Flexibility as Health Related Component of Fitness

Flexibility- Refers to the amount of motion that is possible at a given joint or joint series.

Stretching- Primary technique used to improve flexibility.

Range of Motion (ROM)- The full motion possible in a joint or series of joints.

- Reflects the flexibility of that specific joint

Factors that Affect Flexibility

1. Length of muscle-tendon units (MTU)

Muscle-tendon units are the skeletal muscles and tendons that connect them to bones.

2. Type of joint3. Properties of connective tissues4. Gender– females are more flexible than males

5. Age- children, in adolescence, in early adulthood & again with increasing age

6. Lack of use or misuse of muscles-lack of physicalactivity and/ormuscular imbalance.7. Genes

Types of Stretches

1. Static Stretching Done by slowly stretching the muscle and holding the stretch for several seconds.a. Activeb. Passive

2. Ballistic StretchingThe muscles are stretched by the momentum of a body part that is bounced, swung or jerked. It can be done either actively or passively.

3. Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF)A type of stretch that is characterized by precontraction of the muscle to be stretched and the contraction of the antagonist muscle during the stretch.

Benefits of Stretching

1.Improves performance and decreases risk of injury.

2.Reduces muscle soreness.3.Improves posture.4.Reduces risk of lower back pain5.Increases blood and nutrients to tissues.

6.Improves muscle coordination7.Enhances the enjoyment of physical activities.

When the muscle is stretched, the stretch reflex acts to resist the stretch.

Sensory receptors in the MTU send signal to the sensory neurons, and these neurons signal the motor neurons to contract the muscles.

The reflex restricts the initialefforts at stretching.

If the stretch isheld andmaintained,the stretch reflexsubsides andallows the muscleto lengthen.

Muscle Soreness- Overexertion in strenuous muscular exercise often results in muscular pain.

a. Acute-pain felt during and immediately after the exercise. Results from accumulation of end products of exercise and from tissue edema.

b. DOMS-pain felt 24-48 hours after the exercise.

Exercise Associate Muscle Cramps (EAMC’s)

- painful, spasmodic, involuntary contraction of skeletal muscles that occur during or immediately after the exercise.

Muscle Stiffness- Occurs when large group of muscles have been worked hard for a long period of time.

Strain- a stretch, a tear orrip in the muscle

Grade 1 - Some muscle fibers havebeen stretched or torn.

Grade 2 – A number of muscle fibers have been torn and active contraction of the muscle is painful.

Grade 3 – A complete rupture of muscle has occurred.

There is asignificantimpairment ortotal loss ofmovement.

Sprain– a traumatic joint twist that results in stretching or total tearing of the ligaments.

Grade 1 – Some pain and minimum loss of function, mild point of tenderness with little or no swelling.

Grade 2 – Moderate loss of function, pain, swelling and slight to moderate instability.

Grade 3 – Extreme pain, loss of function severe instability, tenderness and swelling. Sublaxation may also occur.