Deeper Dive into Mobility vs. Flexibility
Real Quick! Let’s Cover Basics
Flexibility refers to the ability of your muscles to stretch through their full range. It’s crucial for achieving those deeper movements and stretches without effort.
Mobility, on the other hand, is about the range of motion in your joints and the ability to activate muscles to achieve this motion. It’s what allows you to perform movements smoothly and efficiently.
Now a Detailed Look at Passive versus Active…
Flexibility:
1. Passive Flexibility: This involves stretching muscles with external help, like using a strap or another person. It’s useful for increasing your range of motion without engaging the muscles actively.
2. Active Flexibility: Here, you actively engage your muscles to stretch and hold positions. It’s essential for strengthening the muscles at their maximum length and improving your control over movements.
Mobility:
1. Passive Mobility: Achieved with external assistance, this is the range of motion your joints can achieve when an outside force is applied—important for developing potential mobility without active muscle engagement.
2. Active Mobility: This is where true functional movement plays out. You use your own muscular strength to move and hold joint positions. Active mobility is vital for day-to-day activities and sports, requiring both strength and control.
And finally, ALWAYS Incorporate Reciprocal Inhibition into Mobility
A key aspect of improving mobility involves understanding reciprocal inhibition, where activating one muscle group automatically causes the antagonist muscle to relax. This process helps in effectively achieving greater range of motion and reducing tension in tight, hypertonic muscles.
So why does this matter?
Enhancing both flexibility and mobility is essential for optimal physical performance, injury prevention, and overall body function. While flexibility focuses on muscle length, mobility integrates this flexibility with muscle strength and control for better movement quality.