Mobility: What is it and why is it important to include it in your training?

Before your next workout, you can do a few static stretches, thinking you’re preparing your muscles and joints. However, while these stretches can improve your flexibility, you may need to do more for your mobility.

Unlike flexibility, which primarily refers to the lengthening of muscles, mobility refers to the efficient movement of joints through their full range of motion. For example, if you play a reactive sport like basketball or tennis, you might quickly grab the ball or change direction. Joint mobility will allow you to turn and move without straining your muscles or irritating your joints, says Samantha Smith, assistant professor of clinical orthopedics and rehabilitation at Yale School of Medicine.

In a 2024 systematic review published in the journal Journal of Sports ScienceThe researchers looked at 22 studies of different mobility methods, such as yoga, Pilates, dynamic stretching and dance. The review found that 20 of these studies reported that incorporating mobility work could significantly improve athletic performance.

But mobile work isn’t just for athletes. It plays a critical role in a person’s overall health as it improves efficiency and dexterity and reduces the risk of injury during physical activity.

During static stretching sessions, you maintain a specific position for a specific amount of time, usually around 30 seconds. “With these types of movements, you work on muscle flexibility,” says Smith.

However, mobility becomes paramount in situations where the emphasis is on joint movement within certain limits, such as in sports that require rapid changes in direction or depth of movement (such as basketball or lifting dumbbells).

Mobility exercises increase synovial fluid production, which reduces friction and wear on joints. This improves the efficiency of movement, allowing for greater dexterity and precision. In addition, mobile work increases the elasticity of muscles and connective tissue, reduces the risk of sprains and sprains by improving force absorption, and improves neuromuscular coordination, allowing for optimal muscle activation.

It can also make a significant contribution to psychological well-being. Some research suggests that by focusing on joint movements and muscle activation, people can develop better proprioception, which is the sense of the body’s position in space. This increased awareness can improve posture, coordination, and overall body control.

In some cases, doing static stretching too frequently can make mobility difficult. “If you perform static stretching for more than 60 seconds without combining it with any dynamic activity, (athletic) changes can occur, typically ranging from three to seven percent,” he says. David BoehmResearch Professor, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada.

Even if these small differences don’t matter to you, they are a clear sign that static stretching itself is not the secret to proper conditioning. In his study, Boehm found that adequate amounts of static stretching (about 30 seconds per stretch) combined with dynamic stretching and active movements reversed this decline in performance.

Mobility is essential for everyday tasks such as climbing stairs or sitting in a chair, so Boehm suggests making mobility a part of your daily life. However, if this is not possible, he advises at least three short sessions per week.

In a 2024 systematic review co-authored by Bem, researchers emphasized the importance of consistency over volume. “Regular mobility training, performed at least two to three times per week, appears to be more important than volume per session,” they write.

These movements don’t have to be difficult. Think of a runner jumping before a sprint, or a swimmer doing circles with his arms. Each exercise focuses on moving joints through a specific range of motion.

If you don’t know what to do, Smith recommends asking yourself: What actions am I going to take? Where do I need to travel without restrictions? What are the requirements of my sport? These questions can help determine what range of motion you should prioritize.

Integrating mobility exercises into your daily life doesn’t always require specific training. Take short breaks throughout the day to do simple mobility exercises. This may include stretching your neck, shoulders and wrists if you work at a desk, or standing up and gently swinging your legs or rotating your hips.

You may be doing mobility work without even realizing it. 2023 systematic review and meta-analysis published in the journal Sports medicine found that certain resistance training methods, such as free weights, band work and Pilates, can increase range of motion. “When you think about weight training or resistance training, it’s really like dynamic stretching with a load,” Boehm says.

This research also influenced Bem’s habits. For the past 50 years, he has been warming up before strength training. I always believed that this is what I needed to do. While he stresses the importance of a proper warm-up before lifting weights, he notes that weight training alone may be enough if you’re looking to improve your range of motion.

“You don’t need to spend 15 minutes stretching before lifting weights,” he says. This doesn’t mean stretching isn’t important; These may be less critical depending on your training goals and priorities.