Why Your Flexibility Today Is Different From Yesterday

Sometimes we can stretch one day and feel very, very flexible and mobile. Then the next day we notice we cannot do the same things anymore.

Like touching your toes, it can be so difference from one day to another. And then you think that the first time was just a one time thing and you are disappointed.

You shouldn’t be. There are a few things that can influence your flexibility and mobility from one day to another. Yep, that fast.

But that doesn’t mean you lost your flexibility or mobility. It also doesn’t mean you should not work on them constantly.

Mobility vs Flexibility

Before I go any further I’d like to point out the difference between flexibility and mobility. We use these words a lot but how many of you know the difference?

• MOBILITY is the ability to move or be moved freely and easily. MOBILITY is an indication of how well and efficiently we move.
FLEXIBILITY is the quality of bending easily without breaking. FLEXIBILITY is a component of MOBILITY.

• MOBILITY deals with how loose you feel, or how stiff you feel.
FLEXIBILITY deals with muscles length

• MOBILITY is about the whole picture, how easily the body can move.
FLEXIBILITY is specific to a particular movement or joint and it can vary around the body.

What may affect your flexibility and mobility from one day to another.

These factors DO NOT apply to everyone. The reason I am listing some of them is for you to understand what’s happening whenever you feel like you’ve lost flexibility. In fact you probably haven’t lost it, it’s just temporary.

• Weather – warm weather will help your flexibility

• How you feel – emotions leave an imprint on our bodies in the form of muscle tensions.

• Type of workout – natural movement training such as the ones I do with my clients, although may be challenging) encourage flexibility and mobility. A high intensity interval training, or otherwise called HIIT, may cause your muscles to tighten up.

• How warm your muscles are

• If you’ve workout the day before – you may be in recovery mode and your body may feel stiffer. Again here it depends on the type of workout as well

• Sleeping patterns – sleeping is the only time your body recovers and heals in a natural way. the only time. a good rest, not necessarily long one, will help your body in terms of flexibility and mobility.

• How you use breathing in your stretches – breathing is again a very overlooked elements in training and many coaches do not teach breathing patterns and techniques. How you breath can determine how efficient your workout is. Proper breathing when stretching can increase your mobility and flexibility while incorrect breathing can lead to pain and injuries.

• Diet – to thrive your body needs quality food. you release toxicity from your joints, your muscles and your body, you become more flexible

• Hormones

• Age (or so they say) – I personally do not agree with this. I have many examples of people in their 50’s and 60’s who are more flexible than I am (that doesn’t make me feel good, but that’s the truth). You work on flexibility, you keep your bofy flexible

• Fashion – high heels for example can tighten and shorten muscles and tendons in your toes, foot, ankle, calves. Or jeans that are too tight can restrict blood circulation.

There are so many things we overlook when we work with our bodies. And many PT’s and Coaches fail to point them out thinking you don’t need to know these things.

I believe your should be aware of everything that causes your body to change in any way. It’s your body after all.

You don’t need to become a health coach but you should be aware of what’s happening so you can better understand your body and look after it better and with more patience.

Yesterday I held a live webinar on flexibility and mobility to take your body from shut down to fully functional and age gracefully. There are also practical stretches there which you can use while sitting at your desk….simple.

The difference between Flexibility and Mobility

Many of us understand the importance of being more flexible and the benefits we associate with it such as freedom of movement, recovery after workout and a general feeling of relaxation.

However, we use flexibility and mobility as one and the same thing. Or we talk about one but actually use the wrong terminology. So I wanted to shed some light on the difference between flexibility and mobility.

So here are the differences

By definition…

MOBILITY is the ability to move or be moved freely and easily. MOBILITY is an indication on how well and efficiently we move.

FLEXIBILITY is the quality of bending easily without breaking. FLEXIBILITY is a component of MOBILITY.

MOBILITY deals with how loose you feel, or how stiff you feel.

FLEXIBILITY deals with muscles length

MOBILITY is about the whole picture, how easy the body can move.

FLEXIBILITY is specific to a particular movement or joint and it can vary around the body.

A person with MOBILITY can perform daily activities or certain exercises with more ease.

A FLEXIBLE person may not be able to move as easily. They have the flexibility but not necessary the freedom of movement. Mobility can limit the potential we gain through flexibility.

Physical Therapist, Author and Coach Gray Cook explains that MOBILITY is actually more anatomically and physiologically correct because it encompasses any structure that could restrict motion.

FLEXIBILITY would only imply structures having tension on them. Calling all limited motion problems “flexibility problems” assumes that all can be helped with stretching. Sometimes it cannot.

Example

Mobility could limit the potential of flexibility. Let’s say your muscles (lats) are flexible enough to lift your arm vertical. But your mobility in your shoulder can limit that potential. Mobility is not limited to joints though. There is soft tissue mobility as well.

Important areas to keep flexible/mobile

Physical therapist and trainer, Joe Vega recommends we look after:

1. our neck

2. mid back

3. lower back

4. hip flexors

5. hamstrings

6. calf muscles.

It is important to foam roll/massage, stretch and strengthen these areas but not only. As your whole body is interconnected a tight muscles anywhere in your body may lead to tightness in another part of the body.

Benefits of flexibility and mobility

1. Prepare the body for physical activity

2. Reduce the risk of injuries or help recover faster from one. Whether we refer to sports injuries or simply slip on the ice or trip inside the house.

3. More ease of movement means more relaxation in the whole body thus less aches and pains, including that annoying lower back pain.

4. Helps with post workout recovery reducing soreness by driving blood flow to soft tissue

5. Improved posture. Tight muscles affect your spine’s alignment.

6. Increased endurance and metabolism

Factors influencing flexibility and mobility

1. Temperature, both body and environmental

2. Type of training. A gymnast will be more flexible and mobile than a cyclist, not matter how much the cyclist stretches.

3. Age. Although I do not totally agree with it. I have examples in my life who contradict this theory. It’s about maintaining what you gained through hard work.

4. Emotions. In his book “Stretching Scientifically” Thomas Kurz says that flexibility can be affected by anger, happiness, sadness, frustration, stress or how mentally burnt out we are.

5. Time of stretching. In the morning when you wake up you may feel a bit stiffer than normally. Although if you have a regular routine involving flexibility and mobility you could be flexible any time of the day.

If you’d like to know more please download my free eBook “15 Healthy Habits For The Body” or book a free consultation with me.