Mobility & flexibility are good for runners because of the need to be able to move through normal ranges of motion required by running, so you can optimize your performance. The following video shows a simple circuit that will improve both mobility and flexibility.
Flexibility refers to connective tissues, like muscles, ligaments and tendons. Mobility is talking about the ability of a muscle to move through its full range at the joint. Bottomline, you can be flexible, but not mobile.
Mobility & flexibility actually work together to help runners move with efficiency and ease. A greater range of motion where you can activate in multiple positions ensures more power when you push off the ground. Think of having superior knee drive for speed. Also optimizing mobility & flexibility help runners stay injury free.
Runners don’t need to achieve advanced mobility & flexibility. Instead, slowly increase range of motion over times by starting with the circuit shown in the following video. There’s actually 6 different exercises shown. Completing the 5 that impact running flexibility & mobility will take about 5 minutes. These exercises are different & performed separately than the dynamic stretching discussed in another post.
To increase mobility & flexibility, runner’s need to focus on various areas of the body that are needed for movement in everything we do. Some of these areas include
- Ankles
- Knees
- Hips
I like the variations shown in the video to complete the stretches. This is especially good for older athletes trying to perform the stretches.
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