Mobility is More than Flexibility

What is mobility?

Mobility is a commonly misunderstood term in the fitness world. Mobility is often used interchangeably with flexibility, when, in fact, flexibility is only one element of mobility. Simply put, mobility is the ability to move well while flexibility is the ability to move a joint through a full range of motion. Mobility also requires strength, stability (or balance), and coordination (or the ability of our nervous system to communicate effectively with our muscular system to activate the right muscles at the right time).

For example, if I perform an air lunge, I need to have:

• The muscular strength to lower my body to the floor on one leg and raise back up again.

• Stability in my ankle, knee and hips so that I don't fall over. (I also need stability in my core, but we'll discuss that next video.)

• Coordination between the nervous and muscular systems.

• A full range of motion in all the involved joints.