We often encounter people telling us they want to improve their flexibility when what they really should be focusing on is improving their joint mobility. And if they continue to focus solely on flexibility, they will not see an improvement in their joint mobility, or range of motion (ROM).
Flexibility is the the ability of a muscle, or group of muscles, to lengthen passively through a range of motion. Conversely, mobility is the ability to move a joint actively through a range of motion. Mobility takes into account not just the muscles crossing the joint, but the joint itself, the ligaments, and the nervous system.
Why is that important to you? If you focus only on flexibility, you can stretch until the cows come home and you will be achieving only temporary results that are limited by the mobility of the joint attached to the muscle you are stretching. An example of this would be when someone continually stretches the hamstring when what they actually have is a hip mobility problem.
Although it is not commonly seen, an individual who is hyper flexible is actually vulnerable to a wide variety of physical issues and injuries including tendinitis and damaged ligaments. Ironically, someone who is hyper flexible may not appear to be particularly flexible. This is because the overstretched muscles have to work extra hard to stabilize and support the joints.
Focusing on joint mobility is more functional and valuable to us because it is based on movement and control. Your ability to actively move a joint through a range of motion is dictated by both your central nervous system and the mobility you have at that joint. A good example to compare the difference between being flexible versus having good joint mobility is to look at two different individuals who can do the splits. The first person wanted to gain more flexibility and assumed that if she could achieve the ability to do the splits that would be her marker for success. The second individual is an aspiring gymnast and needed to improve her range of motion in the split jump.
Most of you would probably agree that just because an individual can achieve the splits like the woman in the first image does not mean they can perform a split jump. And if you cannot actively achieve a given range of motion it is of little use to you. So you don't aspire to being a gymnast and being able to perform a split jump? We don't either. But we do care about being able to attain optimal stride length and power when we run without causing muscle strain. And we know that as Warriors you each have individual activities that you pursue. For instance, many of you golf or play tennis and your games will improve if you have good joint mobility, or the ability to actively and powerfully move through a greater range of motion.
Performing dynamic movements is one of the best ways to improve joint mobility. These can be done in a short session by themselves with the goal of improving range of motion, or they can be done as a warm up prior to your workout. A dynamic warm up has been shown to be the most effective way to prepare for a workout or athletic event in terms of preventing injury and optimizing performance. The dynamic movements improve your overall range of motion and allow you to perform better during your competition. Or, if done prior to your workout, it will allow you the opportunity to strengthen your muscles through that new range. This adaptation is more likely to be sustained because your central nervous system feels stronger and more confident working in this new range of motion.
What types of exercises will improve your joint range of motion? If you are one of our Metabolic Warriors you are familiar with a number of upper body and lower body movements that we do for our dynamic warm ups. Arm circles, arm swings, toy soldiers, and squats are good examples of dynamic movement. One of the best lower body exercises you can perform to improve both joint mobility and strength through full range of motion is a walking lunge.
One of the most common problems we see with clients is hip immobility and glute and back weakness. Many times this is due to the long hours many of us spend sitting at a desk or watching TV. Hip immobility can lead to other problems since a joint always affects the joints above and below it. It is not uncommon for someone who has been experiencing chronic knee pain or back pain to find that they have been diagnosed with hip immobility or a muscle imbalance in their hips/pelvis.
Muscle flexibility is of little use to you if you do not also have the overall joint range of motion and control to support movement. And improved range of motion is best achieved through active stretching, a dynamic warm up prior to your workout, and a strength workout that then challenges the joint through its fullest range of motion. So rather than sitting on the floor and just focusing on stretching those hamstrings so you can touch your toes, get up and challenge those hamstrings in an active range of motion by doing some walking lunges so you can climb that literal or figurative mountain.
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