I’ll admit it; I detest stretching, and it’s been years since I last touched my toes. For a while, I dismissed my lack of flexibility as a minor issue compared to the rest of my physical health. But lately, it’s had a negative impact on both my daily activities and my workouts. My running stride seems abnormally short, my hip flexors frequently hurt, and doing yoga hurts.
I write about fitness, so I am well aware of the advantages of stretching, including how it may promote flexibility, safely prepare your muscles for activities, and soothe your body after exercise. I made a resolution to start stretching this year. The sole issue? I didn’t know where to begin.
Fortunately, I was familiar with a few professionals who could help, including a physical therapist and yoga instructor Nicole Haas, PT, DPT, founder of Boulder Physiolab in Boulder, Colorado, and physical therapist Kellen Scantlebury, DPT, CSCS, creator of Fit Club NY in New York City. So I asked them for suggestions on how I might start.
What did I learn first? Instead of concentrating on static stretching, or holding stationary in a certain posture, which is what many of us imagine when we think of stretching, it’s better to redirect your effort into a more comprehensive mobility program. Stretching will, of course, be a part of that, but mobility covers a lot more ground.
The distinctions between stretching and mobility, the reasons why they are both crucial and some suggestions for incorporating both into your workout program are discussed below.
What distinguishes flexibility from mobility?
Stretching and mobility exercises can both improve how well your body moves, but they are not precisely the same.
There are many various definitions of mobility work, but to make things fairly straightforward, Haas advises SELF that you may think of mobility work as anything that enhances motion in your joints, muscles, nerves, and connective tissues. Your capacity to move more efficiently and comfortably during your daily routines is the ultimate goal of mobility practice. Dynamic stretches, which are exercises where you smoothly move through the whole range of motion of a joint—basically the opposite of static stretching—can be included in mobility work. Exercises like yoga poses, the use of massagers, foam rollers, and other mobility aids can all be included in mobility training. (like massage balls and sticks).
Contrarily, stretching is a more narrow definition of mobility training that includes any activity that lengthens a muscle. (like pulling your heel to your butt to lengthen your quad, or reaching for your toes to lengthen your hamstrings). Of course, this can also increase your range of motion, but it does so in a more targeted manner than more general mobility exercises.
Stretching and mobility exercises should both be incorporated into your daily routine if your objective is to move and feel better.
What advantages can regular stretches and mobility exercises provide?
The benefits of stretching and mobility exercises are enormous.
For starters, they can aid in loosening up any tightness that develops from spending a lot of time in one posture, such as sitting in front of a computer all day. (hi, me). According to Haas, prolonged desk work can cause stiffness in your hip flexors, calves, hamstrings, and foot. Later on, this stiffness may make it challenging to engage in other activities, such as running, for example. (also hello to me). Additionally, tight muscles may make it more difficult for them to activate properly during an intended movement, increasing your risk of injury during certain activities. For example, tight hip muscles may cause your back to absorb the force that it shouldn’t. You can break these tightening habits and approach whatever is next on your to-do list more easily, safely, and successfully, whether it’s going to the gym, doing errands, or preparing dinner.
According to Scantlebury, mobility exercises can also increase blood flow, lengthen muscles, and generally make you feel less tense and stiff. According to Scantlebury, it can also improve your performance in the gym by letting you transfer weight more easily across the whole range of motion and assisting you in becoming more familiar with movement patterns. For instance, increased mobility can enable you to squat lower.
Last but not least, mobility is crucial to aging healthily. A relationship between limited mobility and a higher risk of dying young was discovered by a 2017 study that was published in the journal BMC Health Services Research. According to Scantlebury, having limited mobility, especially as you age, might make you unbalanced and increase your risk of falling. Mobility is necessary throughout your life, but it becomes increasingly crucial as you become older, he says. According to Haas, we naturally get stiffer as we age, but regular mobility exercises can help to partially counteract this stiffness.
How to Get the Most Out of Mobility and Stretching Work: 9 Tips
- Work on your flexibility and mobility according to your needs.
A stretching and mobility regimen that is specifically designed for your body and movement patterns is the best. In other words, your employment should complement the other activities you find enjoyable. If you enjoy running, you might desire more hip mobility; if you enjoy swimming, you might want more shoulder and back flexibility. In the long term, this will benefit you more than concentrating on Instagram-worthy positions like the splits or a downward dog with legs absolutely straight, which can be disheartening or may not have much to do with your other fitness objectives.
According to Haas, a smart place to start is to concentrate on getting out of the postures you find yourself in most of the day, such as hunching over a computer.
For instance, the typical desk worker likely has tight hip flexors and hamstrings from sitting for hours on end, as well as tight chest muscles from leaning forward. They could gain by performing exercises to loosen up as a result. This may resemble:
by performing poses like the dynamic cactus posture or the behind-the-back chest stretch, you can relax your chest muscles.
doing hip flexor exercises like the 90-90 stretch or high crescent lunges.
Your hamstrings can be foam-rolled.
On the other hand, if you spend the entire day on your feet going throughout the store while frequently carrying things, like a retail clerk, your tight spots might be a little different. If so, you might try:
by performing movements like shoulder circles and ankle circles, you may loosen up your shoulders, feet, and ankles.
extending your spine and back using rag doll-style movements.
Mobility practice can be more approachable if you start with these specific exercises because it isn’t too broad or intimidating.
- Enter it warmly.
Make sure your body is warmed up before you begin stretching or mobility exercises if you want them to feel pleasure and be as effective as possible. According to Scantlebury, keeping your body warm will enable you to move through your range of motion more deeply while lowering your chance of injury. Additionally, it will probably feel less uncomfortable, which is very important for motivating you to continue the activity.
After a workout, when your joints are likely well-lubricated, your tissues are warm, and your blood is flowing, is a fantastic time to perform a specialized mobility session, advises Scantlebury. If you’re conducting a stand-alone stretching session without working out, warm up your muscles first with easy exercises like jumping jacks, arm swings, and marching in place with high knees, as SELF has advised.
- To shake it up, use tools.
According to Haas, mobility tools—which include objects like foam rollers, massage guns, massage balls, and sticks—can assist release of tension and lengthen muscles in a similar way to stretching. They can be used independently or concurrently with static or dynamic stretches.
Some of the more compact and portable instruments, such as massage balls and sticks, are practical additions to your routine because they are simple to carry around and use while on the go. For instance, you can carry a massage stick on a lengthy vehicle ride and roll out your sore quads while you’re moving. You may even roll a ball under your foot while you’re sitting at your desk on a business call to ease any tight muscles there.
Just keep in mind that rolling your mobility device over any bony areas, such as your knee or hips, can irritate your bursae, advises Haas. (fluid-filled sacs that act as cushions around your joints). Additionally, be mindful of the pressure you’re applying to your muscles. Haas has observed someone using a massage pistol too vigorously, resulting in bruising. When utilizing a massage gun, it’s acceptable to feel a sense of hard pressure, but if that feeling turns into discomfort, then loosen up. In the end, Haas contends, massage weapons should be enjoyable.
- Know what you hope to accomplish with each stretch.
Gaining the maximum benefit from your stretches requires an understanding of good stretching mechanics, or, more simply put, what a stretch should feel like and where in your body it should be felt. Knowing the purpose of a certain stretch is a huge part of this, according to Haas.
Let’s say you want to stretch your calves. This exercise’s goal is to stretch your calf muscles, as its name suggests. According to Haas, if you try to do it and feel a pinch at the front of your ankle, it’s a sign that your mechanics are incorrect and that you aren’t genuinely stretching your calf. Stop what you’re doing in that instance and double-check your form until you feel it is in the proper place. Consult a licensed physical therapist or professional personal trainer for guidance if you’re unsure of what excellent form entails, suggests Haas.
To break down the motions for your particular goals, you may also look through the stretching tools on SELF. Stretches for the lower back, shoulders, butt, and hip flexors are a few examples.
- Where you can include it in your day.
According to Haas, incorporating stretching and mobility exercises into your daily routine is one approach to start and maintain consistency with them. As she puts it, “I’m a big fan of just integrating it here and there, wherever you can.” Even a few minutes can be beneficial; “Anything is better than nothing.” For illustration:
Wake up in the morning with a brief yoga-inspired flow.
Before a significant meeting, perform a few targeted stretches.
During a Zoom call, rub your feet using a massager.
Plan a foam roller session before going to sleep.
It relieves pressure from having to devote a larger chunk of time to mobility work by performing short bursts of it throughout the day, according to Haas.
Small bursts can also help break up your sedentary habits so that you don’t spend too much time fixed in one place. According to Haas, this can consequently lessen your overall sense of stiffness and the amount of mobility work required to combat it.
Another expert tip is to keep mobility aids like a yoga mat, foam roller, or massager in plain sight so that you’ll be more likely to use them. For instance, Haas always sees a small bin of mobility aids when she enters the room, which motivates her to use them.
- Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
Use assistance if necessary when performing stretches that require balance, such as pulling your ankle toward your butt to stretch your quad. In this manner, you can concentrate your efforts on getting a good stretch rather than stumbling around. Therefore, rest your hand on a chair or wall for support if you find it difficult to balance while pulling your ankle to your butt. Additionally, if you’re performing mobility exercises or yoga-inspired stretches, props like blocks, blankets, or straps can offer the adjustments you require. - Discover the sensation of a “good” stretch.
Unsure of how far to push yourself during a stretch? Although you want to experience some sort of sensation, the pressure should never be unpleasant. According to Haas, if it hurts, your brain will be alerted to the problem and may instruct the muscle to contract as a protective measure. To put it another way, it won’t be a successful stretch.
A better strategy would be to stretch out gradually. According to Haas, you should feel like you can unwind into it. Then, she suggests, you can gradually increase the stretch’s intensity once you start to feel your muscle loosen up a bit (which usually happens). According to Haas, you should typically hold static stretches for 15 to 30 seconds. - Don’t overlook doing strength training.
Don’t forget to work on your strength as well as your mobility. According to Haas, strengthening exercises help you maintain stability throughout your range of motion.
Avoid doubling up too much when combining strength training and mobility exercises, advises Haas. For example, while deadlifts can be used to stretch your hamstrings, you shouldn’t emphasize the stretch too much because doing so can be dangerous when you’re lifting heavy weights. Save your mobility efforts for different occasions and let your strength work remain focused on strengthening. Take into account this professional advice on how to design a healthy and productive weekly workout schedule that includes mobility work, cardio, and rest activities.
- Reconsider what you mean by “flexibility.”
Even if you adhere strictly to the aforementioned advice, your flexibility might not improve to the extent you’d hoped. Simply put, some of us are more naturally flexible and mobile than others. According to Scantlebury, this is because of uncontrollable factors like genetics, body type, and our prior experiences with stretching and mobility exercises. For instance, he says, people who participated in high levels of flexibility and mobility as children—such as dance, cheerleading, and gymnastics—are probably more flexible and mobile as adults than people who did not.
You don’t need to achieve flexibility feats to be “successful” in your mobility and stretching work, which is why it’s important to keep your expectations in check when beginning a program. One yoga instructor, Haas, admits she isn’t flexible enough to touch her toes with straight legs and probably never will be. She explains that because she uses her hamstrings frequently for running, skiing, and other activities, there is some stiffness and tension in them as a result. Which is fine.
It is possible to increase your flexibility and mobility; it just takes time and persistent effort. According to recent research, it takes about six weeks of mobility work to produce the desired results, claims Haas. However, it doesn’t follow that you won’t benefit in the interim. According to Scantlebury, you should start to feel better fairly quickly after beginning a mobility routine—consider feeling less stiff and achy.
You’ll see changes in your muscle length and joint mobility if you persevere. And one of the primary motivations for adopting an active lifestyle in the first place is to move better and feel better while doing it.
