Mobility Flexibility and Stability for Functional Strength and Improved Health and Fitness
It is rare to meet clients or come across athletes who don’t need a bit more mobility, stability and flexibility work. The question is what ratio of each does your unique body require for better movement and better performance? The basics of each and some options for various needs.
Mobility Stability and Flexibility are quite often lumped into what many trainers call movement prep, mobilization work or warm up routines but these 3 fitness components are quite different and can be addressed at various stages of your workout plan as well as various times throughout your workout.
The Difference Between Mobility Flexibility and Stability Plus Imbalance Issues
Mobility is the ability of a joint to move through a range of motion.
Flexibility is the ability of a muscle to be lengthened through a range of motion.
Stability is the ability of surrounding tissues to support a joint through a range of motion.
The video here features over a dozen mobility, stability, flexibility exercises I do with clients on a regular basis to correct imbalances. There are some you may need a lot of and others you may never need to do. A thorough fitness assessment will reveal exactly what your body needs most.
What Happens When Your Mobility Flexibility & Stability Are Out of Balance?
Some clients have no core stability combined with hip hyper-mobility and good overall flexibility. Others have poor overall flexibility, decent core stability and no hip mobility. Some have poor thoracic and shoulder mobility combined with good core stability and great hip mobility. The combos are endless and they can all contribute to compensatory or faulty movement patterns that result in limitations, pain and/or injuries.
For example if your hyper hip mobility and good lower body flexibility allows you to squat very deep but then your core or hip lack the stability to support that movement it’s likely that you will hurt your low back as you begin to lift heavier.
Another common imbalance is having good core stability but no upper back mobility and poor shoulder flexibility. When you go to press a weight or do a plank your core can handle it but your back struggles to stabilize and your shoulders hurt or they end up tearing because there is no support system to balance that core stability and strength.
Mobility Flexibility and Stability Options Based on Common Issues
I grouped all the exercises from the video into three lists below so you can see which moves work best for common goals. These recommendations are not set in stone so modifications of these moves may still be needed which is why a thorough fitness assessment is a must before starting any fitness plan.
Core Stability and Hip Stability *very common issue for both men and women
Banded kneeling arm hip extension “bird dog”
Banded kneeling hip extension
Elevated bridge +band fly *band pull
Elevated single leg bridge +band fly
Thoracic and Shoulder Mobility, Lower Body Flexibility *common w/ athletic clients
Banded kneeling cat cow
Banded modified side plank overhead press
Superband boat pose leg press
Banded seated single arm row twist
Thera strap seated hamstring contract release
Shoulder and Back Stability, Core and Hip Mobility
Superband reclined straight leg wiper
Thera strap scorpion
Banded deep lunge twist
Weighted fire logs pose with twists and folds
If your goal is to bring your body into balance to avoid surgeries, additional surgeries, more injuries, or aches and pains from faulty movement patterns be sure to contact me to set up an functional movement screen and fitness assessment. These are included with all the personal training packages I offer.
