The Missing Piece In Your Pilates Practice

True mobility combines strength and control—learn how Pilates and FRC principles can transform movement and enhance well-being

Ariel Comeau’s journey to redefining movement began with her own challenges. Despite her natural flexibility as a former professional dancer, she faced persistent pain after transitioning to personal training. Searching for a solution, she discovered Functional Range Conditioning (FRC)—a system focused on mobility and joint control. Within two months of applying its principles, she was pain-free for the first time in years. This life-changing experience ignited her passion for FRC and launched her mission to help others move better, leading to a 14-year career dedicated to transforming lives through health and fitness.

Now working as a mobility coach at One Playground and running her own business, RMS Movement, Ariel is passionate about spreading the message that flexibility alone is not enough.

In this article, we delve into how Pilates, when integrated with FRC principles, can empower individuals to move better, bust myths about mobility, and improve overall quality of life.

What is Mobility?

So, what is mobility? Mobility is defined as flexibility plus strength throughout the entire range of motion.

Debunking Common Myths:
Myth 1: Mobility is the Same as Flexibility

Most people think mobility is just a fancy word for flexibility. The internet typically teaches us that mobility is passive stretching, with a sprinkle of dynamic flows. But mobility is more than just becoming more bendy - it’s about strength & control throughout your full range of motion.

While flexibility refers to passive range of motion - meaning how far you can go when you’re supported - mobility is the active control of your joints, muscles, and soft tissue without assistance of any external force.

Pilates teaches us the importance of control and precision, and mobility training takes that one step further by strengthening the muscles at the edges of your movement. It’s not just about being flexible—it’s about being strong and stable in those end ranges, which improves both performance and injury prevention.

Myth 2: Stretching Alone Won’t Reduce your Risk of Injury

Stretching has its place, but it’s only half of the equation. Unfortunately, research has proven that passive stretching alone plays no role in injury prevention and can potentially make you more susceptible to injury.

FRC protocols were created with this in mind. The system was designed to essentially strength train your joints, progressively overloading the tissues through force production and isometric contractions right at the limits of their range. (This is the missing piece in most “mobility protocols” you find on the internet.) This prepares your muscles and joints to handle force in these extended positions (the positions you’re required to access in Pilates).

Myth 3: Mobility Only Increases Range of Motion, Not Performance

Mobility training is about more than just getting bendy. It’s about building neurological control and increasing your body’s ability to produce and withstand force. FRC teaches your body to apply force and control through all ranges, improving how your muscles, joints, and nervous system work together.

In Pilates, this means deeper engagement, more graceful movement, and more power in your practice.

3 Surprising Ways That Mobility Will Impact Your Pilates Practice:

• Unlocking More Strength Gains

The greater range of motion that we have, the more muscle fibers we have access to. When we push to the edges of our range of motion, we are able to access those often neglected areas of the body that end up leveling up our strength and shaping our muscles in the way we desire. For example, leveling up your mobility may allow you to go deeper in the scooter position due to increased muscle strength and range of motion.

• Activate The Right Muscles

We’ve all had the experience of knowing an exercise is meant to be targeting the upper back, but only feeling it in the neck and upper traps. I have had countless people complain to me that in Pilates they know they're meant to feel their abs working, but half the time they just feel their lower back. A primary benefit of mobility training is building neurological connections, or as I like to say, we are building telephone lines from the brain to the body (mobility will teach you how to relax muscles that don’t need to be activated). Once you develop that neurological connection, you have the ability to engage what you'd like to engage and relax what you'd like to relax. This aids in injury prevention, fixing imbalance, and development of the correct muscles.

• Increasing Your Confidence

Building strength throughout your entire range of motion creates a deeper level of self trust in your body. You realise your limits and with more neurological control, you're able to perform exercises that you may have previously shied away from. We all want to step into Pilates with absolute confidence that we can handle anything the trainer gives us. Mobility training is your secret ingredient to doing just that.

Aerial is a mobility coach at One Playground and runs her own business, RMS Movement. You can watch a free daily mobility routine here.

Added Bonus for Readers:

If you would like to start your mobility journey, here is a free daily mobility routine that takes just 20 minutes - https://rmsmovement.mvt.so/join-cars-freebie

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FAQs

1. What is the difference between mobility and flexibility?
Mobility combines flexibility with strength and control throughout the entire range of motion. While flexibility refers to how far your muscles can stretch passively, mobility is about active control of the joints, muscles, and soft tissues without external assistance. It emphasizes being strong and stable in end ranges, which is crucial for both injury prevention and enhanced performance.

2. Can stretching alone improve my mobility and prevent injuries?
No, stretching alone is not enough. While stretching can help improve flexibility, it doesn't address the strength and control needed to protect your joints. Functional Range Conditioning (FRC) protocols strengthen the muscles and tissues at the limits of your range, preparing them to handle force in those positions, thus improving both mobility and injury prevention.

3. How does improving mobility benefit my Pilates practice?
Improving mobility enhances your Pilates practice by unlocking more strength gains, activating the right muscles, and increasing your confidence. Greater range of motion allows you to access more muscle fibers, enabling deeper, more effective exercises. It also helps you engage the correct muscles and relax those that aren't needed, improving your overall performance and reducing the risk of injury.