What is the Difference Between Flexibility and Mobility?

A lot of people believe that flexibility and mobility are the same things, however, they are not! Let’s dive into the difference between the two.

Flexibility is the ability of the soft tissues (muscles, tendons, and ligaments) to stretch.

Mobility is the ability of your joints (think elbow, knee, hip, and shoulder joint to name a few) to move through their ranges of motion.

Why should we care about flexibility and mobility?

Flexibility and mobility are important because both of them contribute to healthy movement. If we don’t have an adequate amount of flexibility, it may be harder to get into certain positions, or our joints may be impacted as their mobility may be affected. If we don’t have enough mobility, we may also find it hard to get into certain positions or do certain tasks as our range of motion won’t be big enough for the movement we are trying to achieve.

How do we increase flexibility and mobility?

There are a few different ways to increase mobility and flexibility. Let’s dive into them!

• Static Stretching: Static stretching is holding a position without moving for a period of time. This can increase the flexibility of soft tissues.
• Dynamic Stretching: Dynamic stretching is moving while stretching. This allows us to warm up the muscles, and move joints through ranges of motion, improving both mobility and flexibility.
• Range of Motion or Mobility Exercises: Range of motion and mobility exercises involve taking your joints through different ranges of motion. These can be passive, active assisted, or active.

Do you have a favourite way to increase your flexibility or mobility? Comment below and let me know!