Flexibility testing are used to measure the range of motion in the body and to determine in what way the body can move easy. Flexibility isnt a single quality but rather the collection of the range of motion of various muscle in the body. Individuals with tight muscles experience difficulty in performing movements in there bodies due to the inability of their muscles to allow their bodies to move in the required range of motion.
Flexibility testing is useful for determining these difficulties, allowing individuals to perform the correct movements to even improve their flexibility. The chart presents six test that can be used to determine flexibility throughout the body. The six tests include the sit-and-reach test, the shoulder reach test, the hip-flexor tests, the trunk rotation test, the ankle dorsiflexion test, and the shoulder flexibility step.
How to Test and Improve Your Flexibility
Each test target a different part of the body and measures a different muscle group. There is no need to memorize these tests. However, a number from one of these tests dont represent a person’s flexibility.
While many believe that flexibility decline with time as people age, the chart presents data that demonstrates that flexibility does not always decline with age. Adults who do not exercise their bodies’ muscles loses flexibility over time as they age. However, adults who regularly perform exercises that increase the flexibility of their muscles retain flexibility at a higher rate then those adults who fail to perform these exercises.
The data presented to the left of the chart provides information about the results of the sit-and-reach test. Each person dont need to strive to achieve the highest number on the scale. However, the information provides a range of flexibility in terms of how flexible each person is.
For individuals who have low flexibility in this range of motion, they may begin to experience difficulties with other movements with their body as well. The information presented by this test allow individuals to understand how much flexibility they have. This information is more useful to an individual than information about how to improve flexibility.
The shoulder flexibility steps are important to include in the test for flexibility due to the common restrictions of the shoulders of individuals. The reach-over-and-reach-under test will allow individuals to determine if one shoulder is tighter than the other. Any asymmetry in the body can influence the way that an individual stand and breathes.
Shoulders that are not flexible in the same range of motion as the other shoulder may cause discomfort in the neck after sitting for long periods of time at desks. The body-area ratings utilize a visual scale from poor flexibility to excellent flexibility in the body. Each visual depiction does not produce feelings of shame in the individuals performing the tests.
However, the visual scale allows individuals to determine which muscle need to be addressed in improving flexibility. For instance, if an individual has tightness in the calves, then performing exercises that stretch the hamstrings will have no benefit to the flexibility of an individual’s squat depth. This is because the limitation of movement is in the calves.
If an individual has tightness in the hip flexors, the individual may experience discomfort in the lower-back. The body-area ratings will allow an individual to understand which muscles to target when improving flexibility. Five minutes of flexibility exercises performed each day is more beneficial than performing one hour of flexibility exercises once each week.
Using PNF (proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation) techniques before performing flexibility exercises is another beneficial strategy. This involve performing a few contractions of a muscle before the person stretches it. Another benefit of warming the muscles prior to flexibility exercises is that it enhance the effectiveness of the flexibility exercise.
A person can warm their muscles by performing light movements in the joint or taking a warm shower. Many individuals skip these step when they dont feel motivated to perform flexibility exercises. Recovery from flexibility exercises is just as important as performing the exercises.
If an individual continuously pushes their body to perform flexibility exercises every day without allowing their body time to rest, they may find their muscles become even more stiff over time. In addition to allowing time for rest from performing flexibility exercises, individuals should ensure they get enough sleep and eat the proper nutrition to enhance flexibility. Additionally, allowing a person to perform lighter flexibility exercises may be beneficial to their routine.
Performing flexibility exercises as a punishment for having tight muscles will not produce lasting change in the muscles’ flexibility. Performing flexibility exercises while holding one’s breath is another ineffective method of improving flexibility. Using curiosity to allow an individual’s muscles to become familiar with the range of motion that is to be achieved is a more beneficial method.
Taking time to slowly ask the muscles to begin to accept the range of motion required without causing pain or discomfort. The flexibility process take time. However, after eight weeks of performing flexibility exercises, many individuals will notice a difference in their muscles’ range of motion without having to think about the movement of their bodies.
The goal of flexibility is for an individual’s body to cooperate with the movements of the body rather than compensate for their muscles’ tightness.
