Flexibility and Stretching

Flexibility and stretching are important parts of any weight training program. As muscles become toned and firm, they pull more tightly on bones. Without attention to flexibility, muscle imbalances and injuries could result over time. Flexibility can be increased flexibility through stretching exercises.

Definition of Flexibility: The ability to move through a range of motion (ROM) at a joint. Most commonly it means bending (flexion) and straightening (extension). For example, touching the toes requires flexion/extension at the hips and low back.

The range of motion at a joint is limited mainly by how much elasticity is in tendons (hold muscles to bones) and ligaments (hold bones together at joints).

Examples: Most gymnastics skills, hurdling, and diving events require considerable flexibility and stretching exercises are essential to athletes in these sports. Olympic lifting requires a good deal of flexibility at the hip and knee joints.

How to Develop: Flexibility and stretching exercises before workouts as part of the warm up regimen (cardio, then static stretching followed by dynamic stretching), as well as after workouts will increase the range of motion at the specific joints that are stretched.

Static stretching uses gravity and body weight to increase the ROM. Ballistic (bouncing) stretching is dependent upon the contraction of opposing muscles. This type is not recommended by many experts.

Static Hamstring Stretch Dynamic stretching is commonly performed as part of the specific warm up progression for sports because these activities promote body coordination. Calisthenics, swinging limbs, and lead up activities all produce dynamic stretching of the muscles opposite those contracting. For example, high leg kicks using hip flexor muscles stretch hip extensors muscles.

Dynamic Hamstring Stretch Because static stretching offers greater control, it is considered by many to be better and safer than ballistic and dynamic stretching for preventing muscle tears and other injuries. These show exercises to increase flexibility at specific joints.

Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) stretching is a contract-relax technique. It is very effective for increasing the ROM of joints.

The controversy about static stretching prior to exercise has received a good deal of attention in recent years. The popular thinking, understood to be "scientifically proven" is that preactivity static stretching is "bad" and that the traditional warm up is "old school". At the same time, this new research has not changed the warm up routines of many top athletes.

Learn what the research really showed and how it has been applied (and misapplied) in the real world of athletics in these articles:

Static Stretching During Warm Up: Research vs. Real World Sports (Part 1)

Static Stretching During Warm Up: Research vs. Real World Sports (Part 2)

How to Measure: Flexibility is specific to each joint of the body, so there is no general measurement. It is typically measured at joints with a goniometer (measures joint angles) and the sit-and-reach test. For devices that measure flexibility, see

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Sources:

Hall, S. (1999). Basic biomechanics (3rd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.

Safrit, M.J. & Wood, T.M. (1996). Introduction to measurement in physical education and exercise science (3rd ed.). St. Louis: Mosby.

United States Department of Health and Human Services, President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. (2000, March). Definitions: Health, fitness, and physical activity. Retrieved August 29, 2008, from http://www.fitness.gov/digest_mar2000.html


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