The Importance of Mobility and Flexibility

Despite very good intentions, most people going to the gym neglect the most important aspect of training ... mobility and flexibility.  Mobility relates to the range of motion surrounding the joints of the body, and flexibility to the lengthening of the muscles.

When we are young we have an incredible range of motion and can contort our bodies in all kinds of ways without pain or injury.  As we age we lose these natural abilities because we  become less active and, as they say, "use it or lose it"!   Our muscles get stiff, so we become less mobile around the joints as well. Tight muscles pull joints out of their normal position, so we start experiencing pain in the joints.  Painful joints make it more difficult for us to be active, so we do even less.  It's a vicious circle!

However, remaining active does not prevent this from happening.  On the contrary, the more active we are (as adults) the tighter our muscles can become ... if we do not maintain our flexibility.

Training with tight muscles is like driving your car with the hand brake on.  Imagine the friction of this hand brake on your tight muscles as you play your sport, and you can see the potential for a breakdown!  Tight, shortened muscles are susceptible to tears.  They will also pull the joints out of their normal position and cause pain and injury to (and around) the joints, a well as lost range of motion.

I can't stress enough the importance of improving and maintaining mobility and flexibility.  Not only for increased performance when we train or to reduce the risk of injury, but especially as we age.  So many older people are unable to perform the most basic tasks due to lost mobility, flexibility, and strength.  It forces them to become completely sedentary or require the use of a walker or motorized chair to get around.  This ultimately ages them at a far faster rate and the quality of their remaining life is severely reduced.

We can avoid this from happening to us by ensuring we do not shrug off the importance of spending time working on our mobility and flexibility.

We should also make the effort to seek professional help when we have chronic pain so that we can get back to being active (pain-free).  This is time and money well spent!  We don't think twice about maintenance and repairs on our possessions, but they are replaceable.  Our bodies are not replaceable!  Our quality of life is not either!

I can attest to the benefits of making it a priority.  At my current age of 52, I am more mobile and flexible than most people half my age.  It is the reason I can continue to train the way I love to and to challenge myself in new ways.  It is the reason I expect to still be doing this in 30 years from now!

Trust me ... mobility work, stretching and soft tissue work (foam rolling, massage therapy, A.R.T., etc) will not only improve your performance, relieve pain and prevent injuries, it will increase the long term quality of your life.

It may not be as fun and as exciting as training or playing your sport of choice, but it is very important.  Think of it as a challenge, and conquer it!