range of motion) and how easily you can move it. Because your muscles
attach to your bone and bones move around a joint’s axis (therefore, muscles
move the bones around a joint), flexibility also refers to the mobility of your
muscles.
Flexibility tests sometimes feel like a cross between circus tryouts and an
IQ test. The tester asks you to twist yourself into some strange positions,
and you have to figure out what he’s talking about. Then you have to see
whether your body agrees to follow along.
One common test is the sit-and-reach, which measures the flexibility of your
lower-back and rear-thigh muscles. You sit with your legs out straight and
place your feet flat on the side of a special metal box. Keeping your legs
straight, you lean forward and reach toward the box as far as you can. Along
the top of the box, a scale in inches measures how far you reach forward. We
find it amusing that the special box costs $200. You can do this same test
with the carton that the box comes in.
Some clubs don’t get that sophisticated with flexibility measurements; don’t
hold it against them. As a measure of lower-back and hamstring flexibility, they
may simply ask you to bend over and try to touch your toes. Estimating your
flexibility instead of measuring it to the exact degree is okay. At least you
find out which joints are tight, so you emphasize them when you stretch. For
details about how to stretch properly, see Chapter 6.
Table 2-7 describes flexibility tests you can do at home. You may also
encounter these tests during a health-club evaluation.
Table 2-7 Testing Your Flexibility
The Test What to Do You Have Good Your Flexibility Your Flexibility
Flexibility If... Needs Work If... Needs A Lot
of Work If...Rear thigh Take off your You can touch You can just You can’t touch
and lower shoes and the floor with touch your toes your toes, or
back (toe stand with little effort and with little or no you feel consid-
touch) your feet no discomfort in discomfort. erable pain
together and your rear thighs when you try.
your knees or lower back. You may be
straight but susceptible to
not locked. lower-back
Bend forward problems.
and reach for
the floor.
(continued)Chapter 2: Testing Your Fitness 29