Hypermobility in Athletes: How to Train Smarter for Longevity

What if you’re not injury-prone — just hypermobile?

Do you feel tight all the time… yet also strangely flexible? Do you fidget constantly, struggle with recurring injuries, or feel dizzy standing up after swimming or cycling?

You might not be broken. You might be hypermobile.

On this episode of the Find Your Edge Podcast, Chris Newport sat down with Holly Burt, physical therapist and owner of State of the Art Health in Raleigh, to unpack what hypermobility really is — why it’s often missed — and how endurance athletes can train smarter, not harder, for performance and longevity.

What Is Hypermobility (And How It’s Different From Flexibility)

Hypermobility is not the same as flexibility.

• • Flexibility = muscle length (often trained or acquired)

• • Hypermobility = ligament laxity (largely genetic, collagen-based)

People with hypermobility have ligaments that act like overstretched rubber bands, meaning their joints rely heavily on muscles — not connective tissue — for stability.

And hypermobility can affect far more than joints, including:

• • Digestion & gut motility

• • Headaches & migraines

• • Skin elasticity

• • Cardiovascular response (like dizziness or “seeing stars”)

• • Proprioception (knowing where your body is in space)

Why Hypermobility Is So Often Missed

Hypermobility exists on a spectrum. You don’t have to be a dancer doing party tricks to be hypermobile. Many people fall slightly above “average” and never know — especially athletes.

Strong muscles can mask ligament laxity, which is why endurance athletes often go undiagnosed until injuries pile up.

Common clues:

• • Constant fidgeting or sitting in unusual positions

• • Feeling “tight” despite frequent stretching

• • Recurrent tendonitis, bursitis, or ankle sprains

• • Delayed soreness (pain shows up the next day)

• • Feeling dizzy or lightheaded when standing quickly

Why Stretching Feels Good — But Often Makes Things Worse

One of the most surprising truths we discuss: If you’re hypermobile and feel tight, it’s often because you’re weak — not inflexible.

Hypermobile muscles stay tight as a protective strategy because ligaments aren’t doing their job. Stretching can feel good in the moment, but it may:

• • Provide temporary relief

• • Cause rebound tightness

• • Worsen instability long-term

Strength training — done correctly — is what often creates lasting relief.

How Hypermobility Shows Up in Endurance Sports

Hypermobility affects endurance athletes in unique ways:

Running

• • Recurrent ankle sprains

• • Tendonitis & joint irritation

• • Balance challenges

Cycling

• • “Power leaks” due to poor stability

• • Excessive joint motion under load

Swimming

• • Shoulder instability

• • Shoulder instability

• • Overstretched ligaments from repetitive motion

Racing & Transitions

• • Heart rate spikes

• • Dizziness standing quickly

• • Slower cardiovascular recovery

The big takeaway: understanding your physiology matters more than comparing metrics to others.

The Strength Training Rules for Hypermobility

This is where many athletes need to shift their approach.

Key principles:

• • Stability before mobility

• • Quality over quantity

• • Slow, controlled movement

• • Isometric holds over momentum

• • Smaller ranges of motion (often better)

If you don’t feel the burn, that’s okay. For hypermobile athletes, the burn often shows up after you’ve done too much — so the goal is precision, not exhaustion.

Tools that help:

• • Mirrors

• • Video feedback

• • Hands-on cueing / muscle awareness

• • Counting reps (not “until tired”)

You Don’t Need More — You Need Better

One of the most empowering takeaways: Five focused minutes of strength work can be enough.

A simple structure many athletes can stick to:

• • 3 exercises

• • 5–8 minutes

• • Done consistently

Core stability is often high ROI for hypermobility. Examples include planks, bridges, side planks, controlled marches, and isometric holds.

Pilates, Yoga, and Finding the Right Balance

Pilates can be an excellent complement for hypermobility because it emphasizes control, deep stability, and body awareness.

Yoga can still have a place — but the goal is balance, not extremes. A simple rule of thumb:

• • If you love stretching, you probably need more strength.

• • If you hate stretching, you probably need more mobility.

How to Know If You’re Hypermobile

You don’t need a formal diagnosis to start training smarter. Signs worth exploring:

• • History of “party tricks” as a kid (weird bends, splits, contortions)

• • Hyperextending elbows or knees

• • Frequent injuries with no clear cause

• • Feeling tight but also unstable

Helpful next steps include a PT evaluation, periodic form checks, and using video/mirror feedback to improve control and awareness.

Final Takeaways: You’re Not Broken

Hypermobility isn’t a flaw — it’s a framework. When you understand what your body needs, you can train with more confidence, fewer injuries, and better long-term outcomes.

Key reminders:

• • You’re allowed to feel tight.

• • You’re not imagining your symptoms.

• • You’re not fragile.

• • You’re not alone.

Find Holly at State of the Art here. 

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