The relationship between multiple joint flexibility and functional performance in independent and physically active elderly women

Resumen

Multi-joint fl exibility assessment seems to be more appropriate for analyzing the association between fl exibility and functional fi tness, but there is a lack of studies to confi rm this possibility in elderly people. The present study investigated the relationship between a multiple joint fl exibility assessment and the functional performance of 30 independent and physically active elderly women (age=68±1yr). Flexibility was assessed using the Chair Sit-and-Reach Test (CSRT). Functional performance was tested by a combination of three tasks: a) Step Length (SL); b) Time to Put on Sneakers (TPS); c) Climbing Stairs (CS). The association between fl exibility and functional performance was tested by both simple and multiple correlation techniques. Pearson’s correlation was signifi cant for TPS (r = -.37; p<.05), but not for SL or SCT. Multiple correlation analysis detected no significant relationship between CSRT and functional performance (R = .37; p = .26), and the strongest partial correlation was with TPS (ß = -.38; p = .05), although this was not a signifi cant relationship. These results suggest that CSRT is not a good predictor of functional performance in active and independent older women although it may be well-correlated with specifi c tasks that are strictly dependent on the flexibility of hips and spine.