Walking

Mobility is the ability to move around in the environment in which you live with ease and without restriction. The most obvious measure of mobility is walking. Walking with ease and without restriction requires a combination of strength, flexibility, and balance. Add endurance to the list if you walk for long enough periods of time. When you put it all together, walking is considered one of the best balance exercises.

A 2011 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that gait speed—how fast (or slow) a person walks—appears to be as reliable a predictor of longevity as factors such as age and gender.

A study in the March 2013 issue of Stroke showed that 30-minute walks three times a week increased mobility and quality of life in stroke survivors. Incidentally, men 65 and older constitute the largest group of regular walkers.

A widely recommended walking program for beginners has been published by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). This program will guide you from 0 to 40 minutes per day in 12 weeks.

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) publishes a sample walking program that will get you from 0 to 60 (minutes per day) in 20 weeks.

Tai chi

More than two million Americans participate in individual or group tai chi sessions each year, according to the National Health Interview Survey. An increasing number of studies has affirmed that tai chi is a form of exercise that can improve balance, overcome a fear of falling, lower the risk of falls, reduce blood pressure, and provide a general sense of well-being. It is especially effective in older adults because tai chi can be practiced at different intensity levels. Tai chi is a combination of relaxation, meditation, deep breathing, and slow, gentle, continuous, and very structured exercises called forms. It is said to “achieve harmony between body and mind.”

The number of movements in tai chi ranges from 18 to more than 100. Beginners start with as little as one five-minute session per week and gradually increase to a higher target goal. Finding a qualified instructor can be a challenge because certification of instructors has not been standardized, but your local YMCA and/or senior center may offer classes.

Three of the most recent studies specifically found that: 1) tai chi exercises were more effective in preventing falls than a conventional physical therapy program, 2) tai chi classes were associated with a lower rate of falling in community-dwelling older adults, and 3) tai chi exercise may reduce falls in adult stroke survivors.

Tai chi appears to be a safe, effective balance exercise. However, people with the following conditions should seek the advice of a physician before beginning a program:

• Osteoporosis
• Chest pain with minimal exertion
• Severe shortness of breath
• Dizziness or fainting spells
• Uncontrolled blood pressure
• Gait and balance disorders
• Yoga

Yoga also incorporates movement with meditation, relaxation, and controlled breathing. It has been called “an ancient method of stilling the mind.” For some, yoga is a spiritual experience; for others, it is an alternative activity that promotes flexibility, strength, and endurance. The evidence to support those claims is increasing, but not conclusive. A pilot study of 47 participants showed that stroke patients who participated in a yoga program demonstrated improved balance and flexibility, a stronger and faster gait, and increased strength and flexibility.

For more balance exercises, purchase Easy Exercises for Balance and Mobility from www.UniversityHealthNews.com.

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What Are the Benefits of Walking?

Walking reduces your risk of many diseases and conditions. It also improves your health in many ways. Improvements include:

• Clearer thinking
• Better mood
• Better sleep
• Less body fat
• More energy
• More endurance
• Better balance
• Stronger immune system
• Better blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels

Walking can reduce your risk for these diseases and conditions:

• Heart disease
• Stroke
• Type 2 diabetes
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Insomnia
• Arthritis
• Some cancers
• Varicose veins
• Constipation
• Osteoporosis

How Much Walking Do You Need?

The walking for health recommendation is 150 minutes of moderate intensity walking every week, or 30 minutes of moderate intensity walking at least 5 days of the week. It is important to know that this amount of walking does not need to be done all at once. You can get the same benefits taking three 10-minute walks as taking one 30-minute walk.

It is also important to know what moderate intensity means. Moderate intensity walking is walking at about 3.5 miles per hour. According to the National Institutes of Health, you should try to cover one mile in 15 to 20 minutes for heart health and other health benefits.

How to Walk for Health

If you have any health issues that make it hard for you to walk, talk to your doctor about what type or amount of walking is safe for you. There may be other types of aerobic exercise that are better for you, like water aerobics or a stationary bike.

If you are able to walk without pain or shortness of breath:

• Start walking slowly to warm up before picking up your pace.
• Work up to 30 minutes of moderate intensity walking gradually, according to your level of fitness.
• If moderate intensity walking is hard at first, alternate between slower and faster walking until you build up your stamina and fitness.
• For the last 5 to 10 minutes of your walk, slow it down to cool off.
• At the end of your walk, while your muscles are still warm and relaxed, do some stretching.
• Stretch your arms, back, and legs gently. Hold each stretch for about 15 to 30 seconds.

Walking Safety

Walking is one of the safest exercises, but you still need to listen to your body. Let your doctor know if you have pain or shortness of breath. You can also overdo walking, especially at the beginning. “How much is too much depends on your personal body. The main things to worry about are joint pain in your knees and ankles, an uncomfortable back, and surface issues like blisters,” says Matt Claes, head coach and founder of  Weight Loss Made Practical.

“Incorrect foot position during heavy walking can cause inflammation or pain in the outer ankles. Also, prolonged incorrect walking or wrong footwear can lead to muscle pain. They can also be hurt due to unpreparedness. If you have not exercised for a long time and one day you have decided to walk 5 miles, your body will experience a shock, so not only will you get tired quickly, but you will probably feel pain,” says Dr. Rosmy Barrios of Health Reporter.

Walking safety tips:

• Don’t walk with weights, this does not improve the benefits but does increase the risk of injury.
• Walk with a good posture, keeping your head up so you can see where you’re going.
• If you listen to music, make sure it is not so loud that you can’t hear road noise.
• Walk with your arms slightly bent and swinging.
• Make sure your waking shoes fit well, are cushioned, and have good arch support.
• Wear a hat, sunscreen, and sunglasses on sunny days.
• Dress for the weather if you are walking outdoors.
• To stay hydrated, drink plenty of water.
• Pick a walking area that is safe and fits your level of stamina.
• If it may get dark, wear light-reflective clothing.
• Bring your cell phone and let someone know where and when you will be walking if you walk alone.

“Get fitted for good walking shoes and wear comfortable, sweat-wicking clothing and reflectors. Stay hydrated, find a walking buddy if you need extra motivation, wear sun protection, and plan ahead for rain or other inclement weather, when you can shift to walking inside or wear appropriate clothing,” says Dr. Jacob Hascalovici MD, PhD, Co-Founder & Chief Medical Officer of Clearing.

To stay motivated and to help you stick to your walking goals, using an app on your smart phone can help you keep track of your steps, miles, and progress. Alternating your walks with different areas and terrains helps keep walking fun. You may enjoy walking more with a friend or a group, or you may enjoy the solitude of walking alone or listening to music. Whatever it takes to make walking part of your life will be worth the effort. When it comes to your health, no exercise gives you more bang for your buck than walking.

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There is no doubt that a regular program of physical activity can help you live a longer and healthier life. If you don’t already have an exercise program, this is the year to start. One big question is: how do you start an exercise program when you are out of shape? Others are: how much and what types of exercise are best?

How Much Exercise Do You Need To See Health Benefits?

The new guidelines say that any exercise has benefits, and the benefits start right away. In fact, just getting up and moving around during the day helps, so move more and sit less. To get the full benefits for adults, the guidelines recommend at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity every week. Examples of moderate-intensity aerobic activities are brisk walking or fast dancing. Adults should also include strength exercises at least two days per week. Strength exercise – also called resistance training – is any exercise that causes your muscles to push or pull against resistance. Examples include weights, exercise machines, and push-ups.

How to Start Exercising: Creating a Workout Plan

If you are out of shape or you have any type of long-term disease or disability, the guidelines recommend talking to your health care provider first. Find out what type and how much exercise is safe for you.

The Mayo Clinic suggests recording some physical fitness baseline numbers before you get started. You might record your weight, your waist circumference, how long it takes to walk a mile, how far you can bend over, or how many push-ups you can do. Taking your pulse after walking a mile is another good way to measure fitness.

The next thing to do is establish the goals of your fitness program. Everyone has different levels of fitness. Your goal may be to lose weight and walk farther. Someone else may want to run 10 miles and build muscles. Mayo Clinic offers these tips for getting started:

• Work with an exercise specialist to create a workout plan that fits your goals and physical ability or limitations.
• For strength training, include all the big muscles and do about 10 to 15 repeated exercises (reps), enough to cause your muscles to get tired.
• For flexibility, include stretching exercises.
• For older adults, include exercise that improves balance.
• To get your moderate-intensity exercise you can choose any exercise you like such as walking, swimming, dancing, riding a bike, or taking an aerobic class. Including different types of exercise can make your workout plan more enjoyable, and easier to stick with.
• Start slowly and build up your routines gradually over time. This will help you avoid an injury or muscle strain.
• Schedule your exercise as you would any other important activity.

After about six weeks, recheck your baseline numbers. Seeing an improvement helps motivate you to continue with your workout plan.

How to Exercise Safely

Almost everyone has the ability for some level of exercise that will safely improve their health. Whatever your level of exercise, the guidelines suggest some simple safety tips for exercising:

• Choose exercises that are safe for your ability.
• Increase your activity gradually.
• Use the right sports equipment, like good shoes for running and a helmet for biking outside.
• Exercise in a safe environment. Avoid exercising outside in hot weather or walking on a busy road.
• Listen to your body. If you are sore from exercise, give yourself time to recover.
• Don’t exercise when you don’t feel well.
• Let your doctor know if you have persistent pain or if you experience pain, dizziness, or shortness of breath while exercising. Stop exercising and call your doctor if you have trouble breathing or have chest pain during exercise.

In addition to the new benefits from exercise, you also get the established benefits of lowering your risk for type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, heart attack, osteoporosis, anxiety, depression, arthritis pain, and more. If you don’t have an exercise plan yet, it’s never too late to get started.

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Surprisingly, after four months, all of the groups lost body fat, increased muscle mass and increased endurance (stamina). Meaning, the group that worked out only two days per week had the same results as those who worked out six days per week! Dr. Mark Stengler notes, “Sometimes, less is more — and that can even be true when it comes to exercise, especially if you’re just getting started.”

Exercise Without Equipment + Exercise Less = Burn More Calories?!?!

The most fascinating result from the research study was the amount of activity-related energy expenditure (AEE) and non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) observed between the three groups. NEAT is movement that isn’t intended as exercise. For example, NEAT would include activity that requires walking a further distance (as in a parking lot of a store) compared to taking a driving shortcut (parking closer to the store entrance). The two day per week group used about 68 extra calories per day in non-exercise training. The four day per week group used an extra 200+ calories per day and the six day per week group used 150 fewer calories per day of non-exercise training.

The researchers concluded that the women who exercised six days per week felt that their exercise schedule consumed too much time so they were less likely to perform non-exercise training. On the other hand, the other two groups felt more energetic and were more likely to engage in these non-exercise activities.

The bottom line is… you don’t have to kill yourself at a gym five or six days per week to lose weight and gain energy. To get the most “bang for your buck” set up a realistic exercise plan. As the study proves, you can perform a minimum amount of exercise without equipment and still get the maximum benefits – both saving time and money. Here is how you should plan:

1. Set one time each week to perform 40 minutes of aerobic exercise such as step aerobics, water aerobics, dance, skating, bicycling, or using gym equipment such as a stair-stepper or elliptical machine. If you want to exercise without equipment, take a brisk walk, run or find a free YouTube aerobic video to perform at home.
2. Set one time each week to perform 40 minutes of weight lifting or resistance training. Be sure to start out using light weights or resistance bands. You don’t want to overexert yourself and get hurt! If possible, have a friend workout with you who can spot while you lift weights. If you want to exercise without equipment such as free weights or weight machines, you can use household items like canned foods, gallon plastic water jugs, books, dishes (heavy plates or pots), a bag of sweet potatoes, tools (hammers, large wrenches), etc.
3. If possible, add additional times of aerobic exercise and/or resistance training throughout the week. The key is to perform as much planned exercise as possible without feeling burned out or fatigued. If five days are too much, cut back to four. If four days are too much, cut back to three, and so on. Remember– be realistic with your schedule and fitness level.

Next, look for opportunities throughout the week to perform non-exercise training or “all-day” activities to increase your activity level:

• Park farther away from the entrance to the store so you walk a longer distance (or better yet walk to the store from home).
• Perform house work (i.e. vacuuming, washing windows).
• March in place while watching TV.
• Take the stairs instead of an elevator.
• Walk your dog.
• Use a manual lawn mower instead of a riding lawn mower.
• Play a game of hide-and-seek or go outside with your kids or grandkids.
• If you work on a computer, take breaks periodically to stand, stretch or even walk.
• Wash your car with a hose instead of driving through a car wash.
• When talking on the phone, try pacing instead of sitting.
• Rake leaves or shovel snow instead of using a blower.
• In your office, move the wastebasket to the other side of the room so you have to get up out of your seat to throw away trash.
• Take your groceries out of the car one bag at a time instead of multiple bags at one time.

Need Motivation To Get Moving?

Dr. James Levine from the Mayo Clinic reports that non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) can help you burn more calories per day. Dr. Levine’s research shows that people who exercise without equipment throughout the day such as tapping their feet, standing versus sitting, and generally moving around more burn as much as 350 calories more per day than those who sit still – and this can add up to as much as 40 pounds per year!

If you still need more motivation to exercise, view our article, How to Get Motivated to Exercise.

[1] Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2013 Jan 30.

[2] “The right amount of exercise” by Dr. Mark Stengler, March 7, 2013.

[3] Levine, James. “Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis.” Mayo Clinic. 2010.

[4] Best Pract Res Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2002 Dec;16(4):679-702.

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Adrenal Glands Give Clues to How Much Exercise is Too Much

Over-training causes the body’s adrenal glands, which manage stress, to secrete high levels of cortisol on a regular basis. High cortisol can cause bone loss, and muscle breakdown, create belly fat, increase sugar cravings, and lead to insulin resistance, a pre-diabetic condition that causes high blood sugar.

For others, excessive exercise causes low cortisol. Basically, the adrenal glands become exhausted from overuse and can no longer function properly. Low cortisol can lead to weight gain, reactive hypoglycemia (with dizziness, lightheadedness, and irritability between meals), muscle weakness, difficulty recovering from workouts, and a weaker immune system that makes you more susceptible to catching a virus or other infections.

In addition, most of today’s special-forces-style athlete must also work full-time, commute, care for a family, and run errands. Hectic schedules combined with lack of rest only add to the overall stress burden. Both high cortisol and low cortisol can worsen health and lead to chronic health issues.

How Much Exercise is Too Much for YOU?

It has been said that “one person’s workout is another person’s warm-up,” and the reverse is true as well. So this means many hours of extreme exercise each week may be appropriate for some people. Toleration for exercise intensity, duration, and frequency are unique to each individual. One must take into account the person’s general health, age, and fitness level. Jumping feet first into an elite training program might be appropriate for a healthy person in her mid-twenties. However, for a perimenopausal woman battling hot flashes and poor bone density, a gentler and more gradual approach is the safest way to avoid overstressing an already stress-burdened system.

How do you know if you are exercising too much? An adrenal salivary panel will chart your levels of cortisol, the body’s stress hormone, and show you whether it’s too low, too high, or just right. It is also important to pay attention to signals from your body that you may be overtraining. Symptoms of over-training include persistent tiredness, worsening strength and stamina, sleep disturbances, slow recovery, aching joints or limbs, injuries, and frequent illness.

Be watchful of these eight signs you are overtraining:

1. 1. You fail to complete your normal workouts because you’re getting weaker.
   2. You’re losing leanness despite increased exercise. Over-training can actually make you gain fat, especially around the middle.
   3. You’re lifting, sprinting, or doing high-intensity interval training every day. You need time to recover!
   4. You feel wired all the time and can’t sleep well. This means your “fight-or-flight” sympathetic system is in overdrive.
   5. You feel fatigued, sluggish, and useless, and can’t lose fat. Your “rest-and-digest” parasympathetic system is in overdrive.
   6. Your joints, bones, or limbs hurt. Walking up and down the stairs shouldn’t make you wince.
   7. You’re falling ill more often. Over-training has weakened your immunity.
   8. You feel terrible for hours and days after a workout. You should feel good from the endorphin rush of working out. If you don’t, you may be overdoing it._[1]

This article was originally published in 2012. It is updated regularly.

[1] Sisson, Mark, Primal Blueprint.

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Also known as static strength training, isometric exercises include such positions as holding yourself in a seated position with your back against a wall (called a wall squat) or holding a light weight straight out to the side, parallel to the ground, until your arm begins to drop (isometric shoulder raise). Exercises like these are often used for rehabilitation because they strengthen muscles without placing stress on joints, but they can be used for general strength conditioning as well.

Isometric Exercise: Static Strength

While isometric exercises aren’t the best choices if you want to strengthen your muscles for dynamic activates like sprinting and jumping, they can be useful in training for activities that require static strength—climbing, mountain biking, skiing, Judo, and horseback riding, for example.

As with any exercise, it’s important to warm up first. It’s also recommended that you engage your core regardless of which muscle you’re working. This will help you maintain correct posture, and it has the added bonus of strengthening your core muscles.

While resistance training (like weight lifting) is measured by the number times a movement is repeated (repetitions) and how many sets of repetitions you do, isometric exercises are measured by number of repetitions and length of time the action is held (duration).

Research shows that both longer duration (10 seconds or more) with fewer repetitions and shorter duration (two or three seconds) with more repetitions seem to increase static strength.

Isometric Exercise: Start a Routine

In general, if you’d like to add isometric exercises to your strength training routine, try 15 to 20 actions—like those described above—and hold them for three to five seconds each, three times a week.

While isometric exercises are low-impact and therefore may seem low-risk, there are some cautions that come along with an isometric training program. People with cardiovascular disease or high blood pressure should consult a doctor before starting isometric exercises, because your blood pressure can rise while you’re holding these static positions.

It’s especially important to remember to breathe while you’re holding a pose, since holding your breath raises blood pressure. That said, an isometric exercise routine may actually help to lower your blood pressure.

In a 2017 study, 27 healthy males with normal blood pressure did wall squats for four weeks at home. They put their backs against a wall and slid down so their knees were bent at an angle that would allow their heart rate to reach 95 percent of maximum after two minutes. They then held that position for four two-minute bouts, with a two-minute rest in between each bout. They followed this routine three times a week, with 48 hours between sessions.

After the sessions, the participants’ resting blood pressure, cardiac output and heart rate were all reduced. The study authors concluded that an inexpensive, home-based program of isometric exercise training could be an effective method for reducing resting blood pressure and might be a valuable tool in the fight against hypertension.

For related reading, visit these posts:

• 20-Minute Seated Yoga Is a Successful Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Treatment
• Creatine Benefits Include Increased Strength and Muscle Mass for Weight Lifters

Originally published in 2017, this post is regularly updated. 

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Tips for Everyday Non-Slip Shoes (or Anyone!)

• Have your feet measured each time you buy shoes. Foot size can change.
• Ask your doctor, a physical therapist, or a podiatrist about the best type of shoe for your condition and your feet.
•  Choose properly fitting, sturdy shoes with firm, non-skid soles.
• Avoid shoes with extra-thick soles. Choose lace-up shoes instead of slip-ons, and keep the laces tied.
• If you have trouble tying laces, select footwear with fabric fasteners.
•  If you are a woman who can’t find shoes that are wide enough, try men’s shoes
•  Avoid high heels.
• Don’t walk in your stocking feet.

Tips for Exercise/Walking Shoes

• Replace workout shoes every five to six months or 400-600 miles.
• Get refitted every year.
• When trying out new shoes, wear the same kind of socks you will wear when exercising.
• Shop in the evening when feet tend to be larger.
• When standing, your shoe should have a half-inch gap between the longest toe and the shoe’s toe box.
• Try the shoes out in the store before purchasing them.
• Wear your new shoes around the house before wearing them for workouts.

Pronation, Supination

The way your foot moves after it strikes the ground is called pronation, and your specific type of pronation should influence the kind of shoes you wear.

When a person overpronates, the foot rolls excessively inward, which can lead to muscle strains in the legs and feet. Most people who overpronate have low arches. If you are in this category, look for stability or motion-control shoes that are less flexible, have a thicker heel, and help decrease overpronation.

Supination (also called underpronation) means that the feet roll outward when running or walking. People who supinate may have high arches and need shoes with extra cushioning to help absorb the impact when the foot strikes the ground.

Normal pronation, the most common foot-ankle movement, means that the foot rotates slightly, not excessively, inward. If that describes your foot movement while walking or exercising, look for stability shoes that are more flexible than motion control shoes, but still provide adequate support.

Socks and Safety

Some studies have shown an association between falls and walking barefoot or in socks. A small study published in the January 2013 issue of Gait and Posture found that older adults walking in socks had a more cautious gait, a slower speed, a shortened stride, and reduced center of mass velocity while walking.

Finally, a study cited in the April 3, 2013 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association showed a lower rate of falls in people with disabling foot pain who 1) wore customized orthotics, 2) had a footwear review, 3) performed foot and ankle exercises, and 4) received fall prevention education. While the findings might seemed to have been predictable, the study does illustrate that preventing falls requires a multi-faceted approach.

For more information about reducing your fall risk, purchase Easy Exercises for Balance and Mobility from www.UniversityHealthNews.com.

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For some people, buying fitness equipment for home use may be a good alternative, especially if it makes it more likely you’ll exercise. You can purchase low-cost stability balls, free weights (dumbbells), and resistance bands, as well as pricier equipment, such as home weight machines and cardiovascular workout equipment, such as treadmills and exercise bikes.

Some businesses rent exercise equipment, such as treadmills, rowers, elliptical machines, and weight equipment. Renting gives you a chance to try machines and determine how much you’d really use them.

If you already have an outdoor bicycle, consider buying a bike-trainer device, which allows you to ride your regular bike in place indoors. You’ll pay a fraction of the cost compared to a dedicated exercise bike.

Tips for At Home Success

It takes discipline and willpower, especially in the beginning, but once you experience how good it feels to live in a stronger, healthier body, the drive to keep it going will appear. Here are some ways to get started.

Make It a Habit. Getting into the exercise habit doesn’t happen overnight. Studies suggest it may take about 10 weeks of consistently repeating a desired behavior, such as fitness walking, to form a new habit. The more consistently you exercise, the easier it should get and the more likely it will become second nature, so that if you skip doing it, it will feel strange.

Anchor It. You are more likely to exercise if you make it a regular part of your day and anchor it to an existing habit, just as you might do for brushing your teeth before you go to bed. To anchor exercise to an existing habit, think about what time of day you’d like to exercise. For example, if you’d like to go for a walk in the evening after dinner, you might anchor your habit like this: After I do the dishes, I will go for a walk.

Find Joy. No matter what type of exercise you’re doing, it’s important to select activities you enjoy. Trying something new can boost motivation and having fun increases the odds you’ll do it again. In one study, women who were asked to use a hula hoop for 30 minutes reported significantly higher intentions of doing aerobic exercise in the next month compared with those who had walked on a treadmill for 30 minutes.

Track Progress. Setting clear, manageable goals can be motivational, and tracking your activity can help you assess your progress toward those goals. Record how much weight you lifted, the number of sets and reps, steps taken, distances run, or exercise classes attended. Seeing improvement may encourage you to keep going, and a lack of improvement could signal the need to change your approach. Missing a single day of exercise won’t necessarily derail your exercise habit, but missing a whole week could. Aim to be as consistent in your routine as you can, but don’t beat yourself up if you get off track. Every day is a new day to try to do a little bit better.

For more information on the benefits of exercise, purchase Eat Well and Exercise from University Health News.

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Testing for flexibility can be complex or simple. Exercise scientists and physical therapists use instruments called goniometers to measure degrees of joint rotation at the extremes of range of motion. Flexibility is joint-specific, according to the authors of the Exercise Testing and Prescription Lab Manual (Human Kinetics). Determining the range of motion for one joint is not an indicator of flexibility in other joints.

The simplest and least scientific way to measure flexibility is how a person performs activities of daily living. If you can flex and extend a joint, reach, turn, twist, kneel, climb stairs, and bend with relative ease, the joint is flexible.

Between those scientific and simple tests are a few flexibility self-tests you can do at home. They are strictly informal, do-it-yourself measurements that will give you a general idea of your current flexibility. Be careful, do them slowly, don’t hurt yourself, and don’t do them at all if there is the slightest risk of injury.

Lower body: sit-and-reach

1. Sit on the floor with your legs stretched outward.
2. Keeping your back flat and not rounded, bend forward at the hips.
3. Reach toward your toes. Do not bounce or stretch to the point of pain.
4. Note the distance from the tips of the middle fingers to the top of your toes.
5. If you can reach past your toes, you have above average lower body flexibility.
6. If you can touch your toes, you have average lower body flexibility.
7. If you cannot touch your toes, or need to bend your knees to touch them, you have below average lower body flexibility.

The sit-and-reach test is a general measure of lower body flexibility.

Hips, buttocks: lying knee-to-chest

1. Lie on your back and draw your knees to your chest.
2. Continue holding the left knee in that position while you extend the right leg until it lies flat on the floor.
3. Repeat the movement with the other leg.
4. If you cannot completely extend one leg while bringing the opposite knee to within a few inches of your chest, your hip flexors and buttocks may be too tight.

The lying knee-to-chest test can help to measure hip flexibility.

Lower back, hamstrings: standing toe reach
Note: Do not perform this test if you have any question regarding the condition of your back.

1. Stand with your feet together, knees straight but not locked.
2. Bend forward and reach for the floor. Try to keep your back flat.
3. Your lower back and hamstring flexibility is good if you can touch or nearly touch your toes with little effort and no discomfort.
4. If you can’t come close, you may be susceptible to lower back injuries.

The standing toe reach tests lower back and hamstring flexibility.

Shoulders: behind-the-back reach

1. In a standing position, place your left hand on the middle of your back, palm out, fingers reaching up.
2. Slide your right hand behind and down your back and try to touch your hands or fingers.
3. If they can touch you have good shoulder flexibility.
4. Switch hand positions and repeat with the other shoulder.
5. If your hands do not touch, place a ruler in the bottom hand and measure the distance between the opposing fingers.
6. If you are not within an inch of making contact, you may be susceptible to shoulder and neck pain.

A good indicator of shoulder flexibility is the behind-the-back reach.

For more information on a flexibility program, purchase Easy Exercises For Flexibility from University Health News.

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