Unit 5: Flexibility and Balance · Lesson 7
Flexibility and Balance - Lesson 7
What this lesson is for
- Explain what hypermobility is and why it is not automatically an advantage.
- Complete the Beighton Score self-screen with a parent's help.
- Identify whether your fitness priority should lean toward more flexibility or more stability based on your results.
What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
1 Corinthians 6:19
Hypermobility Awareness
Hypermobility — the ability to move joints beyond the normal range — is sometimes seen as a flexibility advantage, but it carries significant health implications that every student should understand.
Hypermobility exists on a spectrum. Many people have one or two hypermobile joints without any associated problems. On the other end of the spectrum, hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS) is a connective tissue disorder in which widespread joint hypermobility is accompanied by joint instability, chronic pain, frequent dislocations or subluxations, and other systemic symptoms.
The Beighton Score is a simple screening tool for generalized hypermobility. It awards one point each for the ability to passively extend the little finger beyond 90 degrees (both hands, two points), passively extend the thumb to touch the forearm (both hands, two points), hyperextend the elbow beyond 10 degrees (both arms, two points), hyperextend the knee beyond 10 degrees (both legs, two points), and place the palms flat on the floor with straight knees (one point). A total score of six or higher out of nine suggests generalized hypermobility.
If you score high on the Beighton scale and also experience frequent joint pain, pops, clicks, or a sense of joints "giving way," you may have symptomatic hypermobility and should consult a physician.
For hypermobile individuals, the fitness priority is stability and strength, not additional flexibility. Stretching already lax structures further is counterproductive and increases injury risk. Programs emphasizing proprioception training, graduated strength training, and joint stabilization exercises are appropriate.
This is a case where knowing your individual physiology is essential. God made people differently, and wise stewardship means training according to how your specific body is made rather than following a generic program blindly.
Homework
If your Beighton score was high, spend this week's stretching time instead on stability exercises like a slow, controlled single-leg balance hold. If your score was low or average, continue your regular flexibility routine.
Note for the parent
Today's lesson covers Flexibility and Balance - Lesson 7. Estimated time: 35 minutes. Encourage independent work but be available for questions.
The first three of this lesson's 10 questions
What is hypermobility, and why is it not always a flexibility advantage?
Show the answer
Answer: Hypermobility is movement beyond normal joint range; it carries risks including joint instability, chronic pain, and frequent dislocations
What is the Beighton Score used to assess?
Show the answer
Answer: Generalized joint hypermobility using a simple nine-point screening tool
What Beighton Score (out of nine) suggests generalized hypermobility?
Show the answer
Answer: Six or higher
Another 7 questions follow in the lesson itself, each one graded the moment it is answered.