Buzz
As we approach the final month of 2019, it's time to focus on exercises that track progress and help set new goals. Whether you've been consistent with your workouts this year or are just beginning, measuring yourself now will help you understand your current and future growth. Today, we're starting with flexibility.
One thing to remember: the goal is to measure your own progress, not to meet some external standard. (We had a similar discussion yesterday about strength benchmarks, right?) If you've done these stretches before, compare your current performance with your past results. In the coming weeks, we'll tackle other fitness areas like strength and endurance.
But perhaps the most important reason to do a benchmark is to gift yourself future insight. If you focus on improving your flexibility this year, you can retake the test in December (or monthly, if you prefer) and track how far you've come.
Let's give these a try. Before you begin, keep in mind that warmed-up muscles can stretch further than cold ones, so it's best to do these stretches after a workout. Make a note of whether you warmed up and how you did it, so you can repeat the same process the next time you test.
Sit-and-reach or standing toe touch
If you've ever undergone a fitness evaluation, perhaps by a personal trainer, you've likely done the sit-and-reach test. Sitting on the floor with your feet in front of you, you reach forward to touch your toes while a box next to your feet measures how far you can extend.
You can recreate this test at home by placing your feet against a step, ledge, or curb in front of you. Reach forward with a piece of tape, stick it to the step if possible, and then measure the distance.
While the standing toe touch isn't as standard, it evaluates hamstring flexibility in a similar manner. Simply stand up, and take a video of yourself (or have a friend snap a photo) as you try to touch your toes. You might only reach your shins, or you might be able to touch your toes, or even lay your palms flat on the floor. A video will also reveal if you performed the move with a rounded back or a flat one (which is more challenging). No pressure here—just measuring and moving on.
Other ways to assess flexibility
The stretches above mainly measure the flexibility of your posterior chain muscles, particularly the hamstrings. There's also a technique factor: you can improve in those specific stretches through practice, even without significantly increasing your flexibility. However, these are popular methods because they're simple and, especially with the sit-and-reach test, allow for a clear numerical measurement.
But maybe your focus isn't on the hamstrings. If there's another area of flexibility you'd like to track, make a note of that too. Here are some suggestions:
Can you reach your hands behind your back, one hand reaching up and the other reaching down?
How close can your knees get to the floor in a butterfly stretch?
How deep can you squat while keeping your heels on the ground?
The easiest way to track progress in these or any other stretches is by recording a video on your phone. Save the video—or even just a screenshot of the deepest part of your stretch—and create a before-and-after montage the next time you test yourself.
