Testing your shoulder flexibility at He's Fit

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Testing your shoulder flexibility

Posted October 15, 2007 at 09:00 AM by Mark Scott

Section: His Fitness, Strength Training, Injuries & Rehab

The shoulder joint is probably one of the most injury prone parts of the body. Because there are so many smaller ligaments, muscles and tendons involved in this area, it can be really quite easily to strain, tear or throw the bone completely out of socket.

Those who are participating in activities that really use this joint such as racquet sports, swimming or gymnastics are going to be at an even greater risk. These individuals in particular should be insuring that they are regularly performing some shoulder stretching exercise in order to increase the range of motion they have and further prevent any injuries from taking place.

To see where you currently stand with regards to your shoulder flexibility, perform the following test.

First lie stomach down on the ground with legs straight behind you and arms stretched overhead. Next, grab a hold of a yardstick (or broomstick) so that your palms are approximately shoulder width apart.

Have a partner stand right in front of you with another yardstick (or tape measure) that is placed perpendicular to the one that you are holding, with the zero measurement starting at the ground.

Then, while keeping your chin fully rested on the floor, lift your arms up as high as you can go along the perpendicular yardstick. Your partner then takes this measurement as your score. Repeat the process three times and then use your best result.

To score yourself, compare your results with the following:

Men:
Poor: 6.00 or less
Fair: 6.25-8.25
Average: 8.50-11.50
Good: 11.75-12.50
Excellent: 12.75 or more

Women:
Poor: 5.50 or less
Fair: 5.75-7.50
Average: 7.75 to 10.75
Good: 11.00 to 11.75
Excellent: 12.00 or more

If you didn’t fare quite as well as you were hoping you would, try not to get overly worried. Flexibility is something that most people can work on and improve upon, however it does need to be done on a consistent basis. If you can take ten minutes out of each day and perform some basic shoulder stretching exercises, within a few months time you should see your results of this test improving noticeably.

Research sources and for more information: [picture]

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Tags: ball and socket joint, fitness, health, injury prevention, men's health, shoulder, shoulder flexibility test, shoulder range of motion, shoulder strain, shoulder stretching, shoulder tear

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5 Responses to “Testing your shoulder flexibility” (Leave a reply)

Chris - Shoulder Performance & Rehab said:

Hi Mark,

Thanks for the information on how to measure shoulder flexibility. I’ve had quite a few people ask me, “what is good shoulder flexibility?” Until now, I really didn’t have a definitive answer. I posted an article linking back to this one. I hope that you will stop by for a look.

http://www.therotater.com
January 27, 2008 at 10:45 PM
Joanthan said:

What kind of exercises are good to increase shoulder flexibility???
March 3, 2008 at 02:58 PM
Julie R. Keen, PT, NSCA-CPT said:

Shoulder flexibility encompasses more than the simple test above (which can be influenced by lower trap weakness as well).
Generally when evaluating shoulder mobility, we look at many movements. One quick test is the scratch test which tests gleno-humeral internal and external rotation. Reach one hand behind your back like you are tucking in your shirt and the other over the top like you are trying to scratch the base of your neck. You should be able to get your fingers to touch in both directions. If not, just performing the test will start to loosen things up. The Wall Slide is another great test/exercise. Lean back against a wall with your arms up and out like you are being robbed “stick up”. Keeping the backs of your hands and the elbows in contact with the wall, slowly slide your arms overhead. Be sure to maintain that contact!

Hope that helps!
March 3, 2008 at 04:31 PM
Ada said:

I had problems my shoulder flexibility and the doctor said that this was because I had bulimia. It got better after I made a bulimia treatment, but I am still wondering if it was the truth or is just the placebo effect here.
June 17, 2008 at 09:08 PM
Cristian said:

You can also try an alcohol treatment that helps with relaxation of certain muscles of the shoulder region of your body. Go and ask a professional about it before trying.
June 23, 2008 at 11:48 AM