Date of Award

Fall 1998

Document Type

Thesis

First Advisor

Dr. Latin

Second Advisor

Dr. Berg

Third Advisor

Dr. Stuberg

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine if a relationship existed between flexibility and physical activity levels. Subjects included 128 male (n=64) and female (n=64) volunteers, 19 to 55 years of age. All subjects completed a physical activity questionnaire (which differentiated between work, sport, leisure and total physical activity) and a series of five flexibility tests. Four of the five flexibility tests were completed with the use of a goniometer which measured shoulder flexion, hip flexion, knee flexion and ankle dorsiflexion. The sit and reach test was used to assess hamstring­ lumbar flexibility. After analyzing the data by using Pearson correlation coefficients, a relationship did not exist between total flexibility and physical activity. However, l0 significant relationships were discovered. Hip flexion measures, when correlated to the leisure physical activity index had a correlation coefficient of r=O.195. Sit and reach correlated to the leisure index and total physical activity (r=0.222 and r=0.208, respectively). Weight, age and gender had negative, significant relationships to total flexibility (r=-0.251, r=-0.188 and r=-0.400, respectively). Total flexibility correlated to shoulder flexion, ankle dorsiflexion, hip flexion and sit and reach scores (r=0.598, r=0.479, r=O.732 and r=O.776, respectively). All values were significant at p 0.05; In conclusion, the subjects in this study demonstrated that physical activity (whether it was on the job, during leisure time, taking part in an organized sport or all three indices combined) did not correlate to the amount of total flexibility they possessed.

Comments

A thesis presented to the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation and the Graduate Faculty of the University of Nebraska in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science University of Nebraska at Omaha. Copyright 1998 Tanya M. Schramm.

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