How Flexible Are You?

Published October 5, 2010 | By Lisa Nelson, RD

Here are three simple tests to gauge your current flexibility level:

1. Lower Body Flexibility

Sit on a chair with your back straight.
Keep one foot on the floor and raise the other leg to be parallel to the floor.
If you can raise your leg to thigh height without shift position or raising your other foot you have a decent range of motion in your lower body.

2. Upper Body Flexibility

Reach your right hand over your shoulder and behind your back, stretching down to your waist.
Place your left hand behind your back and reach toward your neck trying to touch or overlap fingers with your hands.
If you can touch/overlap fingers you have a decent level of upper body flexibility.

3. Overall Flexibility

Sit on the floor with legs stretched out in front of you.
Place your feet against a solid box.
Lean forward and see how many inches you can reach without bending your knees.

8-9 inches past box – excellent
5-8 inches past box – very good
1-5 inches past box – fair
Cannot reach box – poor

If you do not fair well on the above flexibility tests complete regular flexibility exercises for the next week and the re-test yourself. You should see improvements fairly quickly. And remember when it comes to flexibility – if you don’t use it, you lose it.

What does flexibility have to do with high blood pressure?

All the best,
Lisa Nelson RD
7 Natural Ways to Lower Blood Pressure
http://lowerbloodpressurewithlisa.com