Comparison of Balance and Generalized Flexibility Between Physically Active and Inactive Young Adults

Background: To know if physically active young adults are more or less flexible and have greater or lesser balance than physically inactive young adults.Objective: The objective of the study was to determine balance and flexibility in young adults (age group of 18 to 25 years) on the basis of physical activeness and inactiveness.Methodology: It was a comparative cross-sectional study.The data was collected from a total of n = 370 healthy young adults (18-25 years of age) after taking informed consent from the participants.Participants were divided into 2 groups through WHO activeness criteria.Y -Balance test was used to measure balance while sit and reach test and static flexibility tests were used to measure flexibility.Results: The data was analyzed on SPSS version 21.0 and significance value was selected to be α = 0.05.Participants taken were from the age range of 18 to 25 years.Normality test was applied which showed the data as non-normally distributed (p-value of Leg Length Composite Score, Right Leg Composite Score and Static Flexibility Score is less than 0.05).Pearson Chisquare test showed non-significant difference in Y -balance scores ((RLC) Right leg composite score (p =0.481) and (LLC) Left leg composite scores (p =0.937)) and Sit and reach (SNR) score (p =0.148) and Shoulder Flexibility (SF) score (p =0.487).Weak correlations were found between physical activity and SNR (r = -0.054)and SF (r = 0.002) while Y-balance score and physical activity also showed weak correlation RLC r = -0.037and LLC r = 0.004.Conclusion:The results of the study conclude that there is no significant correlation neither between physical activity and balance nor between physical activity and generalized flexibility.This is because it is also clear that sedentary time was not taken into account when screening participants into active and inactive groups.The active group also included people who had high activity levels but spent a lot of time sedentary, which may have influenced the results of this study