Mobility vs. Stretching

Mindful Warriors
Oct 26
7 min read

What’s the Difference and What Does Science Say?

- By Nikolai Gerstner, Co-Founder of Mindful Warriors, Sportscientist and passionated Boxing Coach

With doing a lot of strength training, boxing, and also spending many hours at the desk, I’ve realized how important it has become - especially in my 30s - to keep my body healthy, mobile, and flexible.

According to a newsletter by Andrew Huberman (2022):

"...Aging causes a natural decline in the range of motion over which our limbs and joints can move. From age 20 to 49, our flexibility declines by ~10% each decade...”

So the question I asked myself was:

What’s the best way to train the body for flexibility, mobility, and long-term health?

To find out, I dove into what sport science actually says on the topic.

*Photo of myself: Performing a Jefferson Curl for mobility with resistance.*

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Mobility, Flexibility, and Stretching — What’s the Difference?

Let’s start with a few short and simple definitions, so we speak the same language:

Mobility = active movement. It’s your ability to move a joint through its full range of motion with control. Think of doing a deep squat or better a shoulder circle - you move yourself into that position.
Flexibility = passive range. It’s how far you can go when an external force helps you - for example, when you pull your leg with a strap or someone pushes you deeper into a stretch.
Stretching = the method used to improve flexibility. There are different types - static (holding a position), dynamic (moving through range), and loaded or PNF stretching (contract-relax techniques).
Mobility exercise = active control training. Moving joints through the full range - with or without resistance - to make them stronger, more stable, and easier to move.

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So… How Can We Improve Flexibility and Mobility?

1. To Improve Flexibility

Let’s start with what flexibility really means and how we can improve it.

There are many ways to make your body more flexible:

Static Stretching: Holding a position where you feel a gentle stretch. Helps lengthen muscles and is great to do after training or in the evening.
Dynamic Stretching: Moving smoothly through your range of motion without holding the end position - perfect before training or to wake up the body in the morning.
PNF Stretching (Contract–Relax): Tighten the muscle, then relax into a deeper stretch. Very effective but requires focus and awareness - advanced method.
Ballistic Stretching: Using fast, bounce-like movements to go deeper into a stretch. Can work for advanced athletes but isn’t ideal for beginners.
Supportive Method - Foam Rolling: Rolling over tight areas helps release tension in the fascia and improves how freely your body moves.
Noteworthy - Resistance Training through Full Range of Motion: Even though it doesn’t focus solely on flexibility, strength training exercises like deep squats, lunges, or Romanian deadlifts can also increase flexibility when performed with control and through the full range of motion.

What current Science Says on stretching

A large 2025 study by 20 sport science experts looked at all major research on stretching. They agreed that:

Stretching helps you move better and further by improving range of motion.
It can reduce stiffness in muscles and joints.
When practiced regularly, it may even improve blood flow and recovery.
But it doesn’t significantly help with building much muscle or preventing all injuries.

(Below you can find a deeper dive into this study and their summary graphic of the main findings.)

How much stretching is effective?

According to a 2024 meta-analysis in Sports Medicine, you don’t need to stretch for hours. The researchers found that:

“Static stretching improves flexibility in adults, with no additional benefit beyond 4 minutes per session or 10 minutes per week per muscle group.”

Practical Recommendations

Aim for about 5–10 minutes of total stretching per muscle group per week.
You can divide that into smaller bouts - for example, 3 - 4 sets of 10-60 seconds, several times a week.
Static stretching (safest, and best for beginners) & PNF seem to be most effective if done regularly to increase flexibilty and range of motion.
Focus on quality and regularity.
More intense stretching did not seem to improve further flexibility gains.

My personal approach

I prefer to stretch in the evening - it helps me calm down, slow my breath, and relax before sleep. Also I do like to hold stretches a bit longer (Yin Yoga Approach), to be able to give time to relax my body & mind during a longer hold.

These are my five favorite stretches that cover most of the body:

Hanging (for shoulders & spine)
Pigeon (hips)
Forward Bend (hamstrings & back)
Camel on toes (front chain & posture)
World’s Greatest Stretch (full-body mobility)

I hold each one for 1–2 minutes and repeat every other day or do them sometimes during the day when getting up from the desk.

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2. To improve mobility

Mobility is not just about range - it’s about control and strength in that range. It’s the ability to move freely and powerfully through your full range of motion, without pain or restriction.

In other words:

Flexibility lets you reach a position - mobility lets you use it.

What Science Says About Mobility

Unlike flexibility (which is often improved through stretching), mobility training builds active range - the combination of strength, coordination, and joint stability.

Research shows that strength and eccentric training can improve mobility just as much as stretching, with additional benefits for performance and injury prevention:

Alizadeh et al. (2023, Sports Medicine) confirmed that resistance training through full range effectively increases ROM across multiple joints.
Afonso et al. (2021, Sports Medicine) showed that resistance training and stretching seperatly lead to similar gains in range of motion (ROM), but strength training also improves joint stability and strength.
Warneke et al. (2025) highlighted that combining flexibility (passive range) with strength-based mobility (active range) creates the most robust long-term results.

How to Build Mobility

Here are a few key principles that make mobility training effective:

Mobility = strength + control + awareness.
Move with control - explore your full range, but do not force it.
Add resistance - use bands, light weights, or your own bodyweight to strengthen end ranges.
Train daily - it's great for all your joints to stay healthy to move them in the full range daily.
Focus on quality over quantity - stay focused

My Personal Approach

I usually do mobility work in the morning - it wakes up my body, activates my joints, and sets a clear mind-body connection for the day.

Currently I do start with some more dynamic Qigong exercises to open the hips, shoulders, and spine through fluid, mindful motion and then usually I go outside to get fresh air and do some playful Climbing (on trees or currently on a playground close by - as there are unfortunately no adult playgrounds yet😅). It helps me with basically the full-body mobility and shoulder control.

Sometimes I do also like to include these:

Sun Salutations: a dynamic flow that mobilizes the entire body.
Jefferson Curl: builds controlled spinal mobility and resilience.

It’s simple - but done consistently, it keeps me pain-free, fluid, and mobile.

Try This: 6 Mobility Exercises for the Whole Body

Here are 6 powerful movements you can do with or without weights — great for improving control and range in the major joints:

Deep Squat – hips, also ankles & knees
ATG Split Squat – knees, also hips & ankles
Jefferson Curl – spine & posterior chain
Pancake Stretch (with weight) – hips & hamstrings
Overhead Wall Shoulder Press (standing) – shoulders, upper back, posture
(Stability Ball) Dumbbell Pullover for extra shoulder mobility and chest opening - anterior chain.

Perform 10–15 reps per exercise, for 3 controlled rounds. Move slowly, breathe deeply, and stay aware of how each joint feels. If you add weight - use light weights and focus on full range of motion.

Mobility is not just about range - it’s about control and strength in that range.

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What to Remember

Here’s what I hope you take away from this week’s post on Mobility vs. Stretching:

Flexibility = your passive range of motion.
Mobility = your active, controlled range of motion.
Stretching = the main tool to improve flexibility.
Mobility training = strength and control within that range.
Ideally, combine both - stretching to expand range, mobility to stabilize and use it.

If you’re short on time:

Perform controlled strength training through a full range of motion. It provides flexibility gains similar to stretching, plus additional benefits such as joint stability, muscle growth, and injury prevention.

Time needed for stretching:

Around 5–10 minutes per muscle group per week (stretching or end-range work) already leads to measurable improvements.

How long to hold a stretch:

Any duration between 10 second and 4 minutes is effective - total weekly time matters more than single hold duration and max 10 min per muscle per week seems most effective.

When to do what:

Dynamic mobility before training.
Static stretching after training or in the evening.

Bottom line: Whether your goal is performance, recovery, or longevity - move every joint, every day. It’s one of the best long-term investments in your health and quality of life.

In this sense I wish you a great stretching and moving, and wish you that you stay mobile, flexible and healthy as long as possible.