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FLEXIBILITY - STRETCHING YOUR FITNESS PROGRAM

TABLE OF CONTENTS
  • What is flexibility?
  • Benefits of Flexibility
  • Flexibility Basics
  • How long to hold a stretch?
  • How to stretch and breathe
  • Types of stretching techniques
  • Two Phases of a Stretch
  • Exercise Modes that Incorporate Flexibility
    • As mentioned in previous weeks, there are five general categories of fitness: cardiovascular fitness, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility and body composition. Of these, flexibility is the component most often neglected. Many people will run or walk on a daily basis and do some weight training regularly. But flexibility is often neglected. There are a number of sports and activities where flexibility is an important criteria and athletes in these sports tend to focus on flexibility.
    Gymnastices, dance, and martial arts are very flexibility-dependent. In most sports, improved flexibility can improve performance. For example, rock climbers will increase their reach when they increase their range of motion.

    What is flexibility?


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    Simply stated, flexibility is the range of motion available in a joint or group of joints.

    Flexibility is usually classified into two components:

    1. Static flexibility refers to the ability to assume and maintain an extended position at one end or point in a joint's range of motion. This is what most people mean by the term flexibility.
    2. Dynamic flexibility involves movement; it is the ability to move a joint through its range of motion with little resistance.
    Both types of flexibility are specific. In other words, the flexibility is specific for each joint. If you have good flexibility in your hips that doesn't mean you'll have good flexibility in your hamstrings.

    While many people do a few stretches before or after a workout, such a program has limited benefit to actually improving flexibility.
    The best means to improving and keeping good flexibility are through yoga, pilates, martial arts and ballet. These are activities that incorporate dynamic flexibility in the motion. Anyone who does these types of activities KNOWS their benefit!

    Benefits of flexibility


    There are multiple benefits from a flexibility training program including:
    The real key is that being more flexible enhances most all movement be it during exercise or when walking up a flight of stairs.

    Poor flexibility of the low back and hamstrings (back of upper leg) has been shown to contribute to low back pain. This is why flexibility testing is included in the President's Challenge Physical Fitness Awards Program. These tests, administered twice yearly to school age children, are health-related fitness tests. Since poor flexibility is a contributor to possible future low back pain, it is important to recognize and correct flexibility problems as soon as possible.

    Flexibility basics

    Stretch to the point of mild discomfort then ease off and hold for 30 seconds. It should not be painful. Do not pull hard or bounce, which may tear muscles or tendons. Bouncing while stretching may also cause hyperextension of a joint. This extends the joint beyond its normal limit. Serious injury to the soft tissues can occur as a result.

    It is a myth that some people are innately flexible throughout their entire body. Being flexible in one particular area or joint does not necessarily imply being flexible in another. Being "loose" in the upper body does not mean you will have a "loose" lower body. Furthermore, flexibility in a joint is also specific to the action performed at the joint (the ability to do front splits doesn't imply the ability to do side splits even though both actions occur at the hip).

    Stretching is not warming up! It is, however, a very important part of warming up. Warming up is quite literally the process of "warming up" (i.e., raising your core body temperature).

    A proper warm-up should raise your body temperature by one or two degrees Celsius (1.4 to 2.8 degrees Fahrenheit) and is divided into three phases:

    1. General warm-up
    2. Stretching
    3. Sport-specific activity
    It is very important that you perform the general warm-up before you stretch. It is not a good idea to attempt to stretch before your muscles are warm (something which the general warm-up accomplishes).
    Warming up can do more than just loosen stiff muscles; when done properly, it can actually improve performance. On the other hand, an improper warm-up, or no warm-up at all, can greatly increase your risk of injury from engaging in athletic activities.

    How long should you hold a stretch?

    One thing many people seem to disagree about is how long to hold a passive stretch in its position.
    Various sources seem to suggest that they should be held for as little as 10 seconds to as long as a full minute (or even several minutes). The truth is that no one really seems to know for sure. Many researchers recommend 30 to 60 seconds. For the hamstrings, research suggests that 15 seconds may be sufficient, but it is not yet known whether 15 seconds is sufficient for any other muscle group.

    A good common ground seems to be about 20 seconds. Children, and people whose bones are still growing, do not need to hold a passive stretch this long. Holding the stretch for about 7 to 10 seconds should be sufficient for this younger group of people.

    How to breathe when you stretch.

    Proper breathing control is important for a successful stretch. Proper breathing helps to relax the body, increases blood flow throughout the body, and helps to mechanically remove lactic acid and other by-products of exercise.

    You should be taking slow, relaxed breaths when you stretch, trying to exhale as the muscle is stretching. Some even recommend increasing the intensity of the stretch only while exhaling, holding the stretch in its current position at all other times (this doesn't apply to isometric stretching).

    The proper way to breathe is to inhale slowly through the nose, expanding the abdomen (not the chest); hold the breath a moment; then exhale slowly through the nose or mouth. Inhaling through the nose has several purposes including cleaning the air and insuring proper temperature and humidity for oxygen transfer into the lungs. The breath should be natural and the diaphragm and abdomen should remain soft. There should be no force of the breath. Some experts seem to prefer exhaling through the nose (as opposed to through the mouth) saying that exhaling through the mouth causes depression on the heart and that problems will ensue over the long term.

    Types of stretching techniques

    There are two general classification of stretching exercises: ballistic and static.
    Ballistic exercises are associated with bouncing movements. Terms used in these types of stretching include isotonic, dynamic, kinetic, or fast stretch.
    The problem with ballistic stretching is that the heightened activity of stretch receptors caused by the rapid stretches can continue for some time, possibly causing injuries during any physical activities that follow. For this reson, ballistic stretching in usually not recommended.
    Static exercises involve the use of slow stretching. Static stretching is often associated with isometric, controlled, or slow stretch.

    The important key: DON'T BOUNCE!

    There are two phases of proper stretching.

    First: slowly stretch to a point where you feel mild tension as you exhale, hold 20 seconds.
    Second: move slowly further into a more stretched position, hold for another 20 seconds maintaining normal breathing

    Exercise Modes that Incorporate Flexibility

    Often people will do a brief stretch routine before and/or after a workout. Runners will do this, as will weight lifters.
    While this mode of stretching is better than nothing, there are mixed reviews in the research on just how beneficial it really is.
    The research doesn't go into the benefits of when those runners and lifters do a workout that REALLY focuses on flexibility.
    From ballet to the martial arts, yoga and pilates - these all have tremendous flexibility components incorporated into the workout.
    If you want to truly incorporate such flexibility workouts in your weekly program, below is a brief description of each of the types of activities.
    This is only a rough guide, though. For example, in the martial arts some styles and programs work on flexibility more than others.
    The bottom line, though, is that all help improve range of motion and can help stave off injury by keep the joints well "oiled."

    Martial Arts: The instructor of this course (Amber Travsky) has studied the martial arts for over 30 years and runs the Laramie Kempo Karate Club.
    The benefits of martial arts training are not limited to flexibility, some cardiovasuclar and muscular endurance, but also has the added benefit of teaching self defense - a good thing to know!
    Styles run the gammut from Tai Chi that is soft and flowing to hard style arts, such as Tae Kwon Do and then those that are mostly fight oriented such as the Mixed Martial Arts.
    All have a flexibility component but some styles are more focused on the "art" and others on the "martial." Neither is better or worse, just different strokes for different folks.

    Pilates: Essentially it's an exercise style that involves training your muscles to improve posture and alignment. By focusing on your core strength, you enhance the little muscles in the body so you're better able to support the larger ligaments, tendons and joints.
    Pilates classes come in various types and modes. Here's a link to some more information: Pilates Info.

    Yoga:There are many different styles of yoga being taught and practiced today. Although all of the styles are based on the same physical postures (called poses), each has a particular emphasis.
    Here is a quick guide to the most popular types of yoga that can help you decode the schedule at your gym and figure out which class is right for you: Yoga Types .

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