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Technology and Assessment. Flexibility for Injury Prevention. By Steve Brooks. Why Be Flexible?. Beneficial even if your not an athlete! Improves Circulation Lowers risk for cardiovascular disease Stress Relief! Improves coordination Reduce muscle soreness/injuries
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Technology and Assessment Flexibilityfor Injury Prevention By Steve Brooks
Why Be Flexible? Beneficial even if your not an athlete! • Improves Circulation • Lowers risk for cardiovascular disease • Stress Relief! • Improves coordination • Reduce muscle soreness/injuries • Increases the production of synovial fluid!
Synovial Fluid • Lubricates joints • Transports nutrients to joints • Helps protect against the wear on cartilage!
Flexible Athletes • Injury prevention! • Improved performance Improving flexibility is good for every kind of athlete as long as it is done correctly!
Times Are Changing – Change with them! Static stretching Dynamic Stretching • Traditional • The new
Static Stretching • Hold stretch for at least 30 second • Before and after performance • Best way to improve overall flexibility What you may not know: • Decreases strength! • Decreases speed!
Static Examples Quadriceps Hamstrings Groin
Dynamic Stretching • Movement stretching – no holding! • Warms the body up more • More effective before exercise • Does not decrease performance • Most effective for injury prevention • Sport Specific stretches!
Dynamic Examples Leg Swings Lunges
Flexibility vs. Strength Increased flexibility decreases strength. Increased strength decreases flexibility. It’s a Balancing act! This does NOT mean anyone should or shouldn’t stretch!
What stretching does Pulls apart muscle and tendon fibers Benefits Disadvantages • Increases range of motion • Decreases chance of injury • Decreases reaction time which: • Decreases strength • Decreases speed Why? Longer the muscle fibers the longer it takes for an impulse to travel from point A to point B
Find the right routine for you! • Weight lifters – more dynamic stretching • Long distance runners – more static stretching • Sprinters – more dynamic stretching • Gymnasts – more static stretching
Over all what this means • It is best to do: Dynamic stretching before Static stretching after
Because Dynamic stretching • Doesn’t stretch muscle fibers as far apart • Still warms the body up and prevents injury • Dynamic stretches can be sport specific! Static stretching • Pulls the fibers apart more which causing strength and speed loss • Improves flexibility and long term injury prevention. • Static stretches are more universal!
What if I don’t Stretch? Injuries due to lack of flexibility are inevitable! Oww! I should have stretched more!
Not just athletes • Injuries due to lack of flexibility can occur for everyone not just athletes! • Can cause poor posture • Problems walking • Lower back pain! • Knee problems
Pelvic Tilt Which can cause leg length discrepancy
Patellar Tracking • Runner’s knee • Not just for runners • Pulls the patella out of place causing pain and stiffness
Athletic injuries Tore my ACL! Should have stretched…even for golf • Tears • ACL, LCL, meniscus, etc • Tennis elbow • Muscle can tear bone apart!
So stretch! Save yourself the trouble of an injury; its worth the few extra minutes! Questions?