The factors most likely to affect overall flexibility include gender, age, temperature, activity levels of the individual, repetitive motions (pattern overload), body composition, prior Injury, joint structure, and tissue extensibility. 7

Factors that cannot be changed such as age and sex of the athlete should be considered when assessing and designing a flexibility program. Other factors affecting flexibility and joint mobility that can be modified to improve flexibility include injury, tissue bulk, quality of movement, and activity level.

"Your flexibility is influenced by a variety of genetically inherited traits, including the structure of your joints, the length of your muscle fibers and the suppleness of your connective tissues," Dunn told Live Science in an email.