Mobility: The Foundation of Athletic Ability
Mobility is one of the motor skills. Often, the terms flexibility and joint mobility are used synonymously with "mobility," which is not entirely correct, as both together make up mobility.
Joint mobility refers to the structure of the joints, while flexibility describes the range of movement of the muscles. The term "flexibility" can, however, be used synonymously with mobility.
Mobility is the ability of the neuromuscular system to perform movements with the required, optimal, or maximum amplitude in the involved joints, either voluntarily or involuntarily. (Martin/Carl/Lehnertz 2001)
This range of motion in the joints depends on anatomical (e.g., the condition of the bony structures of the joint and its degrees of freedom), physiological (e.g., gender and hormonal status), neurophysiological (e.g., intra- and intermuscular coordination), psychological (e.g., stress, fatigue), and physical (e.g., time of day, temperature) parameters. The goal is to positively influence these parameters.
Joint mobility also includes connective tissue elements, whose thickness in the articular cartilage or elasticity in the joint capsule and ligaments further influences mobility. They, like joint metabolism, can be slightly altered through training. In practice, we use mobilization for this purpose: moving the joint in all anatomically possible axes. This promotes the production and distribution of synovial fluid (joint lubricant) and leads to cartilage swelling (diffusion as nourishment). This increases the joint space and the range of motion. In this expanded amplitude, the capsule is stretched. Ligaments, with a maximum elasticity of 5%, belong more to the mobility-limiting part of the joint, as their function is stabilization.
Essentially, mobility depends on the active musculoskeletal system, which limits the amplitude in the joint more or less through its strength and mass. In addition, neurophysiological control processes influence muscle tension or relaxation. This part of flexibility is also described as stretching ability. A large muscle mass and/or strength does not necessarily mean a lack of mobility, unless there is soft tissue obstruction. During muscle stretching, voluntary muscle tension must be minimized.
We differentiate between passive mobility (movements in the joint performed with the help of gravity, equipment, a partner, or other muscles) and active mobility (movements in the joint performed by the surrounding muscles): for example, in the hip joint, the M. iliopsoas is responsible for leg anteversion, and the M. gluteus for retroversion.
The maximum amplitude is usually limited by the muscles, which may be due to a weakness of the agonist (iliopsoas in anteversion) or a lack of flexibility in the antagonist.
Passive mobility is always greater than active mobility. However, active mobility is more important for us as athletes.
Why is mobility training so important?
One aspect is optimal movement execution:
- qualitatively: greater range of motion and thus longer acceleration path
- quantitatively: more economical use of force
Additionally, the risk of injury decreases (except in cases of hypermobility), and one can counteract muscle weakness and shortening.
There are static and dynamic methods.
Static Stretching – yes or no?
Although a muscle cannot structurally shorten, static stretching (holding a position for <45 seconds) naturally influences the muscle's flexibility: but by shifting the stretching pain tolerance rather than structurally lengthening it.
A myth is that static stretching causes a long-term reduction in muscle tone. This also explains why the approach of "strengthening the agonist and stretching the antagonist" has not proven effective, and muscular imbalances cannot be corrected solely with a stretching intervention program (Freiwald & Engelhardt, 1999). Freiwald & Engelhardt (1999) also point out that in some cases, stretching overly activated muscles can even limit mobility, as the nervous system increases muscle tone further as a protective reaction.
Nevertheless, static stretching is an effective method for increasing flexibility. As described above, this increase is due to an increase in tolerance to the stretching tension. It is unclear whether stretching has short-term effects on injury susceptibility and athletic performance (Behm et al., 2015). An older study (Herbert & Gabriel, 2002) found no effects on injury susceptibility, but the studies included are of low to moderate quality.
It is always important to distinguish between short- and long-term effects and goals. No one can expect static stretching immediately before a competition to positively affect injury susceptibility. In the long term, for individuals with drastically limited mobility, static stretching of restricted muscles can significantly improve movement quality, reducing injury risk through improved movement quality in the long run.
Why do we become immobile?
To better understand movement or movement restrictions, we must first ask: How does immobility even arise?
Over the years, theories have alternated between neurophysiological and structural explanations. Especially with insights from fascia research, it is assumed that a combination of both neurophysiological and structural effects is at play. It is evident that the flexibility of a muscle is related to its neural activation: the more the muscle is neurally activated, the harder it is to stretch. However, even under anesthesia, when the muscle is no longer controlled by the central nervous system, a certain basic tension of the muscle, which is clearly structural in nature, can still be observed. On the one hand, the muscle tissue itself offers resistance, and on the other, the surrounding connective tissue also plays a role. Unlike muscle tissue, this can shorten, "stick," fibrotize, and show other structural changes (Heymann & Stecco, 2016) that make it difficult for structures to glide or for tissue to stretch.
Mobility through Movement?
The body can only be divided into different systems in a model-like way; they inevitably belong together. Therefore, it is not surprising that methods of flexibility training (static vs. dynamic, active vs. passive) are repeatedly discussed. Especially in injury rehabilitation, stretching a single muscle or structure makes sense. However, when it comes to improving mobility in the context of complex movements, a more holistic understanding of the body within these movements, or at least on a structural level within muscle chains, is necessary. For healthy individuals, the motto should therefore be: "The best way to learn a deep squat is to perform deep squats." After all, these are complex movement patterns, which are difficult to progress with isolated stretches of individual structures.
With members who have no contraindications (e.g., injured structures), we therefore perform the target movement as often as possible. This allows both the nervous system and the structures involved in the movement to adapt. This also applies to the training principle of specificity: you only improve in what you train. In terms of flexibility training, this means: if you use the forward bend to improve flexibility in your hamstrings, practicing reaching the floor with fingertips or palms with closed and straight knees will improve your forward bend. However, this does not automatically mean you will get deeper into a squat. Therefore, a single exercise only progresses if you can transfer its benefit to the target movement pattern. Only when you are sure that the movement is limited by certain structures or individual muscles/groups should you proceed to work on these in isolation. These isolated applications should be seen as aids to reach the target movement. Different procedures must naturally be chosen for rehab patients.
Sometimes we should remind ourselves of how we learned movements as children. We thought less about our flexibility but practiced a movement until we could actually perform it. Although we didn't suffer from society-induced movement deficiency back then, which led to "stiffness," we still trusted that the structure would eventually adapt. The basic principle "form follows function" seems to be deeply ingrained in us.
What does this look like in our practice?
We focus on dynamic stretching (position held only briefly, with a focus on movement) as part of mobilization before training, as the release of synovial fluid (joint lubricant) reduces injury risk, which is important for explosive exercises. It also promotes circulation. Static stretching is not recommended as it lowers muscle tone and thus power, and inhibits circulation.
Additionally, there is movement-specific preparation (as described above): we progressively build a movement in technique training or warm-up (e.g., starting with a squat-to-stance, then air squat, and finally back squat with progressively increasing weight).
Static stretching (holding a position for a longer time: about 60 seconds) is recommended in separate sessions (e.g., yoga) to increase flexibility and prevent injuries long-term. Yoga sessions with long-held positions contribute to relaxation.
Want to work on your flexibility?
Our mobility experts create a program designed to improve your flexibility in the long term:
- Tuesday: 6 pm with Serhii
- Wednesday: 8:45 am with Daniel
- Sunday: 11 am Yoga with Daniel Brömmelhaus
Did you know you can attend yoga and mobility classes without a fixed membership? Just book our 5 or 10 pass card.
Book your trial session here.