What Does Your Physical Activity Level Say About the Flexibility of Your Body?

Abstract

Physical inactivity is a leading risk factor for global mortality with flexibility being the key factor for determining an individual’s health status. This study explored the impact of physical activity on the flexibility of the lumbar spine and the lower extremities of undergraduates. A sample of 60 undergraduates from the Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, University of Peradeniya was selected using stratified random sampling method. The students were divided into three categories (low, moderate, and high) based on their physical activity level. Modified Schober test was used to measure the flexibility of the lumbar spine while Sit-and-Reach and Groin Flexibility tests were used to measure the flexibility of lower limbs. It revealed a weak positive correlation (r=0.236, p = 0.048) between physical activity and flexibility of lower limbs whereas nonsignificant correlation (r = -0.179, p = 0.701) was found in between physical activity and flexibility of the lumbar spine. It explored a strong positive correlation between the flexibility of lumbar spine and lower limbs in subjects who were low in physical activity but not in subjects with moderately and highly physically active. In addition to that, the study indicated the males to be more flexible in both lumbar spine (22.26) and lower limb (7.46) compared to females (21.4), (6.66) respectively. This study concluded by emphasizing the fact that being physically less active may reduce the flexibility irrespective of its specificity to each joint or area of the body. Thus, importance should be given clinically to alleviate physical inactivity in order to improve the general status of health.