Muscular Flexibility

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Chapter 8
ChapterOutline
FactorsAffectingFlexibility
Assessment of Flexibility
Principles of Muscular Flexibility Prescription
FlexibilityExercises
Preventing and Rehabilitating Low Back Pain

• Muscular Flexibility

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Key terms
FactorsAffectingFlexibility
Assessment of Flexibility
Principles of Muscular Flexibility Prescription
FlexibilityExercises
Preventing and Rehabilitating Low Back Pain

• 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

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Benefits of adequate flexibility
FactorsAffectingFlexibility
Assessment of Flexibility
Principles of Muscular Flexibility Prescription
FlexibilityExercises
Preventing and Rehabilitating Low Back Pain

• 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) much easier to perform
• Helps prevent low back and other spinal column
  problems

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Benefits of adequate flexibility
FactorsAffectingFlexibility
Assessment of Flexibility
Principles of Muscular Flexibility Prescription
FlexibilityExercises
Preventing and Rehabilitating Low Back Pain

• 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

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Benefits of adequate flexibility
FactorsAffectingFlexibility
Assessment of Flexibility
Principles of Muscular Flexibility Prescription
FlexibilityExercises
Preventing and Rehabilitating Low Back Pain

• 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

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Factors affecting flexibility
FactorsAffectingFlexibility
Assessment of Flexibility
Principles of Muscular Flexibility Prescription
FlexibilityExercises
Preventing and Rehabilitating Low Back Pain

• Genetics
• Physical activity
• Joint structure
• Ligaments
• Tendons
• Muscles

• Skin
• Tissue injury
• Adipose tissue (fat)
• Body temperature
• Age
• Gender

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Muscle flexibility
FactorsAffectingFlexibility
Assessment of Flexibility
Principles of Muscular Flexibility Prescription
FlexibilityExercises
Preventing and Rehabilitating Low Back Pain

• Flexibility is joint specific
• Women are more flexible than men
• Decrements are primarily related to physical
  inactivity
• Aging decreases joint range of motion

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Flexibility fitness tests
FactorsAffectingFlexibility
Assessment of Flexibility
Principles of Muscular Flexibility Prescription
FlexibilityExercises
Preventing and Rehabilitating Low Back Pain

• Modified sit-and-reach test
• Total body rotation test
• Shoulder rotation test

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Modified sit-and-reach test
FactorsAffectingFlexibility
Assessment of Flexibility
Principles of Muscular Flexibility Prescription
FlexibilityExercises
Preventing and Rehabilitating Low Back Pain

• Measures hip and trunk flexibility
• Accounts for arm/leg length discrepancies

Starting position for the modified sit-and-reach
test
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Modified sit-and-reach test
FactorsAffectingFlexibility
Assessment of Flexibility
Principles of Muscular Flexibility Prescription
FlexibilityExercises
Preventing and Rehabilitating Low Back Pain

• Measures hip and trunk flexibility
• Accounts for arm/leg length discrepancies

Modified sit-and-reach test
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Table 8.1
Percentile ranks for the modified sit-and-reach
test
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Total body rotation test
FactorsAffectingFlexibility
Assessment of Flexibility
Principles of Muscular Flexibility Prescription
FlexibilityExercises
Preventing and Rehabilitating Low Back Pain

• Measures body rotation
• Test is performed on either right or left side

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Table 8.2
Percentile ranks for the total body rotation test
for men
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Table 8.2
Percentile ranks for the total body rotation test
for women
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Shoulder rotation test
FactorsAffectingFlexibility
Assessment of Flexibility
Principles of Muscular Flexibility Prescription
FlexibilityExercises
Preventing and Rehabilitating Low Back Pain

• Measures shoulder flexibility

Measuring biacromial width
Starting position for the shoulder rotation test
Shoulder rotation test
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Table 8.3
Percentile ranks for the shoulder rotation test
for men
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Table 8.3
Percentile ranks for the shoulder rotation test
for women
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Table 8.4
Flexibility fitness categories according to
percentile ranks
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Table 8.5
Overall flexibility fitness category total the
number of points for all three tests
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Critical thinking
FactorsAffectingFlexibility
Assessment of Flexibility
Principles of Muscular Flexibility Prescription
FlexibilityExercises
Preventing and Rehabilitating Low Back Pain

• 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?

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Key terms
FactorsAffectingFlexibility
Assessment of Flexibility
Principles of Muscular Flexibility Prescription
FlexibilityExercises
Preventing and Rehabilitating Low Back Pain

• Ballistic (dynamic) stretching Exercises done
  with jerky, rapid, bouncy movements
• Slow-sustained stretching Exercises in which the
  muscles are lengthened gradually through a
  joints complete range of motion

• Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF)
  Stretching technique in which muscles are
  stretched out sequentially with intermittent
  isometric contractions

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Guidelines fordeveloping flexibility
FactorsAffectingFlexibility
Assessment of Flexibility
Principles of Muscular Flexibility Prescription
FlexibilityExercises
Preventing and Rehabilitating Low Back Pain

• 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
• 23 days per week

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Contraindicated exercises
FactorsAffectingFlexibility
Assessment of Flexibility
Principles of Muscular Flexibility Prescription
FlexibilityExercises
Preventing and Rehabilitating Low Back Pain

• Most strength and flexibility exercises are
  relatively safeto 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

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Low-back pain
FactorsAffectingFlexibility
Assessment of Flexibility
Principles of Muscular Flexibility Prescription
FlexibilityExercises
Preventing and Rehabilitating 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

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Critical thinking
FactorsAffectingFlexibility
Assessment of Flexibility
Principles of Muscular Flexibility Prescription
FlexibilityExercises
Preventing and Rehabilitating Low Back Pain

• 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?

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Figure 8.6
Incorrect and correct pelvic alignment
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Figure 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

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Figure 8.7
Low-back health
Find the correct standing position by practicing
against a wall
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Figure 8.7
Low-back health
Exercise while lying in bed to teach yourself
correct muscle position
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Figure 8.7
Low-back health

• A straight, hard chair is best
• Learn to sit properly in whatever chair you use

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Low-back health
Figure 8.7
Faulty sleeping positions intensify swayback
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Figure 8.7
Low-back health
Relieve your back by taking all pressure off of
your back and legs
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End of Chapter