

A lot of times when people come into a studio and say they want to start a new fitness regime because they want to be more flexible. What I really think they want is more mobility though.

Not that I want to assume, but let’s talk about the difference of mobility versus flexibility.

Mobility: Ability to move your body freely and normally. It encompasses muscle strength, range of motion, and endurance capacity. If you have great mobility, you're able to move functionally and efficiently with little to no restrictions or difficulty. Mobility refers to dynamic motion occurring within a joint’s range of motion.

Flexibility: The quality of being able to bend freely without breaking in a passive state. If you have great flexibility you can bend yourself in a pretzel like they do at Cirque du Soleil. Flexibility refers to the motion occurring within the muscles while nothing else is going on. Because it is a passive or static measurement.

So…do we want more mobility or flexibility? Personal choice for sure. If I want to sit and touch my toes all day, then I would want great flexibility. But, I think I would rather have mobility. And train specifically to increase mobility. Adding on the training to have as much flexibility as I needed to achieve my desired fitness goals. Meaning; I’m not a Rockette, so I don’t need to be able to touch my leg to my nose. But, I do need to be able to flex my hip pretty high to hike up a steep mountain and have the hip extension on the other leg to account for the steepness.

photo cred: Photo by Conscious Design on Unsplash