Benefits of Good Flexibility: Enhancing Movement and Preventing Spinal Problems

1. CHAPTER OUTLINE Chapter 8 Benefits of Good Flexibility Factors Affecting Flexibility Assessment of Flexibility Evaluating Body Posture Muscular Flexibility Prescription Contraindicated Exercises Preventing and Rehabilitating Low-Back Pain Muscular Flexibility

2. Flexibility: The ability of a joint to move freely through its full range of motion Stretching: Moving the joints beyond the accustomed range of motion Plastic elongation: Permanent lengthening of soft tissue Elastic elongation: Temporary lengthening of soft tissue Benefits of Good Flexibility Factors Affecting Flexibility Assessment of Flexibility Evaluating Body Posture Muscular Flexibility Prescription Contraindicated Exercises Preventing and Rehabilitating Low-Back Pain Key Terms

3. Benefits of Good Flexibility Factors Affecting Flexibility Assessment of Flexibility Evaluating Body Posture Muscular Flexibility Prescription Contraindicated Exercises Preventing and Rehabilitating Low-Back Pain Benefits of Adequate 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 • Helps prevent low-back and other spinal column problems

4. Benefits of Good Flexibility Factors Affecting Flexibility Assessment of Flexibility Evaluating Body Posture Muscular Flexibility Prescription Contraindicated Exercises Preventing and Rehabilitating Low-Back Pain Benefits of Adequate Flexibility • 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

5. Benefits of Good Flexibility Factors Affecting Flexibility Assessment of Flexibility Evaluating Body Posture Muscular Flexibility Prescription Contraindicated Exercises Preventing and Rehabilitating Low-Back Pain Benefits of Adequate Flexibility • Flexibility exercises have been prescribed successfully to treat • Dysmenorrhea (painful menstruation) • General neuromuscular tension (stress) • Muscular/skeletal problems and injuries related to lack of flexibility

6. Genetics Physical activity Joint structure Ligaments Tendons Muscles Skin Tissue injury Adipose tissue (fat) Body temperature Age Gender Benefits of Good Flexibility Factors Affecting Flexibility Assessment of Flexibility Evaluating Body Posture Muscular Flexibility Prescription Contraindicated Exercises Preventing and Rehabilitating Low-Back Pain Factors Affecting Flexibility

7. Benefits of Good Flexibility Factors Affecting Flexibility Assessment of Flexibility Evaluating Body Posture Muscular Flexibility Prescription Contraindicated Exercises Preventing and Rehabilitating Low-Back Pain Muscle Flexibility • Flexibility is joint specific • Women are more flexible than men • Decrements are primarily related to physical inactivity • Aging decreases joint range of motion

8. Benefits of Good Flexibility Factors Affecting Flexibility Assessment of Flexibility Evaluating Body Posture Muscular Flexibility Prescription Contraindicated Exercises Preventing and Rehabilitating Low-Back Pain Flexibility Fitness Tests • Modified sit-and-reach test • Total body rotation test • Shoulder rotation test

9. Benefits of Good Flexibility Factors Affecting Flexibility Assessment of Flexibility Evaluating Body Posture Muscular Flexibility Prescription Contraindicated Exercises Preventing and Rehabilitating Low-Back Pain Modified Sit-and-Reach Test • Measures hip and trunk flexibility • Modified protocol accounts for arm/leg length discrepancies Starting position for the modified sit-and-reach test

10. Benefits of Good Flexibility Factors Affecting Flexibility Assessment of Flexibility Evaluating Body Posture Muscular Flexibility Prescription Contraindicated Exercises Preventing and Rehabilitating Low-Back Pain Modified Sit-and-Reach Test • Hold the final reach for two seconds Modified sit-and-reach test

11. 8.1 Percentile Ranks for the ModifiedSit-and-Reach Test

12. Benefits of Good Flexibility Factors Affecting Flexibility Assessment of Flexibility Evaluating Body Posture Muscular Flexibility Prescription Contraindicated Exercises Preventing and Rehabilitating Low-Back Pain Total Body Rotation Test • Measures body rotation • Test is performed on either right or left side

13. 8.2 Percentile Ranks for the Total Body Rotation Test for Men

14. 8.2 Percentile Ranks for the Total Body Rotation Test for Women

15. Benefits of Good Flexibility Factors Affecting Flexibility Assessment of Flexibility Evaluating Body Posture Muscular Flexibility Prescription Contraindicated Exercises Preventing and Rehabilitating Low-Back Pain Shoulder Rotation Test • Measures shoulder flexibility Measuring biacromial width Starting position for the shoulder rotation test Shoulder rotation test

16. 8.3 Percentile Ranks for the Shoulder Rotation Test for Men

17. 8.3 Percentile Ranks for the Shoulder Rotation Test for Women

18. 8.4 Flexibility Fitness Categoriesaccording to Percentile Ranks

19. 8.5 Overall Flexibility Fitness Category:Total the Number of Points for All Three Tests

20. Benefits of Good Flexibility Factors Affecting Flexibility Assessment of Flexibility Evaluating Body Posture Muscular Flexibility Prescription Contraindicated Exercises Preventing and Rehabilitating Low-Back Pain Evaluating Body Posture • Posture tests are used to detect deviations from normal body alignment and prescribe corrective exercises • Use the posture rating chart in Lab 8B to analyze your own body posture

21. 8.6 Posture Evaluation Standards

22. Benefits of Good Flexibility Factors Affecting Flexibility Assessment of Flexibility Evaluating Body Posture Muscular Flexibility Prescription Contraindicated Exercises Preventing and Rehabilitating Low-Back Pain Critical Thinking • Carefully consider the relevance of stretching exercises to your personal fitness program throughout the years. How much importance do you place on these exercises? • Have some conditions improved through your stretching program, or have particular exercises contributed to your health and well-being?

23. Ballistic (dynamic) stretching: Exercises done with jerky, rapid, bouncy movements Slow-sustained stretching: Exercises in which the muscles are lengthened gradually through a joint’s complete range of motion Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF): Stretching technique in which muscles are stretched out sequentially with intermittent isometric contractions Benefits of Good Flexibility Factors Affecting Flexibility Assessment of Flexibility Evaluating Body Posture Muscular Flexibility Prescription Contraindicated Exercises Preventing and Rehabilitating Low-Back Pain Key Terms

24. Mode Static or dynamic to include every major joint Intensity To the point of mild discomfort Repetitions At least 4 times Hold the final stretched position for 10 to 30 seconds Frequency 2 to 3 days per week Benefits of Good Flexibility Factors Affecting Flexibility Assessment of Flexibility Evaluating Body Posture Muscular Flexibility Prescription Contraindicated Exercises Preventing and Rehabilitating Low-Back Pain Guidelines forDeveloping Flexibility

25. Benefits of Good Flexibility Factors Affecting Flexibility Assessment of Flexibility Evaluating Body Posture Muscular Flexibility Prescription Contraindicated Exercises Preventing and Rehabilitating Low-Back Pain Contraindicated Exercises • Most strength and flexibility exercises are relatively safe to perform • Some exercises (contraindicated) can be hazardous if performed incorrectly • Contraindicated exercises may cause harm because of excessive strain on muscles and joints; in particular the spine, lower back, knees, neck, or shoulders • A list of contraindicated exercises are provided in the textbook

26. Benefits of Good Flexibility Factors Affecting Flexibility Assessment of Flexibility Evaluating Body Posture Muscular Flexibility Prescription Contraindicated Exercises Preventing and Rehabilitating Low-Back Pain Low-Back Pain • About 75 million Americans suffer from chronic low-back pain • Caused by • Physical inactivity • Poor posture habits and body mechanics • Excessive body weight

27. Benefits of Good Flexibility Factors Affecting Flexibility Assessment of Flexibility Evaluating Body Posture Muscular Flexibility Prescription Contraindicated Exercises Preventing and Rehabilitating Low-Back Pain Critical Thinking • Consider your own low-back health. Have you ever experienced episodes of low-back pain? • If so, how long did it take you to recover, and what helped you recover from this condition?

28. 8.6 Incorrect and Correct Pelvic Alignment

29. 8.7 Caring for Your Back • Change from one task to another before fatigue sets in • Use a footrest • Bend at the knees and the hips, not at the waist • Hold heavy objects close to your body • Never bend over without bending your knees

30. 8.7 Low-Back Health • Find the correct standing position by practicing against a wall

31. 8.7 Low-Back Health • Exercise while lying in bed to teach yourself correct muscle position

32. 8.7 Low-Back Health • A straight, hard chair is best • Learn to sit properly in whatever chair you use

33. 8.7 Low-Back Health • Faulty sleeping positions intensify swayback

34. 8.7 Low-Back Health • Relieve your back by taking all pressure off of your back and legs

35. Benefits of Good Flexibility Factors Affecting Flexibility Assessment of Flexibility Evaluating Body Posture Muscular Flexibility Prescription Contraindicated Exercises Preventing and Rehabilitating Low-Back Pain Tips to Prevent Low-Back Pain • Be physically active • Stretch often using spinal exercises through a functional range of motion • Regularly strengthen the core of the body using sets of 10 to 12 repetitions to near fatigue with isometric contractions when applicable • Lift heavy objects by bending at the knees and carrying them close to the body

36. Benefits of Good Flexibility Factors Affecting Flexibility Assessment of Flexibility Evaluating Body Posture Muscular Flexibility Prescription Contraindicated Exercises Preventing and Rehabilitating Low-Back Pain Tips to Prevent Low-Back Pain • Avoid sitting (over 50 minutes) or standing in one position for lengthy periods of time • Maintain correct posture • Sleep on your back with a pillow under the knees or sideways with the knees drawn up and a small pillow between the knees

37. Benefits of Good Flexibility Factors Affecting Flexibility Assessment of Flexibility Evaluating Body Posture Muscular Flexibility Prescription Contraindicated Exercises Preventing and Rehabilitating Low-Back Pain Tips to Prevent Low-Back Pain • Try out different mattresses of firm consistency before selecting a mattress • Warm up properly using mild stretches before engaging in physical activity • Practice adequate stress management techniques

38. Back Pain

39. End of Chapter