Why is flexibility tested during health appraisal?

Flexibility is tested during health appraisal primarily to gauge joint range of motion and to assess the potential for injuries. Flexibility is an important component of physical fitness, influencing how well a person can perform everyday activities and exercise. Testing flexibility helps identify areas where an individual may have limited range of motion, which can increase the likelihood of strains or injuries during physical activity. Improved flexibility can enhance performance in sports and daily movements, reduce the risk of injury, and contribute to overall musculoskeletal health.

The other options focus on different aspects of physical fitness: energy expenditure relates to cardiovascular fitness, heart rate recovery is an indicator of cardiovascular efficiency, and body mass assessment deals with weight and fat distribution. While these are important components of health appraisal, they do not directly assess flexibility or its implications for joint health and injury prevention.