Editor’s note: This article was inspired by the book Built to Move, written by Kelly and Juliet Starrett.
Though closely related, exercise and mobility serve distinct, complementary purposes in the realm of physical health and fitness.
We see it in the way we train and and take the time for active recovery. We’ve also seen it in the way some people who only strength train can barely scratch their backs or put on a jacket. Though exercise, without a doubt, keeps us physically fit and able to perform daily tasks or challenge ourselves, mobility serves a dual purpose: enhancing movement efficiency and preventing injury.
Exercise typically looks like structured, intentional movements that target strength, endurance or cardio to challenge the body to adapt and grow stronger. It also often involves repetitive motions with progressive overload, such as lifting heavier weights over time, running longer distances, or increasing the intensity of aerobic workouts.
Activities like running, weightlifting, cycling and training Jiu Jitsu or Muay Thai all push physical limits and build resilience in muscles, bones, and the cardiovascular system while targeting specific physical attributes. The primary focus is on performance and measurable progress.
On the other hand, mobility represents the ability to move freely and efficiently through a complete range of motion. Instead of emphasizing exertion or resistance, its focus rests in joint health, flexibility, and control, allowing the body to perform movements with ease and precision. In many ways, mobility lays the foundation for exercise, reducing the risk of injury and enhancing performance.
For example, good hip mobility doesn’t just mean being able to stretch the hip flexors; it means having the strength and control to perform movements like deep squats without straining other areas in your body.
Mobility is one of the most important things you can focus on at any age to improve your quality of life – especially since the older we get, the more likely things such as age, abilities and individual aches and pains grow to define us.
Yet, all bodies are built to move. Through focusing on mobility, we can override these limitations and look at movement in a different way. It helps us ensure that the body functions harmoniously, allowing for pain-free and efficient motion in daily life and your athletic goals.
[Stretching for Recovery, Performance and Injury Prevention]
Interwoven forces
While exercise helps build the physical capacity for strength and endurance, mobility ensures that these capabilities can be used effectively and sustainably. Together, they create a balanced approach to fitness, where the pursuit of strength is complemented by the ability to move fluidly and pain-free.
Exercise is vital for our hearts, lungs and peace of mind (among other things), but as it relates to mobility, it’s pretty extracurricular. Despite all the reasons we may need to work out – training for a competition or marathon, maintaining sanity – no form of training can replace mobility practices.
All of the small ways that we can engage our muscles, tissue, bones and joints in simple yet effective movements help support our bodies for when we need them in the training room.
Without sufficient mobility, even the most physically fit individuals are at a higher risk of injury, as their bodies may compensate for restricted movement by placing undue stress on joints and tissues. For example, poor shoulder mobility can lead to compromised form during overhead exercises, potentially causing strain or injury.
On the other hand, all mobility with no exercise can limit physical development, as strength and endurance are vital for supporting the body’s structure and maintaining its ability to perform.
A balanced fitness regimen recognizes the interplay between the two, using mobility work to enhance exercise performance and longevity while leveraging exercise to build the strength and stamina needed to maintain mobility.
[Listening to Your Body: When the Voice in Your Head Gets Drowned Out by All the Aches and Pains]View Post
Five mobilizations for life
But first, how are mobilizations different from stretches?
Most people stretch because they think it creates change in muscles, but simply touching your toes for 30 seconds won’t achieve the results you’re wanting. In fact, usually passive stretching doesn’t do much for your range of motion at all besides relaxing them temporarily.
Dynamic stretching is similar to mobility work in that both involve movement and muscle engagement to improve range of motion. However, mobility work goes further by targeting fascia, joints, and the nervous system, often incorporating breathwork and stability for a more holistic approach to movement.
Here are five mobilizations, taken from the book Built to Move, by Kelly and Juliet Starrett, to help you get started:
Cross-legged sitting
This mobilization maintains and restores hip and low back function. The amount of prolonged sitting we do in life – chairs, cars, couches – can lead to stiffness in the hips and lower back due to limited joint movement. Cross-legged sitting counteracts this by gently mobilizing the hip joints, encouraging external rotation and abduction.
This posture also allows the lumbar spine (lower back) to maintain a more neutral curve, reducing the strain associated with poor sitting habits like slouching.
Over time, regularly sitting cross-legged helps:
- Restore range of motion by encouraging full joint mobility in the hips, particularly in areas often neglected during daily activities.
- Strengthen stabilizing muscles for better posture and balance by deeply engaging the stabilizers around the pelvis and core. (As long as you maintain good posture through it!)
- Relieve lower back tension by encouraging proper pelvic alignment.
One-leg-up sitting
Another simple but effective mobilization for maintaining hip and lower back function, one-leg-up sitting is a modified seated posture where one leg bends at the knee, foot planted, while the other extends forward or tucks beneath the sit bones for support. It targets the hips, lower back and pelvis.
This seated posture encourages functional movement patterns essential for restoring and maintaining the range of motion and stability in these regions of the body.
Over time, this helps:
- Improve mobility, reduce stiffness and prevent discomfort in the hips and lower back.
- Encourage the hip joint to move in ways that promote flexibility, particularly in the hip flexors and deep rotator muscles. It also opens up the hips to relieve tightness from sitting for long periods.
- Promotes a slight pelvic tilt that supports the natural curve of the spine, reducing strain and engaging core muscles for stability.
[4 Stretches to Try on Your Next Rest Day]
Hip opener lunge
A powerful mobilization that targets the hips, groin and lower back, the hip opener lunge makes a vital movement for improving flexibility and mobility in the lower body.
By stepping one foot forward into a lunge position and lowering the hips toward the ground, the stretch deepens into the hip flexors and the muscles of the inner thighs, encouraging better range of motion in the hip joint.
Regularly performing this mobilization helps:
- Release tightness in the lower back by encouraging a slight pelvic tilt, which engages the core for stability.
- Alleviate stiffness from prolonged sitting, maintaining and restoring hip and lower back mobility.
- Improve posture and support functional movement patterns.
Wall hang
A mobilization where you stand facing a wall with your arms outstretched and your head hanging down, the wall hang is great for the shoulders, neck and upper back as it helps counteract the effects of poor posture or prolonged sitting.
This position gently stretches the shoulders, arms, and neck, helping to restore upper body mobility and ease everyday discomfort.
This mobilization helps:
- Open up the upper back and promote lengthening of the spine.
- Help improve shoulder mobility and increase blood flow to the upper body.
- Provide relief from tightness in the neck and upper back
Deep squat (hang out)
The deep squat hang targets the hips, lower back and ankles to promote overall flexibility and joint health, making it a powerful tool for mobility and injury prevention.
In this position, you squat deeply with your feet flat on the ground and your hips lowered toward the floor. Hold onto something for balance if you need it! By allowing the body to hang in this position, gravity assists in gently stretching the spine and promoting better alignment.
Spending time in this mobilization helps:
- Open up the hips, releasing tightness in the hip flexors, groin, and lower back, which can accumulate from prolonged sitting or inactivity.
- Improve ankle mobility by encouraging the feet to stay flat, alleviating stiffness in the lower legs.
- Increase lower body flexibility, improve posture and enhance overall movement patterns.
[The Best Stretches for Muay Thai]
Some mobility definitions
As you dive further into mobility as it relates to exercise’s complement, you’ll likely run into some key words along the way. Here are some of the most frequently used terms and their definitions:
Range of motion: The full movement potential of a joint, typically its ability to move through its natural arc in different directions. It can be measured actively (by the individual) or passively (assisted by an external force).
End range: The maximum extent to which a joint can be moved in a specific direction, either actively or passively, without causing damage or excessive discomfort.
Flexion: The movement that decreases the angle between two body parts. For example, bending the elbow or knee.
Extension: The movement that increases the angle between two body parts, such as straightening the elbow or knee.
Mobilizations: Therapeutic techniques used to improve joint range of motion and flexibility. These involve passive or active movements performed in a controlled manner to relieve stiffness or pain.
Fascia: Fascia is a connective tissue network that surrounds and supports muscles, organs, and other structures in the body, playing a crucial role in movement, stability, and overall structural integrity.
Contraction: The process where muscle fibers shorten or activate, generating tension.
Relaxation: The return of muscle fibers to their resting state after contraction, with a decrease in tension.
Isometric: A type of muscle contraction where the muscle generates force without changing length. For example, holding a plank position or pressing against an immovable object.
Loading: The application of force or weight to a body structure, such as muscles, bones, or joints, during movement or exercise. Loading is critical for strengthening and conditioning tissues.
System Support: A comprehensive approach or set of tools, methods, and structures designed to aid in the performance, recovery, or maintenance of the body or a specific area. It can include braces, taping, muscle activation techniques, or alignment corrections.
[Elevate Your Recovery: the Best Stretches for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Athletes]
