Today we are going to talk about mobility, flexibility and strength. Believe it or not, but mobility is the most underrated and least trained of all three of these programs! We’ve heard of strength training, such as weightlifting and kettlebell circuits. We’ve heard of flexibility training through yoga, aerobics and gymnastics, but what about mobility? What even constitutes a mobility workout over a strength workout?
It’s pretty rare that we purposely workout for mobility, though it’s the main concern my clients have when walking through the door of my gym. “I want to make sure I live as long as possible, but still am able to get up without pain everyday” is what they say. Flexibility has been at the front of the fitness trend for quite some time now, competing with the ever-popular strength training.
Most people I’ve seen that institute a mobility program into their strength workouts are athletes. I’ve chocked this up to the intense amount of stress they put on their bodies every week, or because they’ve already suffered through some type of injury (probably multiple injuries) and they NEED to make sure that it won’t happen again. Athletes have an extreme level of conditioning that they subject their bodies to every day, and especially need a program that aims at keeping their muscles, joints and minds as limber and malleable as possible.
Flexibility is great, but more doesn’t always mean better. There is a range of motion that is ideal for each body part. For example, being able to touch your toes represents good flexibility. However, being able to reach past your toes, is bordering on the line of over-flexibility. Being over-flexible is just as detrimental as having no flexibility; you still end up having joints that move unsupported in your body.
Years ago, I remember reading a story of this very smart, very mindful yogi with extreme hyper-flexibility.
On the one hand, It’s impressive to see someone dedicate themselves to the practice of flexibility to this extreme. On the other hand though, my personal trainer mind SCREAMS at how imbalanced her muscular slings must be. Overstretched muscles cannot have strength. If you think of flexibility, strength and mobility on a sliding scale, it would look something like this:
The “green” zone is where all joints and limbs of your body are strong, yet flexible enough to do their job. As you move more towards either end of the spectrum, your body is unable to work properly. Too much on the strength side of the spectrum, your body is tight and rigid. Too much on the flexibility side, your muscles resemble overcooked noodles, unable to support its skeleton functionally.
These three programs work synonymously together for maximum body potential. Mobility aims at building functionality of the whole muscular sling, whereas flexibility ensures movement of our joints. Strength builds our muscles to ensure forces from outside effects; anything from a slip on unseen ice, to a football tackle.
How Do You Know Which One You Need?
Well, the answer is simple:
If you default to stretching, you need strength training.
If you default to strength training, then you need stretching.
If you are feeling stiff in the back, hip or shoulder regions, you need mobility training.
If you want any help with this, let’s have a chat. You can set up a free No Sweat Intro here.
Check out our newest episode of the Barefoot Trainer podcast Here.
Thanks for stopping by!
Amanda Buckner
