Why Should You Measure Your Level of Flexibility & Improve It?

Flexibility is critical in how well you move, whether running, picking up a bag of groceries, or getting up from the floor after playing with your kids. When you’re flexible, your muscles, joints, and soft tissues can easily adapt to various motions. If you’re not flexible, they aren’t as capable. So, when you push your body to perform movements it’s not used to, you can experience pain, soreness, or injury. If it’s been a while since you’ve improved your flexibility, you might have to warm up before engaging in simple activities. There’s nothing fun about that. So, why should you measure your level of flexibility? Understanding how to measure flexibility gives you a clear baseline to work from and allows you to track meaningful progress. Getting a baseline score and tracking your progress over time can help you reach your goals, so you can move more freely, avoid injury, and feel physically capable in daily life and workouts.

Pliability’s mobility app can help you achieve your objectives by providing targeted routines to improve and maintain optimal flexibility based on your unique needs and goals.

Why Should You Measure Your Level of Flexibility?

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In addition to regularly moving, reducing stress, and eating nutritious, whole foods, flexibility is another essential element to aging well. A recent long-term study found that being more flexible was associated with living longer, even when factoring in age and health status. 

Measuring Flexibility and Mortality

The study, published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, used the Flexitest, which assesses flexibility across seven joints and 20 body movements. Researchers tested the flexibility of over 3,000 men and women aged 46 to 65 and followed up to see mortality rates after 13 years. 

Flexibility's Gendered Impact on Lifespan

While flexibility was associated with living longer for both sexes, it had an even more dramatic influence on women than men. Women who scored the lowest and were the least flexible were five times more likely to die prematurely compared to women who scored the highest; Men who scored the lowest were two times more likely to die prematurely. 

‍“Our findings support the significance of flexibility as an integral component of health-related physical fitness,” the authors conclude. The study’s results underscore that the association becomes more pronounced at the extremes: The more flexible you are, the more you may reduce your risk of dying early. 

Why is Flexibility Important for Healthy Aging?

Flexibility is the pain-free ability of joints to move through a full range of motion. It begins to decline as soon as someone is a toddler and throughout middle age as joint stiffness becomes more prominent, Claudio Gil S. Araújo, research director at Clinimex in Brazil and lead author of the study, explains. 

A Pillar of Agile Aging

“Flexibility is related to autonomy,” says Araújo, who hopes to raise awareness that flexibility is an essential pillar of aging well and not just reserved for high-level gymnasts. In its most practical application, flexibility helps older adults stay agile and mobile by moving more freely, picking up items from the ground, and tying their shoes. 

The Unsung Benefits of Flexibility

Beyond the practical, it can help reduce the risk of injury, increase blood flow throughout the body, and promote muscle recovery post-workout. And while it’s an integral part of overall health, prioritizing flexibility can be an afterthought during a workout session.  

Flexibility is Key for Injury Prevention

“When you think about exercise, most people participate in some type of aerobic activity that improves their cardiovascular endurance. Most people are doing weight training to help maintain lean muscle mass and to build strength,” Chris Travers, an exercise physiologist out of the Cleveland Clinic Sports Health in Cleveland, Ohio, previously told Fortune. “Those are two essential elements of a fitness program, but there’s also a third element, and that’s your flexibility and mobility, which is most often the one that’s neglected.” 

Preventing Injury and Enhancing Movement

“If you lack flexibility in the movement you are trying to perform, other muscles have to activate to compensate for the lack of flexibility, and this can lead to injury,” says physiotherapist Phil Evans. “By stretching your muscles, you are counteracting the overloaded muscle, meaning you’ll have a greater range of movement and control over that movement. 

‍“You’ll also likely improve your posture and reduce any aches and pains you suffer. No matter your movement, you can perform it better and feel better if your muscles are more flexible.”  

Related Reading

• Why Do I Keep Getting Injured
• How to Prevent Soreness After Leg Day
• Why Am I So Inflexible
• Why Are My Hips So Tight

What’s a Good Way to Measure Your Flexibility?

We asked chartered physiotherapist Katie Knapton to explain. There are several different flexibility tests, but three are most important:

• Shoulder stretch
• Trunk lift test
• Sit-and-reach test

Shoulder stretch

“The person being tested reaches over their shoulder and down their back with one hand whilst reaching their other hand up and back to try and touch the fingers of the hands together,” says Knapton. “The distance between the hands or the amount of overlap is then measured.”

Trunk lift test

“The person who is going to be tested lies prone on the floor, with their face down and lifts the upper body off the floor, and holds this position,” says Knapton. “The height of the chin to the floor is then measured. This test not only flexibility but also strength.”

Sit-and-reach test

Developed in the 1950s, this classic test of flexibility in the hamstrings and lower back has several variations. Here’s a DIY version from the YMCA that requires only a yardstick and masking tape.

• Put the yardstick on the ground with a strip of tape across the 15-inch mark.
• With your shoes off, sit on the floor with the yardstick between your legs and the 0-inch end closest to you.
• Keep your legs straight and your feet about 12 inches apart. Sitting up straight, position your heels at the 14-inch mark.
• Place one hand directly on the other and slowly reach forward as far as possible without bouncing. 
• Drop your head if it helps, and exhale as you stretch.
• Note where the ends of your fingers reach on the yardstick. Repeat two more times and record the farthest distance.

Standing Reach Test Explained

“There are lots of variations to this test, but the simplest and easiest to evaluate is simply flexing at the hips to touch the floor while maintaining straight knees,” says Knapton. “Then, the distance from the floor is measured, or how much of the hand touches the floor is noted.

Seated Reach Test Explained

“A more recognised way is when it is performed seated with legs extended and straight about (8 to 12 inches apart) while the person being tested reaches forward with their hands overlapping. The distance reached is measured using a line marked on the floor.”

Zipper

This test of shoulder flexibility measures how closely you can bring your hands together behind your back. You need a tape measure or ruler and an assistant.

• Stand and raise your right arm above your head. 
• Bending your right elbow, reach behind your head with your palm touching your body.
• Reach as far down the middle of your back as you can, with your fingers pointed down.
• Place your left arm behind your back, palm facing out, and your fingers upward. Reach up as far as possible and try to touch your other hand.
• Have someone measure the distance between the ends of your middle fingers. 
• Record the gap length as a negative number if they don't meet. If they touch, score that as a zero. If they overlap, record the overlap length as a positive number.
• Do the test two more times and record your best reading. 
• Then switch arms, putting your left hand behind your head, and repeat.

Sitting-rising

This test, developed by a Brazilian doctor, has received attention as a tool to predict mortality risk in middle-aged and older people. Nevertheless, research suggests that it can also indicate flexibility (as well as strength and balance) in people of all ages. No equipment is required, but you need sufficient space and a surface that’s not slippery.

• Standing barefoot, try to sit on the floor with as little support as possible from your hands, legs, arms, or other body parts. Crossing your legs is fine.
• Try to stand up again from the seated position with as little support as possible.
• Give yourself a score of 5 if you sat without support, and five if you got up without support. 
• For each support required, such as a hand, forearm, knee, side of a leg, or hand on a knee, subtract 1 point. Subtract a half-point if you were wobbly sitting or standing.
• Do the test twice and combine your best scores sitting and standing.

There’s no need to get perfect scores on these tests, though; if you do, that’s great. Instead, use the results to track improvements in flexibility over time. That way, you can tell whether all those shoulder stretches or Cobra poses are paying off.

Related Reading

• Why Can't I Straighten My Arm After Working Out
• Why Are My Hamstrings So Tight
• Why Does My Leg Shake When I Stretch
• Fitness Assessment
• Sit and Reach Flexibility Test
• How Flexible Are You

How to Improve Your Flexibility, According to Physiotherapists

Flexibility is a key component of physical fitness and is vital for optimal performance and injury prevention, so improving your flexibility is well worth the effort. Research indicates that the most effective way to enhance flexibility is to practice it consistently over time. Consider incorporating new exercises or adding stretches to your regular workout routine. Here’s what the experts recommend. 

Take Up Pilates 

"Pilates is fantastic for making you more flexible and mainly involves mat-based stretches," says Evans. "It improves your core strength and stress levels and it has a significant impact on your flexibility. Core strength in particular is vital for a good range of motion, especially as we age, so Pilates is an ideal way to work on this." 

A study published in the Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity demonstrated that core strength training can enhance flexibility and dynamic balance in sedentary individuals. The results of a six-week core strength exercise program showed significant improvements in lower back flexibility, lateral flexion, and overall dynamic balance. 

Start Foam Rolling

You may associate foam rolling with a post-workout strength training session. Nevertheless, research shows that it can also be an effective tool in promoting flexibility and, therefore, boosting performance, as it helps reduce muscle knots in the tissue. 

Flexibility and Performance Benefits

A study published in Frontiers in Physiology aimed to investigate changes in performance, flexibility, and muscle pain before and after foam rolling. It showed that foam rolling was an effective strategy for short-term flexibility improvements and didn’t decrease overall muscle performance.

Try Yoga 

"Yoga relies on improving your strength, flexibility and breathing through a series of increasingly difficult stretches," says Evans. A study by the International Journal of Yoga revealed that participants who took up a 10-week-long, bi-weekly yoga practice saw a significant increase in their flexibility and balance, specifically in their shoulder flexibility and their sit reach. 

"Yoga is also designed to improve your mental wellbeing as well as boost your health," adds Evans. 

Perform Stretches Before and After Training 

In addition to more general types of exercise, you could introduce specific stretches before or after a workout. We asked Evans to outline a couple of examples:

Child's Pose

This focuses on the glutes, back, hips, ankles, and shoulders, allowing for more movement in these areas if performed regularly: 

• Start on all fours (your hands and knees).
• Drop your buttocks back onto your heels.
• Stretch your hands forwards, dropping your head between your shoulders towards the floor. You will feel this stretch through your back and upper arms.
• Hold the stretch for 60 to 90 seconds.

Pigeon Pose

This stretch opens up your hips and loosens your lower back: 

• Start on all fours (your hands and knees).
• Bring your right knee forward and get as much external rotation in your hip as possible.
• Lie your leg on the mat and lower your chest to the floor as far as possible. You will feel this stretch through your right buttock/hip.
• Hold the stretch for 60-90 seconds.
• Repeat for your left hip.

Standing Calf Stretch

• Stand facing a wall, roughly 1 foot from the wall.
• Step back with your right foot, bend your left knee, and extend your arms 90 degrees before you onto the wall.
• The bent knee should not be in front of your toes. The back leg should be straight, and both heels should be on the floor.
• Push your back foot into the floor and hold for 30 seconds.
• Bring yourself gradually back to standing up straight.
• Repeat with the opposite leg.
• If you cannot feel a stretch in the back leg, extend the distance you step back. 

Hamstring Stretch

• Have a chair or worktop if you need to hold on to something for balance.
• Take a small step forward from standing with your right foot.
• Keeping your front leg straight, slowly bend the back knee while moving your buttocks backward and shifting your weight onto your back leg, as if sitting back.
• Hold this position for 30 seconds, then bring yourself gradually back up.
• Repeat stepping forward with the left leg.
• If you cannot feel the stretch, lift the toes on the front foot when lowered.
• If you still cannot feel the stretch, increase the distance of the step forward so you sit deeper. 

Quadriceps Stretch

• Stand sideways onto a firm chair, such as a dining table chair. Place your right hand onto the back of the chair for balance.
• Bring the left heel towards your buttock by bending at the knee.
• Hold your foot and keep your knees pointing towards the floor.
• If you cannot feel the stretch, ease your foot into your hand to pull your leg more, but keep your leg in place with the knees pointing towards the floor.
• Hold for 30 seconds, then slowly lower your leg to the floor.
• Turn your left hand on the chair and repeat on the other side.

Neck Stretch

• Sit slightly forward on a firm chair, ensuring your back is not resting against the chair's backrest.
• Place the back of your left hand on the center of your lower back.
• Place the palm of your right hand on top of your head, with your fingers touching just above your left ear.
• Slowly ease your right ear towards your right shoulder, assisted by your hand.
• Hold for 30 seconds.
• Slowly ease your head back to its normal position.
• Switch hand positions and repeat on the other side.

Overhead Triceps Stretch

• Sit on a firm chair with your back straight.
• Raise your right arm straight up into the air.
• Bend your right arm at the elbow and place the palm of your right hand on the back of your neck or between your shoulder blades (depending on how far you can reach).
• Reach your left arm over your head and place your left hand on your right elbow.
• Pull your right elbow closer to the center of your body and slightly down, lowering your right hand further down your back.
• Hold for 30 seconds, then gently release and return your arms to your side.
• Repeat on the other side using your left arm. 

Shoulder Stretch

• Sit on a firm chair with your back straight.
• Raise your right arm horizontally out in front of you.
• Bring your right arm across your body to point to the left.
• Place your left hand above the right elbow on your upper right arm – do not hold onto the elbow joint.
• Pull your right arm closer to your body using your left hand.
• Hold for 30 seconds.
• Release the stretch and return your arms to your side.
• Repeat on the other side using your left arm. 

Lying Spine Twist

• Lie on the floor (or a bed) with your legs straight and together.
• Place your right arm out to 90 degrees and rest it on the floor (or bed).
• Bend your right leg to 90 degrees and roll it over your left leg.
• Place your left hand against the outside of your right knee and gently ease it towards the floor (or bed).
• Hold for 30 seconds and slowly return to the starting position.
• Repeat on the other side using your left leg. 

Knee to Chest

• Lie on the floor (or bed) with your legs straight and together.
• Slowly bring your right knee towards your chest while keeping your left leg straight against the floor (or bed).
• Place your hands under your knee on your lower leg (but not on the knee joint), and gently ease the knee towards your chest.
• Hold for 30 seconds, then slowly release the stretch to the starting position.
• Repeat on the other side using your left leg. 

Upward Facing Dog

• Lie face down on the floor (or bed).
• Bring your hands to the side of your chest.
• Slowly push your arms straight and lift your head, neck, and upper back upwards.
• Try to keep your hips on the ground.
• Hold for 30 seconds.
• Gently lower back to the floor by bending your arms. 

Target Your Stretches to the Areas That Need It

Pay particular attention to particularly tight areas. The most challenging stretches for you are often the ones you need the most. If your hamstrings are flexible but tight in your hip flexors and calves, focus your stretching time on those areas that need it. If you sit at a desk all day, your chest and the front of your hips will likely benefit from some stretching. 

If you are highly flexible everywhere, there’s no need to increase flexibility beyond a normal joint range of motion. Your time may be better spent strengthening the muscles supporting your joints.

Stretch Frequently

Flexibility gains are hard-won and easily lost. Stretch the particularly tight areas daily and, if possible, do it more than once a day.

Make Sure You Are Stretching the Muscle Safely 

Just because you learned to do a particular stretch while running track in high school doesn’t mean it’s good for you. Specific stretches, like the hurdler’s stretch, may place your knee in a compromised position. You should not feel strain, pressure, or joint pain when stretching a muscle. 

Find the point at which you feel a stretch in the muscle without discomfort, and avoid any position that feels like it is straining the joint.

Related Reading

• How to Test Hip Mobility
• Ankle Mobility Test
• Shoulder Flexibility Test
• Mobility Test for Adults
• Why Are Dynamic Flexibility Tests Not Used as Often as Static Flexibility Tests?

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