Self-rated flexibility significantly reflects the hip flexibility, but not the ankle flexibility

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.