Mobility & Flexibility Exercises

INTRODUCTION

Most people would probably regard mobility and flexibility exercises as boring and contributing nothing to workout results. This perceived downside can be overcome if they are made an integral part of the workout in a way which assists achieving the workout routine objective.

Mobility exercises are also important in themselves.

• daily moving around
• stooping down
• getting up from a chair
• twisting etc

become so much easier when the body (muscles and joints) move with freedom through a full range of motion (ROM). This becomes even more important as the years roll by, when tissues tend to become stiffer unless effort is made to counteract the process.

DEFINITION

The definitions of mobility and flexibility vary depending on the source. Some people use mobility when referring to muscles and flexibility in relation to joints. Others use the opposite meanings.

I find it easier to talk of the range of motion (ROM) limbs move through when they open and close. This covers both the muscles and joints. Soft tissues like tendons and ligaments can then be easily included in the flexibility exercises.

BENEFITS OF MOBILITY & FLEXIBILITY

1) Performance - workout routines (e.g.squatting to the floor) and sports (e.g. running faster, reaching etc) become easier and more effective. There will be less probability of aching joints due to intense training out.

2) Health - the risk of injury is reduced through the maintenance of correct form, technique and body alignment. Also, daily movement and life is much easier. By developing flexible strength / strong flexibility (see below) the a person is less prone to niggling aches and pains. 

3) Ageing - toddlers have amazing mobility but over the years, lack of use and diet act to steadily reduce the suppleness of muscles, joints and soft tissues. Mobility and flexibility exercises assist in maintaining quality of life longer into old age.

TYPES OF MOBILITY & FLEXIBILITY

There are several ways classify suppleness development :

1) Static - this is the ROM limbs can be moved to and held. This is commonly done via the assistance of a partner, the trainee's own force or gravity. 

2) Dynamic - the limb(s) are moved back and forth or in a circular fashion to the end range (i.e. full ROM).

3) Proactive

• Overcoming/Active/Concentric Contraction/Agonist led - an example would be consciously using the hip flexor muscles to lift one or both legs against gravity which would act to stretch the lower back and back leg muscles.
• Yielding/Reactive/Eccentric Contraction/Antagonist led - an example would be using the chest muscles to control the slow lowering of the body against gravity (and/or extra weight) by allowing either the arms out to move out to the side (negative portion of a fly movement) or the body to move downwards (negative portion of a pushup / bench press). The muscles which would consciously control these actions would be the rear shoulders and some upper back muscles. 

4) Passive - the limbs are stretched with no effort from the individual. The impetus for the stretch originates from a training partner or gravity.

Hopefully you can see that by manipulating the variables it is possible to incorporate mobility and flexibility exercises within workout routines. The effect of this is to train more than one workout objective simultaneously in a synergistic way. For example, strength and mobility / flexibility can be increased together so that flexible strength and strong flexibility result. More information about the most beneficial and productive exercises will follow later.

LEVELS OF MOBILITY & FLEXIBILITY

1) Daily Tasks - sufficient ROM enables daily tasks to be performed more easily.

2) Performance - small improvements over many areas can be the difference between winning and being part of the pack. Even a small increase in a sprinter's stride length might make the difference over the 100m and at the finishing line. The requirement for strong and controlled mobility and flexibility is seen in martial arts high kicks and gymnastic routines.

3) Extreme Flexibility - contortionists and people with hypermobile joints would fall into this category. The former will have developed high levels of strength flexibility through years of practise. The latter however will often lack the strength to avoid injury resulting from their joints having a ROM larger than that which is safe.

CONCLUSION

In common with other sections on this site the mobility and flexibility exercises I consider best results arise from following the rules of

1) 80/20 Rule - those flexibility exercises which will deliver the most benefits for the time available and effort desired

• Full ROM - allowing for your current mobility
• Pause under tension at the start and end points of the movement being performed

2) Injury Prevention - if the limb ROM is determined by the controlled movements of the individual the risk of injury is drastically reduced and therefore overall progress will not be hampered.

3) Safe Progression - as with 2) above these mobility and flexibility exercises (more details will follow) will not trigger the body's self protect mechanisms and therefore progress will be "permitted" by the body.

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Site under construction - apologies for any gaps or apparent inconsistencies. In time as more information is added the whole site should "hang together".

Initially the focus will be on general information which should assist with achieving results regardless of the approach you take in working out.

Later I will provide more detailed information.