What is Flexibility?

2. What is Flexibility? • Flexibility is theability of a joint to move through itsrange of motion • Flexibility involves your bones, joints, surrounding tissue, nervous system, but most importantlyyour muscles Bicep Muscle Tendon Radius Bone Humerus Bone Hinge Joint Ulna Bone Ulnar Nerve

3. Flexibility is highly adaptable, and is increased through stretching exercises. • Muscles/joints can also become less flexible (reversibility) • Stretching is a type of physical activity done with the intent of improving flexibility.

4. Benefits of Flexibility and Stretching Exercises • Which benefits would help you? • Joint Health • Protection against low-back pain and injuries • Reduction of post-exercise muscle soreness • Potential relief of aches and pains • Improved posture • Improve athletic performance • Enhances range of motion • Relaxation

5. Factors that Affect Flexibility • Heredity • Previous Injuries – Can affect range of motion • Gender – Females are generally more flexible than males • Age – You usually become less flexible as you age • Fat Tissue – A lot of fat tissue in and around the joints decreases flexibility

6. Factors that Affect Flexibility • The 2 most important factors that affect flexibility are Sedentary Living and Lack of Exercise • With less physical activity, muscles lose their flexibility and tendons and ligaments tighten and shorten • Lack of exercise tends to increase your fat tissue, which decreases the range of motion in your joints

7. What Determines Flexibility #1 JOINT - Structure A joint is where two bones come together. 3 Types of Joints • Fibrous Joint (Syndesmoses) Rigid (sutures of the skull) • Cartilaginous (Synchrondoses) Allows slight movement (pubic bones meet) • Synovial Joints (Diathrodial) Very mobile. Joints have lots of movement

8. Synovial Joints- Joints used in movement

9. Pivot Joint

10. Oval Ball and Socket Joint

11. Saddle Joint

12. Ball and Socket

13. Hinge Joint

14. Gliding Joint

15. #2 Muscle Elasticity and Length Determines Flexibility • Muscle tissue can be lengthened if regularly stretched • To increase the length of a muscle, you must stretch it more than its normal length (overload) but not over stretch it.

16. #3 Nervous System Activity Determines Flexibility • Muscles contain stretch receptors that • control their length • When a muscle is first stretched, a reflex causes the muscle to contract, to resist the change in length. • If the stretch is maintained, the stretch reflex subsides and muscles can be stretched beyond its normal length.

17. #4 Uncontrollable Risk Factors DetermineFlexibility Age Old Vs. Young Gender Girls Vs Boys AND...................

18. Types of Stretching Static Stretching • Stretching muscles until tight and hold for several seconds Ballistic Stretching • Quick gentle bouncing type of bobbing motion held for a few seconds PNF Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation • exercises that contract and relax at the same time Reflex-Assisted Stretching • stretching movements that challenge the reflexes to adapt. Plyometric stretching is bounding/jumping

19. FITT Formula F -Stretch 3-7 days per week I– Muscles must be stretched beyond its normal length (overload). Muscles should feel tight but NOT painful. T - Be sure to use correct technique for each stretch, hold each stretch for 10-30 seconds, and perform at least 3-4 repetitions T- Ballistic, Static, PNF (proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation)

20. Stretching and Low Back Pain • Nearly 80% of the U.S. population will experience low back pain • It is the 2nd leading cause of absence in the work force behind the cold • 70% of all back problems are caused by weak, inflexible muscles

21. How Stretching Can Help With Low Back Pain • You can help prevent lower back pain simply by stretching certain muscles • You should stretch hamstrings, hip flexors, and spinal erectors • Low back pain can also be prevented by strengthening the abdominals

22. Muscles Needing The “Most” Stretching • There are hundreds of exercises that can improve flexibility • Your program should include exercises that work all the major joints of the body by stretching their associated muscles • Chest muscles Calf Muscles • Front of shoulders Lower Back • Hip Joint Inside of thighs • Hamstrings Trunk muscles

23. Assessing Flexibility in Physical Education Class • Flexibility is specific to each joint • There are no specific tests to measure general flexibility • “Sit-and-reach” test measures flexibility of joints in the lower back and hamstrings • “Zipper” test measures flexibility of joints in the shoulders • “Trunk Lift” test measures flexibility of lower back.

24. Warm-Up • Warm-upis the beginning part of the training session in which you prepare the body for activity. • Proper warm-up helps prevent injuries by loosening and stretching muscle fibers and connective tissues (tendons and ligaments).

25. How to use stretching in a workout • Increase your heart rate before stretching • Stretch muscles for 5-10 minutes • Perform your activity • Cool down until your heart rate has lowered • Stretch again

26. Summary • Flexibility is highly adaptable and • specific to each joint • Benefits include reducing the risk of injury, and preventing abnormal stresses that lead to joint deteriorations • Range of motion can be limited by joint structure, muscle elasticity, and stretch receptor activity • Developing flexibility depends on stretching the elastic tissues within muscles regularly

27. Training Principles S- Specificity P- Progression O- Overload R- Reversibility T- Train & Maintain