Muscular Flexibility

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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

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Key Terms
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 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
Benefits of Good Flexibility
Factors Affecting Flexibility
Assessment of Flexibility
Evaluating Body Posture
Muscular Flexibility Prescription
Contraindicated Exercises
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) easier to perform
• Helps prevent low-back and other spinal column
  problems

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Benefits of Adequate Flexibility
Benefits of Good Flexibility
Factors Affecting Flexibility
Assessment of Flexibility
Evaluating Body Posture
Muscular Flexibility Prescription
Contraindicated Exercises
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
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 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
Benefits of Good Flexibility
Factors Affecting Flexibility
Assessment of Flexibility
Evaluating Body Posture
Muscular Flexibility Prescription
Contraindicated Exercises
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
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 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
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
• Total body rotation test
• Shoulder rotation test

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Modified Sit-and-Reach Test
Benefits of Good Flexibility
Factors Affecting Flexibility
Assessment of Flexibility
Evaluating Body Posture
Muscular Flexibility Prescription
Contraindicated Exercises
Preventing and Rehabilitating Low-Back Pain

• Measures hip and trunk flexibility
• Modified protocol accounts for arm/leg length
  discrepancies

Starting position for the modified sit-and-reach
test
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Modified Sit-and-Reach Test
Benefits of Good Flexibility
Factors Affecting Flexibility
Assessment of Flexibility
Evaluating Body Posture
Muscular Flexibility Prescription
Contraindicated Exercises
Preventing and Rehabilitating Low-Back Pain

• Hold the final reach for two seconds

Modified sit-and-reach test
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Percentile Ranks for the ModifiedSit-and-Reach
Test
8.1
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Total Body Rotation Test
Benefits of Good Flexibility
Factors Affecting Flexibility
Assessment of Flexibility
Evaluating Body Posture
Muscular Flexibility Prescription
Contraindicated Exercises
Preventing and Rehabilitating Low-Back Pain

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

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Percentile Ranks for the Total Body Rotation Test
for Men
8.2
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Percentile Ranks for the Total Body Rotation Test
for Women
8.2
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Shoulder Rotation Test
Benefits of Good Flexibility
Factors Affecting Flexibility
Assessment of Flexibility
Evaluating Body Posture
Muscular Flexibility Prescription
Contraindicated Exercises
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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Percentile Ranks for the Shoulder Rotation Test
for Men
8.3
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Percentile Ranks for the Shoulder Rotation Test
for Women
8.3
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Flexibility Fitness Categoriesaccording to
Percentile Ranks
8.4
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Overall Flexibility Fitness CategoryTotal the
Number of Points for All Three Tests
8.5
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Evaluating Body Posture
Benefits of Good Flexibility
Factors Affecting Flexibility
Assessment of Flexibility
Evaluating Body Posture
Muscular Flexibility Prescription
Contraindicated Exercises
Preventing and Rehabilitating Low-Back Pain

• 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

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Posture Evaluation Standards
8.6
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Critical Thinking
Benefits of Good Flexibility
Factors Affecting Flexibility
Assessment of Flexibility
Evaluating Body Posture
Muscular Flexibility Prescription
Contraindicated Exercises
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
Benefits of Good Flexibility
Factors Affecting Flexibility
Assessment of Flexibility
Evaluating Body Posture
Muscular Flexibility Prescription
Contraindicated Exercises
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
Benefits of Good Flexibility
Factors Affecting Flexibility
Assessment of Flexibility
Evaluating Body Posture
Muscular Flexibility Prescription
Contraindicated Exercises
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
• 2 to 3 days per week

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

• 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

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Low-Back Pain
Benefits of Good Flexibility
Factors Affecting Flexibility
Assessment of Flexibility
Evaluating Body Posture
Muscular Flexibility Prescription
Contraindicated Exercises
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
Benefits of Good Flexibility
Factors Affecting Flexibility
Assessment of Flexibility
Evaluating Body Posture
Muscular Flexibility Prescription
Contraindicated Exercises
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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Incorrect and Correct Pelvic Alignment
8.6
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Caring for Your Back
8.7

• 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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Low-Back Health
8.7

• Find the correct standing position by practicing
  against a wall

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Low-Back Health
8.7

• Exercise while lying in bed to teach yourself
  correct muscle position

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Low-Back Health
8.7

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

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Low-Back Health
8.7

• Faulty sleeping positions intensify swayback

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Low-Back Health
8.7

• Relieve your back by taking all pressure off of
  your back and legs

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Tips to Prevent Low-Back Pain
Benefits of Good Flexibility
Factors Affecting Flexibility
Assessment of Flexibility
Evaluating Body Posture
Muscular Flexibility Prescription
Contraindicated Exercises
Preventing and Rehabilitating 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

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Tips to Prevent Low-Back Pain
Benefits of Good Flexibility
Factors Affecting Flexibility
Assessment of Flexibility
Evaluating Body Posture
Muscular Flexibility Prescription
Contraindicated Exercises
Preventing and Rehabilitating 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

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Tips to Prevent Low-Back Pain
Benefits of Good Flexibility
Factors Affecting Flexibility
Assessment of Flexibility
Evaluating Body Posture
Muscular Flexibility Prescription
Contraindicated Exercises
Preventing and Rehabilitating 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

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• Back Pain

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End of Chapter