Exam 2 PE Flashcards
Flexibility
The ability to move joints freely through their full range of
motion
Five structural limitations to movement
- The shape of bones
- Stiff muscles
- Ligaments & cartilage within joint capsule
- Tendons
- Tight skin
The Stretch Reflex
- Involuntary contraction of a muscle due to rapid stretching
of that muscle
– Example: when a doctor taps you below the knee with
a rubber hammer, your knee extends
Proprioceptors
- Specialized receptors in muscles and tendons providing
feedback to the brain about position of body parts
– Proprioceptors in muscle
▪ Muscle spindles
– Proprioceptors in tendons
▪ Golgi tendon organs
Benefits of Flexibility
- Keeps Joints healthy
– Increased joint mobility
▪ reduces scar tissue
▪ lubricates joint and reduces friction
– Reduced muscle tension - Efficient body movement
- Good posture
- May offer protection from muscle injury when combined
with a general warm-up - Prevents lower back pain (L B P), also known as
hypokinetic disease
– Establishes balance between muscle groups
▪ Abdominal
▪ Hip flexor
▪ Hamstrings
▪ Lower back
Poor lower back lumbar flexibility
Modified hurdler’s stretch (Exercise 5.5)
Lower back stretch (Exercise 5.8)
Poor hamstring flexibility
Leg stretch (Exercise 5.4)
Modified hurdler’s stretch (Exercise 5.5)
Poor gluteal flexibility
Hip and gluteal stretch (Exercise 5.7)
Poor strength of the anterior and lateral
Abdominals
Curl-ups
Poor flexibility of the back extensor
muscles
Lower back stretch
Posture
- The position of your joints that you hold while standing or
sitting
Good posture
– Holding positions that place the least amount of strain
on supporting muscles and ligaments of a joint
Bad posture
– Holding positions that stretch muscles on one side of
joint, while shortening them on other side (over time
leads to misalignment, pain/joint damage)
- Benefits of good posture:
– Minimizes joint wear and prevents arthritis
– Reduces stress on the ligaments in the spine
– Prevents spinal nerve stress/associated pains
– Prevents muscle fatigue
– Prevents strains or overuse problems
– Prevents backache and muscular pain
– Contributes to good appearance
Evaluating Flexibility
- Flexibility is joint specific
- No single test can measure total body flexibility
- Common measurements
Designing a Flexibility Training
Program
- Set both short-term and long-term goals targeting areas
for improvement - Consider keeping a record of your workouts and
improvements - Consider the types of stretches to include in your
program
– Dynamic stretching
– Ballistic stretching
– Static stretching
– Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (P N F)
Techniques to Increase Flexibility
- Dynamic stretching
– Equally effective for exercise programs and sports training
– Fluid, exaggerated movements that mimic the movements of
many exercises - Ballistic stretching
– Rapid, forceful, bouncing movements
– More likely to cause injury and thus not recommended - Static stretching
– Extremely effective for improving flexibility
– Slow lengthening of a muscle, hold (20–30 seconds) and repeat
(3–4 times)
– If performed at end of exercise, may reduce muscle stiffness - Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (P N F)
– Combines stretching with alternately contracting and
relaxing muscles
– Two common types
▪ Contract-relax (C R) stretching
▪ Contract-relax/antagonist contract (C R A C)
stretching
Avoid Stretching Injuries
- Don’t hold your breath. Try to breathe as normally as
possible during the exercise. - Do not fully extend the knee, neck, or back.
- Do not stretch muscles that are already stretched.
- Do not stretch to the point that joint pain occurs.
- Avoid overstretching when having someone assist you
with passive stretches. Make sure you communicate
about the end of the range of motion. - Avoid forceful extension and flexion of the spine.
Can Yoga Improve Your Fitness
Levels?
- Some forms place more emphasis on meditation and
spiritual practice, and others focus primarily on enhancing
health - Yoga offers some of the same benefits as exercise on
mental health - There is solid evidence that a regular yoga routine can
significantly increase joint flexibility - To date, most evidence suggests that yoga doesn’t
increase aerobic capacity or strength
When Muscles Cramp
- Originally thought to be related to dehydration and/or electrolyte
imbalance - Current research suggests may be due to abnormal spinal
control of motor neuron activity - Most prevalent risk factors during exercise are muscle fatigue
and poor stretching habits - If cramping occurs
– Passively stretch the muscle
– Drink water/sports drinks to prevent dehydration/ electrolyte
imbalances
– Seek medical attention if multiple muscle groups are
involved
Flexibility During Pregnancy
- Muscle groups that
need stretching
– Hip flexors
– Front of the thigh
or quadriceps
– Lower back
– Front of the chest
– Internal rotators of
the shoulders
– Back of the neck
and shoulder - Benefits
– Counterbalances
biomechanical stresses
– Relieves common
pregnancy complaints
– Reduces excess muscle
tension
– Helps you maintain
adequate length in key
muscle groups
– Helps reduce
psychological stress
Body Composition
The relative amounts of fat and fat-free tissues (e.g., bone, muscle, organs) in the body
