What is the difference between Hypermobility and Flexibility?
Often people get a little confused between these two things, or think that they are one and the same. But there is actually quite a difference between the two. You can be Hypermobile and not Flexible, or Flexible and not Hypermobile, or both together or neither! Hypermobility relates more to the mobility in your joints due to the tension in the ligaments supporting them, while Flexibility is more about the total range of movement that you have in your body, which depends on the amount of tension in your muscles, fascia and nervous system. Around each of our joints are strong bands of connective tissue called ligaments that help hold our bones together. (Remember that ligaments attach bone to bone, while tendons attach muscle to bone). In some people these ligaments are very tight, while in others they are quite stretchy. If a person has very stretchy or “lax” ligaments we call this Hypermobility. This means that the amount of movement available in their joints is more than for a person
