Stretching and mobility has been a common question in the clinic lately. When should I stretch? How long should I stretch for? How long do I hold the stretch for? Static or dynamic stretching? What’s the difference between stretching and mobility work? We understand all of this can be quite overwhelming so here’s a blog post to help ease those thoughts!
There are so many posts and videos explaining the “optimal” way to stretch or the “optimal” time, but honestly, the biggest thing is incorporating it into your life in a sustainable way. Not everyone has the time to stretch or do mobility every single day for hours on end, so finding the specific exercises and time that suits you and your life best is important! You don’t need to do it “optimally” because someone else says so.
But! For this blog post we will break down some basics, talk about the difference between mobility and flexibility and give you some of our favourite exercises to do at home or at the office to help with injury prevention, performance or pain relief.
Let’s take about the difference between flexibility and mobility first:
Flexibility: the ability of a muscle to stretch passively.
- How far you can extend a muscle or joint
Mobility: The ability to actively move a joint through its full range of motion with control.
- Typically used for strength, coordination and stability
- Not necessarily how far a joint can move, but whether you can control it through the entire range
These are some basic differences and definitions of the two but they do come with context and nuances depending on the client. Everyone is unique! But, when it comes to flexibility, it can be strengthened as well at different lengths of the muscle! You can add resistance to a stretch to help.
(We know… all of this can be super confusing but we promise, when you find what works for you, it keeps it simple and manageable!)
In terms of “how long should I hold a stretch for?” It obviously depends on your goals. A passive 30-40s is totally fine to get muscles ready or active for a lift, or if you just need a break from work. Yes, it is true to create “real” change or adaptation. You would want to hold it for 90 seconds or more, but that’s not sustainable or even necessary for a lot of individuals!
Let’s break down flexibility a little bit more:
Some Factors that Affect Flexibility:
- Muscle length – Longer muscles allow for more stretch
- Tendon and ligament elasticity – While these structures don’t stretch like muscles, their condition affects flexibility
- Nervous system response – Your brain controls how far it allows your muscles to stretch to prevent injury
- Temperature – Warmer muscles stretch better (why warming up is important)
- Also, why hot yoga is super popular!
Some Benefits of Flexibility:
- Increases range of motion (ROM)
- Improves posture by reducing muscle tightness
- Helps with recovery and relaxation
- Helps prevent strains and pulls (injury prevention!)
Now let’s break down mobility a little bit more:
Some Factors that Affect Mobility:
- Joint health – Cartilage, synovial fluid, and joint structure determine movement quality
- Why people may need or like joint cavitations or the cracking and popping that our practitioners do to help with joint health
- Muscle strength – Weak muscles can limit mobility
- That’s why sometimes when something feels “tight” it may not be a flexibility issue, it may be a lack of strength or proprioception (body awareness) to that muscle
- Motor control – Coordination and stability to help control movement
- Fascial and soft tissue restrictions – Stiff connective tissue can limit motion
- Why some modalities such as dry needling, cupping, and myofascial release can help! (Which is something we do here at RISE!)
Some Benefits of Mobility:
- Improves movement efficiency and athletic performance
- Reduces risk of injuries (especially joint injuries)
- Enhances stability and balance
- Supports healthy aging and daily movement
Some of our favourite flexibility exercises:
Upper Trap Stretch
Pec Stretch
Some of our favourite mobility exercises:
90/90s (Dynamic or Static)
Snow Angels (can be done on the wall or on top of a foam roller)
We hope this helped clear some questions you may have with regards to flexibility and mobility! Remember, find something that works for you and that can be repeatable for a long period of time. If you are not sure what exercises would best benefit you, come in for an assessment with one of our lovely practitioners and they are all more than happy to help give you exercises to help improve your posture, quality of life or performance!
