FLEXIBILITY VS MOBILITY - and How to Gain Both
Flexibility is not the same as mobility – you need both to run well
JUST SLIP ON YOUR running shoes and go, right? Hang on a moment: the miles you log are only part of the equation. What you do before and after every run and during off days also counts – a lot. That’s when you can work on your mobility and its counterpart, flexibility, to ensure you continue to move fluidly and injury-free.
‘Mobility and flexibility are often used interchangeably, which is confusing,’ says Lauren Schnidman, a certified trainer and physiotherapist. ‘For most people, that’s no big deal, but when we’re talking about the mechanics and performance of running, differentiating the two makes a difference.’ Here’s what you need to know to run strong.
• Mobility v flexibility
Let’s break it down: mobility refers to a joint’s range of motion. Two bones come together at a joint and as you move, the bones do, too. The more mobility you have, the more range of motion you’ll find in that joint.
Take the hip joint, for example, which is a ball-and-socket joint, where the ball rolls and glides as you move in different ways, explains Schnidman. If the muscles surrounding that joint are tight, that can also limit your mobility.
On the other hand, flexibility is all about the soft tissue. ‘Flexibility is the ability of muscles, tendons and ligaments to lengthen in response to stress placed on them,’ she says. Flexibility is often achieved through traditional stretching, while mobility is worked on through dynamic functional movements (such as leg swings and squats).
While both mobility and flexibility are related concepts, it’s entirely possible to have one without the other. For example, the ability to touch your toes is a function of hamstring flexibility, but it says nothing about your hip mobility. And it is important to remember that you’ll need both mobility and flexibility to perform at your best. As you take each step, you need a certain amount of hip extension to make it happen, explains Schnidman. That requires length (or flexibility) in your hip flexors, as well as range of motion (or hip mobility) that allows the ball to glide forward in the socket so your leg can move as it should. You can run into problems when there’s a breakdown in this process or it’s impeded in some way.
• The risks of skipping stretching and mobility
Without flexibility and mobility, it is not the case that you can’t run at all. You still can – but in doing so, your body adopts compensatory movement patterns to make up for the deficits, says Schnidman. This compensation then burdens other tissues with the task of operating in ways they’re not built for, or overloading them in ways they can’t maintain for long. The results are aches, strains or injury.
However, some tension can be beneficial and it is possible to be too flexible or too mobile, adds physiotherapist Mary Kate Casey. Problems arise if these movements aren’t offset with strength work. If you don’t build strength into your newfound range of motion, those muscles won’t stabilise in that range nor be able to withstand the workload you’re demanding of them, resulting in injuries such as hamstring strains or anterior (front) hip pain. ‘Without incorporating the strength work into all of this, you will miss out on what could improve your proficiency and performance, and keep you injury-free,’ says Casey.
In other words, as you focus on increasing mobility and flexibility, add resistance work to round out your training programme. And this applies whether you’re racing regularly or just logging miles for fun.
• How to fit mobility and stretching into your routine
As tempting as it might seem, don’t just head out the door. A well-planned warm-up and cool-down, plus a strength-training routine to enhance stability, will help you run well and remain free from injury.
1. Start with a brisk walk / You don’t want to use that first mile of every run as your warm-up.
‘If your first mile still does not feel great, you really need to get those legs moving a bit better,’ says Casey. Instead, walk briskly for at least five minutes. Casey, for instance, will take this time to go to a nearby park, where she does a dynamic warm-up routine. Depending on the length and pace of your run, you may need a longer walk or a light jog.
2. Transition to dynamic movements
/ Dynamic stretching is analogous to mobility training. Do it right before a run for at least another five minutes. A dynamic warm-up features functional movements that focus on moving multiple joints through their full range of motion and can even include plyometrics (quick, powerful movements) such as skipping and hopping. Static stretching, on the other hand, can dampen the effectiveness of the fast-twitch muscle fibres that are essential to running, which is why you shouldn’t sit and hold stretches before a run, says
Schnidman. (Save these moves for after your run.)
Dynamic mobility movements include leg swings, high knees, bum kicks, walking lunges and squats. Doing these opens up and lubricates the joints, which tells your body that, in a few minutes, this is the range of motion you’ll be demanding, and the joint, in effect, needs to be ready for the pounding of a run, says Casey. Your body thrives on being prepared what is to come, so give it this helpful preview.
If you’re planning a harder effort such as a tempo run or speedwork, ‘doing a really slow and controlled dynamic warm-up won’t be enough for you’, says Casey. Alert your body to the upcoming demand by focusing on plyometrics such as A-skips (highknee skips), B-skips (high knees with leg extension) and bounds. At the end, you should be breathless, but your muscles should not be tired. ‘You should feel mobile and loose, like the blood is flowing,’ she says.
If you have time, add foam-rolling, says Casey. Rather than walking to a park, walk around the neighbourhood for five minutes, then go back home for the dynamic warm-up. Use a foam roller on your hips, hamstrings, glutes and quads. Spend more time on areas that feel especially tight that day.
3. Cool down with static stretching /
After running is the perfect time to focus on flexibility. ‘Your muscles really are longer now than they were before a run,’ says Casey. Static stretching – eg quad, calf and hamstring stretches – will exert pressure on muscle tissues, which changes their shape and helps them lengthen further. Static stretches should be held for 30-60 seconds, adds Schnidman.
4. Add strength /
The amount of strength work you do should match your training level. For instance, Casey says, if you’re training for a race and running three to five days per week, then plan for strength two or three times per week. This can be on non-running days or part of your warm-up. Just make sure you include one good recovery day per week that’s focused on rest or foam rolling, mobility and static stretching.
YOUR BODY THRIVES ON BEING PREPARED FOR WHAT IS TO COME