The Apley scratch test can tell you a lot about your mobility in relation to aging well.

Here’s how to do it and what your results mean.

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But it deserves to share the spotlight in your fitness routine.

woman sweating in the gym

physical therapist and the founder ofMoment Physical Therapy and Performance

So how can you gauge if your shoulder mobility is up to snuffor has plenty of room for improvement?

Try the Apley Scratch Test.

What is the Apley Scratch Test?

Woman walking on a treadmill at the gym.

In case you dont know, the shoulder is a ball-and-socket joint that allows for a variety of motions.

Thats kind of where the Apley Scratch Test comes in, he explains.

Having a full range of motion, you’re free to distribute that stress to more tissues.

Full body female athlete in sportswear using rowing machine during fitness workout in gym.

Here, your step-by-step instructions for the Apley Scratch Test, demonstrated by Fata-Chan.

At a minimum, youll want your fingers to be a fist-distance apart, Fata-Chan says.

But generally, Keane says, the results are:

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physical therapist and the founder ofMoment Physical Therapy and Performance

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Its natural to have some asymmetries, with one side having better results than the other.

Happy woman dancing and listening to music near a green empty wall outdoor in the city.

But distance isnt the only point to consider.

As youre performing the test, you shouldnt feel any aches, pains, or pinches, Fata-Chan says.

If you end up with less-than-ideal results, a number of factors could be at play.

Healthy female training in the gym, performing a hip thrust.

Lifestyle also has an influence.

Unsurprisingly, posture matters, too.

Compounding the problem is a lack of mobility throughout the spine.

A young black woman doing post-run stretches in the park on the road amidst green grass and trees.

Cable rows are also helpfulwith a slight tweak.

It should give you a feel-good stretch.

(FYI: Here are a few moreshoulder mobility stretchesthat feel absolutelyamazing.)

The latter exercise trains shoulder flexion, abduction, and external rotation, she notes.

Youre trying to get everything attached to the wall as best you’re free to, she says.

There are just so many things in day-to-day life that require you to have some degree of mobility.

You need plenty of overhead mobility to put your carry-on in a planes overhead compartment.

As you age, supporting shoulder mobility is essential to maintaining your independence, Keane says.

Say youre at the grocery store and are looking to buy a box of cereal on the top shelf.

You feel like you just lost a little bit of your freedom, she adds.

Whats more, shoulder limitations can affect chest expansion and breathing as you get older.

Because when it comes to joint mobility, its use it or lose it.

Shoulder Dysfunction and Mobility Limitation in Aging.

Adv Geriatr Med Res.

2023;5(3):e230008.

Epub 2023 Nov 17.

PMID: 38105787; PMCID: PMC10723811.

Siragy T, Nantel J.

Absent Arm Swing and Dual Tasking Decreases Trunk Postural Control and Dynamic Balance in People With Parkinsons Disease.

2020 Apr 17;11:213. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2020.00213.

PMID: 32362863; PMCID: PMC7180219.

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