You hear it all the time in the gym or see it in magazine articles. “Get the full range of motion.” What does it mean and how does it help you? So glad you asked.

When you hear “range of motion” it means the complete movement capability of the joint. In other words from the full stretch of the targeted muscle to a fully contracted position. Think of the bicep curl……the full stretch would be when your arm is fully extended downward. The contraction is when you bring the weight curled up to to the top of the shoulder and you get the squeeze on the bicep muscle. Working the muscles through the full range of motion will allow the joint to work properly…..to maintain and improve its range of motion. If the muscles surrounding the joint do not have the capability of full range o motion then the joints it surrounds will not either.

An example- think about when you have your arm in a cast for several weeks and you don’t use it. When the cast comes off you cant straighten the arm very well. You have to go to therapy not only to strengthen the muscles that have not been used but to work on their range of motion so you can fully extend and use your arm the way it was before. If you do not you will not have full use of that arm.

Same holds true in your workouts. If you do not use the full range of motion when you work the muscles then you will not have full range of motion in the joints.

One word of caution……. be careful and Make sure you go through the full range of motion on all exercises without hyper-extending or going past full extension. Be careful not to lock knees or elbows.