Mobility vs. Flexibility: Understanding the differences

Posted: July 9, 2025

Every athlete is looking to gain an edge over their competition – hoping to be stronger, faster and more agile.

Mobility and flexibility are key components of building performance in these areas. While both will allow you to move more easily and feel better in your body, the approaches to becoming more mobile or more flexible are different.

Doug Walls, a strength and conditioning coach at Sanford Sports came up with some tips on how to improve your flexibility and mobility.

Flexibility

Flexibility is the ability of your muscles and joints to move through a full range of motion without restriction or pain. It is achieved through passive stretching and lengthening of muscle fibers and tendons, which increases the range of motion at a joint and the elasticity of soft tissue.

Stretching can help reduce risk of injury from tearing muscle tissue while working out in the weight room, on the practice field or during competition. To increase flexibility, you need to stretch certain areas of your body regularly. The best way to accomplish this is by setting up sets of stretches. Doing two sets of stretches targeting your hamstrings, like a lying hamstring stretch will eventually help you increase their range of motion

Stretching is best performed after exercise or performance training, as your body is warmed up and more accepting of intense stretching. Stretching beforehand is not the best due to it not properly activating or “warming-up” muscles, tendons, and ligaments to perform at our best.

Mobility

Mobility is the active range of motion through the given joint space with both control and coordination. Mobility is an active process, regardless of whether it is before, during or after a workout. 

Mobility exercises strengthen, increase coordination and add stability to a single joint. Proper mobility exercises are rooted in movement-based patterns that target weak points, such as squats or overhead presses. Having proper mobility leads to better technique and performance.

Help from Sanford Sports

Even though the ways to achieve and apply proper mobility and flexibility are different, both provide similar benefits.

Strength and conditioning coaches like Walls at Sanford Sports can teach you how to apply these concepts to help you feel better and perform at your best.