Bones, joints, and muscles

Test your flexibility

By Tracey Mallett
www.traceymallett.com

The following are three ways to test your flexibility. The idea of testing is to become aware of how tightness with certain muscle groups can lead to injury if you are not careful during fitness workouts.

Test 1: hamstring flexibility test

Props needed: tape measure and either a small sticky note or sticky tape

Sit tall against a wall with your legs straight out in front of you, trying to keep your legs as straight as possible. Legs are a couple of inches apart with your knees and toes facing the ceiling. Place your hands on top of each other holding your sticky and reach arms out in front of body, extending the spine from the lower back, leading with your breastbone first. Place your sticky on the floor between your legs as far as you can reach forward, keeping good form.

Tips

Be careful not to round over as you reach forward; this will give you a false result.

Gauge

Measure from the wall to the sticky and record your result. Each week, do the same test again and see how much your flexibility has increased.

The object of this test is to measure the flexibility in the hamstrings. Tightness of these muscles can cause lower back pain and can also negatively affect the quality of movement/function of your daily activities.

Test 2: upper body flexibility test

Props needed: rolled up medium-sized towel and sticky tape

Standing with feet hips-width apart and holding a rolled up towel at each end, reach your hands straight overhead, holding the towel taught. Gently move your hands slightly behind the body. Stop when you feel a comfortable stretch in the chest, biceps, and shoulders.

Tips

Keep your arms as straight as possible.

Gauge

Wrap sticky tape around the towel exactly where your hands were. Measure the distance from each sticky mark and record your number. In a week's time, perform the same test, placing your hands a little bit closer together. If you can keep good form and comfortably hold the test position, place tape where you hands were and measure the distance between the new tape and see how much your flexibility has increased.

The object of this test is to see what range of motion you have and how it has improved the flexibility in your chest, shoulders, and biceps. The flexibility of these muscles has a huge impact on your posture. If any of these muscles are tight, the tightness can cause you to be round shouldered and slightly hunchbacked.

Test 3: lateral side stretch and lower back flexibility test

Props needed: sticky tape

Standing tall away from the wall with your butt and back resting against the wall, hold a piece of tape in your right hand. Side bend over to the right without collapsing on the underneath side. Place a sticky as far down the leg as you can whilst maintaining good form.

Tips

Think of reaching up and over as you side bend.

Gauge

Measure from the floor to the tape on your leg and record your number. Repeat this in a week's time with the same test and compare results to see if your flexibility has increased.

The object of this flexibility test is to test the flexibility and range of motion in your lower back and obliques (side abdominal muscles).