What is Range of Motion and Why is it Important in a Strength Exercise?

You don’t realize how important your range of motion is until an injury happens. I planned on going pro for volleyball when I was in high school, but unfortunately, I tore my rotator cuff before the last game of my senior year. Even today, using my full range of motion in my right shoulder can be painful because of the injury. I wish I had done more strength training when I was playing volleyball in high school, because I wonder if this could have prevented the injury, or it might not have been as severe.

Want strength training custom-designed for your favorite outdoor activities? Set up a free consult with Rachel by emailing her at rachel@unstilllife.com, or join an Unstill Life outdoor workout. Your community and coach await!

What is Range of Motion?

Range of motion is how far you can comfortably and safely move a joint in a particular direction. For example, it’s how deep you can squat, how far you can bend your elbow, or how high you can raise your arm. Your range of motion can vary depending on your flexibility, mobility, strength, joint structure, and past injuries.

Full Range of Motion vs. Partial Range of Motion

Understanding the difference between full and partial range of motion will help you make more informed choices about how you train and which movements will help you reach your fitness goals.

Full Range of Motion

Full range of motion means moving a joint through as much of its natural movement as you can safely and comfortably during an exercise. As a volleyball player, continually working on full range of motion helps me reach higher to block, dive, react quickly, and hit with more power. I notice that if I don’t strength train for an extended period of time, my hips and knees feel really stiff, and it’s hard to jump as high as I want to. I’m also extremely inflexible (I can’t even touch my toes!), so strength training exercises loosens up my joints, and I feel like I can get my arm fully through the swing when striking the ball.

Partial Range of Motion

Partial range of motion means working through only part of a movement rather than its full range. An example of this would be a half squat. Some people can squat all the way down comfortably, and others feel tight or have some joint pain halfway through the squat. This is totally normal, and with regular practice, you can improve your mobility and go deeper in your squat.

Partial range of motion exercises are still effective workouts, especially if you’re focusing on a specific part of an exercise, working through a strength plateau, or making an exercise more comfortable when you have a mobility limitation. But ultimately, the greater a range of motion you can use, the more fully and effectively you’ll be able to move and perform your activities. If you don’t use it (a particular part of the total range of motion), you lose it. Another injury risk related to not using your full range of motion is that limited range of motion in one area can lead to compensations in other areas of your body. For example, if someone doesn’t have the full range of motion in their shoulder for a tennis serve, they may start to make up for that by using their back in ways that cause more strain there.

Why Range of Motion Exercises Are Important

Muscular Contraction

Using a full range of motion allows your muscles to work through more of the movement, which helps you build strength. Greater muscle activation challenges your muscles more effectively, which helps support strength and muscle development.

Improved Flexibility & Mobility

Full range repetitions take your muscles and joints through their natural, complete range of motion rather than stopping partway through an exercise. This gentle movement gradually increases your flexibility by allowing the muscles to lengthen and the joints to move more freely. With regular resistance training, research shows that it can improve or maintain joint range of motion, maintain mobility, and make movement feel less restricted or stiff.

Decreases Risk of Injury

Research has shown that “strength training reduced sports injuries to less than 1/3 and overuse injuries” were reduced by almost half. Strengthening the muscles around major joints like the knees, hips, and ankles can improve muscular control and support injury-prevention. 

Keeps Joints Healthy

Moving your joints through their full range of motion helps keep them lubricated, supports healthy cartilage, and keeps the surrounding muscles and tissues working effectively. Regular, controlled full range of motion movements keep your joints healthy rather than wearing them out.

Range of motion is a key part of effective strength training. Using the right range of motion, proper technique, and gradually increasing resistance helps you build strength, move better, and get more out of every workout and closer to your fitness goals.