Fit Tips: Mobility — one of four foundations of fitness
Published 1:30 am Wednesday, January 7, 2026
By Pauline Geraci
We have all heard the adage: Which comes first, the chicken or the egg? The saying is used to describe a problem in which one must decide which of two things came first, but it’s unclear how to begin the decision-making process.
From a fitness perspective, many of us are inundated with fitness advice about what the key to fitness is. We are told to lift heavy weights or do cardio. In this column, I posit that before you start running or lifting heavy, you must first learn to move well. I will refer to moving well as mobility and why it’s the foundation for all lasting fitness.
Mobility is the underlying component of the four foundations of fitness, which include strength, stability, and flexibility. Why is mobility important? It allows for the full, free, and controlled range of motion in your joints, which is essential for performing daily activities and exercises safely and effectively. Mobility helps you lift weights and run properly, and it prevents injuries.
Many people think that mobility and flexibility are the same thing. Flexibility is the passive ability of a muscle to lengthen or stretch. It’s the ability of the muscle to be lengthened. Mobility, on the other hand, is the active ability to move a joint through its full range of motion, with control and strength. It is crucial for everything from getting out of bed to participating in sports.
Of the two, mobility is the more functional because it requires control through movement. You can be flexible (touch your toes), but not mobile (actively moving joints through their full range of motion while building strength and control). You do need enough flexibility in your muscles to obtain functional or sports mobility.
Why is mobility the most important foundation?
• Enables proper movement: Mobility allows you to move freely while maintaining proper form while performing movements like squatting, bending, or reaching with control. If your joints can move through their full range of motion, mobility helps reduce strain and the risk of injury.
When you perform exercises with limited mobility, like squats, lunges, and overhead presses, you increase your risk of injury because you are not performing them safely and efficiently. When your mobility or your range of motion is restricted, other muscles compensate for the lack of movement.
These compensations may not cause immediate pain, but over time, they increase the risk of injury. For example, limited shoulder mobility can lead to shoulder imbalances, which may lead to frozen shoulder or impingement. If you don’t have enough hip mobility, it can alter how you should squat. placing undue stress on the knees or lower back.
• Increases ease of movement: It helps eliminate stiffness and degenerative conditions as you age, and it allows for more fluid and effortless motion in daily life.
• Increases your range of motion: Mobility increases your range of motion, which improves your ability to activate more muscle fibers, and leads to greater strength and better athletic performance.
• Helps with Functional Fitness (Everyday tasks): This includes everyday tasks and activities like reaching for a high shelf, bending over, or twisting to look behind you while backing out of a parking lot, and helps prevent the wear and tear associated with improper movement.
• Counters the effects of sedentary habits: Technology leads to prolonged sitting. Sitting too much, watching television, poor posture while using a computer, and looking down at your cell phone can lead to stiffness in the hips, shoulders, neck, and spine.
How do I incorporate mobility training?
• Warm-ups: Personally, I always start my workouts, including Tai Chi, with dynamic mobility drills like arm circles, hip circles, or deep squats instead of static stretching (holding a stretch for 20-30 seconds) to prepare my body for any activity.
• Active recovery: Active recovery is not stretching but gentle movement. Qi Gong is excellent for active recovery or warming up. Use mobility work as active recovery on rest days to promote blood flow and healing.
• In workouts: The overhead squat is a mobility exercise where you hold a barbell or weights overhead and squat down, requiring a wide range of motion in your ankles, hips, and thoracic spine. Horizontal Ts are another exercise to try: Lie on your stomach with your arms out to the sides in a ‘T’ position, then lift them to engage your back muscles.
Another great mobility exercise is the thoracic spine opener: Start on your knees in a quadruped position. Bring your right hand behind your head with your elbow bent. With your left hand planted, rotate your chest open toward the right — but only go as far as you can while keeping your hips square to the ground.
• With Consistency: Aim for short, consistent daily mobility sessions rather than just infrequent long ones. Consistency is more effective for improvement.
Investing in mobility training isn’t just about athletic performance or avoiding injury; it’s an investment in yourself so you can lead a longer and more active life. Prioritizing mobility lets you move through life more easily with less pain and more proficiency.
*If you have any fitness questions that you would like me to address, please feel free to email me at: pmgeraci@gmail.com
The information provided in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health, medical, or financial advice. Do not use this information to diagnose or treat any health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.
