The Difference Between Mobility and Flexibility

“I need to be more flexible.”

This is a phrase we hear all the time at Incline.

Many people assume that if they could just stretch their hamstrings a little more or loosen up their hip flexors, their pain would go away.

However, I think the idea that everyone needs more flexibility can actually be misleading.

Let me explain.

If all you do is stretch, you might eventually be able to touch your toes. But that does not necessarily mean you can safely pick up a bag of mulch from the ground.

Or imagine a gymnast who has incredible shoulder flexibility but lacks the strength to stabilize the joint while swinging on a bar. What good is that extra flexibility if they cannot control it?

The same concept applies to baseball players.

Imagine a pitcher who spends all of their time stretching their shoulder but never performs any strength training. They may become very loose, but they will also be at a greater risk for injury and will likely struggle to produce high throwing velocities.

In physical therapy, when someone has a lot of movement but very little control, we often refer to that as instability.

This is why I generally prefer to focus on mobility rather than flexibility.

So what is the difference?

Flexibility is the ability of a muscle or joint to move through a range of motion.

Mobility is the ability to actively control and protect a joint throughout its range of motion.

In other words, flexibility allows you to get into a position.

Mobility allows you to own that position.

Think about a deep squat.

A person with good flexibility may be able to get into the bottom position. A person with good mobility can get into that position, stay stable, generate force, and safely return to standing.

That is a huge difference.

For athletes, mobility is often much more important than flexibility alone.

A baseball player needs enough shoulder mobility to throw at a high velocity, but they also need the strength and control to stabilize the shoulder while doing it.

A runner needs enough hip mobility to stride efficiently, but they also need the strength to control that movement thousands of times during a run.

Even in everyday life, mobility matters.

It is one thing to be able to bend down and touch your toes. It is another thing to bend down, pick up a heavy object, and stand back up without pain.

So what does this mean for training and rehab?

It means we often look for exercises that improve both mobility and strength at the same time.

Instead of simply stretching a muscle, we want to teach the body how to control that new range of motion.

This is one reason I am a big fan of exercises that combine movement, stability, and strength. They tend to create longer-lasting results than stretching alone.

Obviously, the specific exercises will vary depending on the joint and the individual, but I will include some of my favorite mobility exercises for the major joints of the body here.

If you have been stretching for months and are not seeing the results you want, it may not be a flexibility problem.

It may be a mobility problem.

Dr. Caleb