muscularflexibility-130919155012-phpapp01.ppt

Muscular Flexibility
Muscular Flexibility

Objectives
Objectives
 Explain the importance of muscular flexibility to adequate
fitness.
 Identify the factors that affect muscular flexibility.
 Explain the health-fitness benefits of stretching.
 Become familiar with a battery of tests to assess overall body
flexibility.
 Be able to interpret flexibility test results according to health-
fitness and physical-fitness standards.
 Learn the principles that govern development of muscular
flexibility.
 List some exercises that may cause injury.
 Become familiar with a program for preventing and
rehabilitating low-back pain.
 Create your own personal flexibility profile.

Introduction
Introduction
Flexibility
The achievable range of motion at a joint or
group of joints without causing injury
Lack of flexibility or improper stretching
leads to muscular/skeletal problems and
injuries
Usually occur when a tight muscle is
abruptly forced beyond its achievable range
of motion
80% of all low back problems in the U.S.
are a result of improper spinal alignment
due to muscle weakness and inflexibility

Benefits of Good Flexibility
Promotes healthy muscles and joints
Improves elasticity of muscles and
connective tissue around joints, enhancing
freedom of movement
Makes activities of daily living (turning,
lifting, and bending) easier to perform
Regular stretching increases circulation to
the muscles
Helps prevent low-back and other spinal
column problems

Improves and maintains good postural
alignment
Promotes proper and graceful body
movement
Improves personal appearance and self-
image
Helps develop and maintain motor skills
throughout life

Flexibility exercises have been prescribed
successfully to treat
Dysmenorrhea
General neuromuscular tension
Knots in muscles and fascia
Aches and pains caused by psychological
stress

Flexibility in Older Adults
Flexibility in Older Adults
Good range of motion is critical in older life
Lack of good range of motion can severely
hamper mobility
Lack of flexibility may cause falls and other
injury
A simple stretching program can alleviate
or prevent this problem and help people
return to an exercise program and normal
ADLs

Factors Affecting Flexibility
 Genetic factors
 Physical activity
 Joint structure (shape of
the bones)
 Joint cartilage
 Ligaments
 Body temperature
 Tendons
 Muscles
 Skin
 Tissue injury
 Adipose tissue (fat)
 Age
 Gender
All influence range of motion about a joint

Range of motion about a joint depends
primarily on the structure of that joint
Greater range of motion can be attained
through plastic and elastic elongation
Plastic elongation
Permanent lengthening of soft tissue
Elastic elongation
Temporary lengthening of soft tissue

Assessment of Flexibility
Assessment of Flexibility
The Sit-and-Reach Test is used by most
health and fitness centers because of the
lack of practical flexibility tests
Flexibility is joint-specific, which means that
a lot of flexibility in one joint does not always
indicate the other joints are as flexible
The Total Body Rotation Test and the
Shoulder Rotation Test are used to
determine the ability to perform everyday
tasks--bending, reaching, turning

Procedure for the Modified Sit-
Procedure for the Modified Sit-
and-Reach Test
and-Reach Test

Procedure for
Procedure for
Total Body
Total Body
Rotation Test
Rotation Test

Procedure for the Shoulder
Procedure for the Shoulder
Rotation Test
Rotation Test

Interpreting Flexibility Test Results
Interpreting Flexibility Test Results
 Determine the fitness category for each flexibility test
using guidelines in Table 8.4
 Look up the number of points assigned for each fitness
category in this table
 The overall flexible fitness category is obtained by
totaling the number of points from all three tests and
using the ratings in Table 8.5

Evaluating Body Posture
Good posture enhances
Personal appearance
Self-image
Confidence
Improves balance and endurance
Protects against misalignment-related
aches and pains
Prevents falls
Enhances overall sense of well-being

 Viewing faulty posture in a photograph can
motivate change
 As posture improves from recommended exercise,
you may become motivated to improve muscular
strength, flexibility, and decrease body fat
 Posture tests are used to detect deviations from
normal body alignment and prescribe corrective
exercises (Lab 8B)
Analyses are best conducted early in life because
some postural deviations are difficult to correct in
older people

muscularflexibility-130919155012-phpapp01.ppt

Principles of Muscular
Flexibility Prescription
Flexibility Prescription
Range of joint mobility can be increased
and maintained through a regular
comprehensive stretching program
Overload and specificity of training
principles also apply to muscular flexibility
FITT also can be used to design stretching
programs

Flexibility Prescription – Modes
of Training
of Training
 Static stretching
 Lengthen the muscle tissue
gradually through a joint's complete
range of motion and hold the final
position for a few seconds.
 Causes little pain and has a low risk
for injury.
 The most frequently used and
recommended.
 Passive stretching
 Muscles are relaxed.
 External force is applied to increase
joint range of motion.
 Associated with some decrease of
strength and power.

of Training
of Training
Dynamic stretching
Uses movement speed,
momentum, and
muscular effort to
increase joint range of
motion.
Not associated with loss
of strength and power.
Preferably completed
prior to competition
Walking lunges are an example
of Dynamic Stretching

of Training
of Training
Ballistic stretching
Jerky, rapid, and bouncy movements that force
the muscle to lengthen.
Effective, but at the cost of muscle damage
when performed too fast.
If excessive, plastic elongation and the
accompanying loss of joint stability may result.
Controlled ballistic stretching
Slow, gentle, and controlled-ballistic stretching is
effective and safer than standard ballistic
stretching.

of Training
of Training
 Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF)
Stretching technique that uses reflexes and
neuromuscular principles to relax the muscles
being stretched
Based on a “contract-and-relax” method
Benefits of PNF
More effective than slow-sustained stretching.
An increase in strength of the muscle(s) being
stretched.
Disadvantages of PNF
More pain.
Need for a second person to assist.
Need for more time to conduct each session.

Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) stretching
Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) stretching
technique: (a) isometric phase (b) stretching phase
technique: (a) isometric phase (b) stretching phase

Flexibility Prescription –
Intensity
Intensity
Intensity
The degree of stretch should be to only a
point of mild discomfort or tightness at the
end of the range of motion.
The muscle should be relaxed as much as
possible along with relatively slow
stretching movements.

Flexibility Prescription – Reps
Flexibility Prescription – Reps
Repetitions
Holding the final position of each rep for 15
to 60 seconds.
Each exercise should be done 4 or more
times.
As flexibility increases, a person can
gradually increase the time each repetition
is held to a maximum of 60 seconds.
Total stretching duration should be a
minimum of about 10 minutes.

Frequency
Frequency
Minimum of 2 to
3 days per week
Ideally 5 to 7
days per week
After 6–8 weeks
of training,
flexibility can be
maintained with
only 2–3
sessions each
week.

When to Stretch?
When to Stretch?
 Warm up vs. stretching
Warm-up: The goal is to get the muscle warm, so it
resists less
Light aerobics first
3- to 5-minute warm-up for steady activities
Up to 10 minutes for stop-and-go activities and
athletic participation in general
Stretching: movement of joints through their full
range of motion and holding the final degree of
stretch according to recommended guidelines.
 In general, after an aerobic workout is the best
time to stretch

Flexibility Exercises
Flexibility Exercises
Subject each muscle group to at least
one stretching exercise.
A complete set of exercises for developing
muscular flexibility is presented on pages
299–306.
Perform each exercise through the joint's
full range of motion.
A complete workout lasts 15–30 minutes.

 Use safety when
performing
stretching exercises
 Preexisting muscle
or joint conditions
can increase risk for
injury.

Preventing & Rehabilitating
Low-Back Pain
Low-Back Pain
Low-back pain is prevalent in 60–80% of
the population.
Greater than 95% relates to muscle/tendon
injury.
About 1–5 percent relates to intervertebral
disk damage.
It is considered chronic if it persists longer
than three months.

Low-Back Pain
Low-Back Pain
Backache syndrome is preventable
About 80% of low-back pain is due to
preventable problems.
Lack of physical activity
 Excessive sitting weakens abs and shortens hip flexors
Faulty posture
 Figure 8.7 provides proper body mechanics that promote
back health
Excessive body weight and/or psychological
stress
Common among smokers

Incorrect and Correct Pelvic
Incorrect and Correct Pelvic
Alignment
Alignment
 Deterioration or weakening
of the abdominal and gluteal
muscles along with
tightening of the lower back
muscles due to excessive
sitting; brings about an
unnatural forward tilt of the
pelvis
 This tilt puts extra pressure
on the spinal vertebrae,
causing pain in the lower
back.
 Accumulation of fat around
the midsection of the body
contributes to the forward tilt
of the pelvis.

Behavior Modification Planning: Tips to
Behavior Modification Planning: Tips to
Prevent Low-Back Pain
Prevent Low-Back Pain
 Be physically active
 Stretch often
 Regularly strengthen
your core
 Lift objects properly
 Avoid sitting/standing in
one position too long
 Maintain correct
posture
 Sleep in a proper
position
 Select a mattress
carefully
 Warm up before
exercise
 Practice stress
management
Journal Question #2
List how many of these actions you do regularly.
What would be necessary for you to incorporate
them all in your lifestyle?

Low-Back Pain
Low-Back Pain
 If the pain is severe and persists even at rest, see a
physician:
 Rule out any disc problems
 May prescribe proper bed rest, using several pillows
under the knees for leg support (Figure 8.7).
 May prescribe a muscle relaxant or anti-inflammatory
medication (or both) and some type of physical therapy.
 Take over-the-counter pain medication.
 Stay active to avoid further weakening of the back
muscles.
 Low-impact activities such as walking, swimming, water
aerobics, and cycling are recommended.

Low-Back Pain
Low-Back Pain
 Chiropractic (spinal manipulation) if there is no
indication of disease or injury (such as leg
numbness or pain), a herniated disc, or fractures.
 Aerobic exercise, muscular flexibility, and muscular
strength-endurance training that include specific
exercises that strengthen the spine-stabilizing
muscles.
Several exercises for preventing and rehabilitating
the backache syndrome are given on pages 299–
306.
 Yoga (Iyegar) has been found to enhance flexibility
and relieve chronic low-back pain.

Effects of Stress
Effects of Stress
 Excessive stress causes muscles to contract
 Frequent tightening of the muscles can throw the back
out of alignment and constrict blood vessels that supply
oxygen and nutrients to the back
 Chronic stress releases hormones linked to muscle and
tendon injuries
 People under stress forget about proper body mechanics,
increasing risk for injury
 Proper stress management should be in your back care
program

Real Life Stories
Real Life Stories

Real Life Stories Critical
Real Life Stories Critical
Thinking Questions
Thinking Questions
 1. Can you list some of the possible factors that led to Maria’s back
pain? What steps did she take to correct the situation?
 2. Do you experience back pain? If so, what made it worse and what
has helped alleviate the pain?
 3. What are your feelings about yoga? Have you ever tried a yoga
session? If so, how was the experience? How did you feel afterward?

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