Affiliations: [a] Department of Physical Therapy, College of Health and Welfare, Woosong University, Daejeon, Korea | [b] Department of Digital Bio-Health Convergence, College of Health and Welfare, Woosong University, Daejeon, Korea | Tel.: +82 426304624; Fax: +82 426304611; E-mail: wootaeklimpt@wsu.ac.kr
Correspondence:
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Corresponding author: Department of Digital Bio-Health Convergence, College of Health and Welfare, Woosong University, Daejeon, Korea. Tel.: +82 426304624; Fax: +82 426304611; E-mail: wootaeklimpt@wsu.ac.kr.
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Many studies have reported that exercise increases physical flexibility; however, no study has verified whether patients perceive an increase in physical flexibility after exercise. OBJECTIVE: This study investigates the correlations between increased duration of exercise and the self-rated flexibility (SRF) and those between the SRF and quantitative flexibility. Variations in the SRF between males and females were also investigated. METHODS: The SRF of the hip (S-Hip) and ankle (S-Ankle) were rated by participants who completed a questionnaire. The range of motion of the hip (M-Hip) and ankle (M-Ankle) were measured using the straight leg raise test and dorsiflexion, respectively. RESULTS: No significant correlation between exercise duration and S-Hip and S-Ankle were identified. S-Hip and S-Ankle (p< 0.001) and S-Hip and M-Hip (p< 0.001) were significantly correlated, though S-Ankle and M-Ankle were not (p= 0.660). The exercise duration, S-Hip, and S-Ankle were not significantly different between males and females. CONCLUSIONS: Given the significant correlation between hip flexibility and SRF and no gender effect, SRF may serve as a useful clinical indicator.
Keywords: Self-rated flexibility, hip flexibility, ankle flexibility, exercise duration, sex difference
