Cedars-Sinai Blog
Better Range of Motion Can Prevent Sports Injuries
Jan 01, 2025 Brian Schulz, MD

The term “range of motion” is often used interchangeably with the word “flexibility” when describing athletic movement. More specifically, though, range of motion refers to the degree of movement of an individual joint in the body (your hip, knee or shoulder, for example) to its fullest potential.
Flexibility can be affected by range of motion, but it reflects a person’s overall ability to stretch. These terms matter because, especially for serious athletes and weekend warriors, the better your range of motion and flexibility, the less likely you are to sustain an orthopedic injury.
Medical professionals assess range of motion as either passive or active. Passive range of motion is the movement of a joint when moved by another. Examples would be a doctor examining a patient and moving a shoulder around, or a trainer helping an athlete stretch.

Brian M. Schulz, MD
Active range of motion refers to a person’s ability to move the joint themselves, such as someone raising their arm above their head. Most body movements performed regularly are considered active range of motion.
There can be quite a bit of variability within the normal range of motion for each joint. Range of motion can decline with age, especially in people who aren’t regularly active, and men can have smaller ranges of motion than women.
Additionally, an injury to or around the joint such as a fracture, contusion or muscle injury can reduce its range of motion. Other conditions such as arthritis, frozen shoulder, ankylosing spondylitis and skeletal abnormalities can also affect specific joints. When a person experiences a decrease in range of motion, it tends to be most noticeable in joints with more extensive ranges of motion such as hips, shoulders and knees, or joints that are frequently moving such as your fingers, wrists and elbows.
Joints that receive regular use and are cared for with stretching exercises can maintain a balanced range of motion. A focus on stretching exercises for 10 minutes, three or four times per week, can help improve a person’s range of motion. But especially for very active adults, I recommend daily stretching of the hip flexors, hamstrings and iliotibial (IT) band. Tightness or a reduced range of motion in these areas can often be the culprit in various orthopedic injuries.
How can you tell if you have a good or “normal” range of motion in a specific joint? Keep in mind that all joints should have a symmetric range of motion. For example, the right and left knees (or elbows, shoulders or hips) should have similar abilities. So, if you think the motion of a joint is less flexible or stiffer on one side, do a few stretching exercises and compare it to the other side. If you notice a difference, focus more intently on stretching exercises to bring the deficient side in line with the side seeming to have greater range of motion. An imbalance in range of motion can lead to overcompensation of one joint and body misalignment, setting the stage for injury.
Doing a self-assessment can help you stay in tune with your body and help you avoid getting hurt. Whether you are a professional athlete or a weekend warrior, incorporating range of motion exercises and flexibility training into your daily workout routine is good for your body.