Chapter 10 Notes 10.1 Flexibility Flexibility is the ability to move your joints through a full range of motion (ROM). A joint is a place where two bones come together. Examples of Joints: ankles, knees, and hips in the legs knuckles, wrist, elbows and shoulders in the arms

Types of Joints Ball and Socket- allows the widest range of movement – forward, backward, sideways, and circle – (hip and shoulder) Pivot Joint- bony protection allows rotation – (head and neck) Ellipsoidal Joint- oval-shaped part fits into a curved space – can move in any direction except pivot – ( wrist) Hinge Joint- bending and straightening – (fingers, elbows, knees, and toes) (ROM)- is the amount of movement you can make in a joint.

Benefits of Good Flexibility Improved Function – everyone needs a minimum amount of flexibility to maintain health and mobility – Dancers and Gymnasts must be VERY flexible to perform their routines. – Flexibility allows for athletes to have a longer backswing in throwing and striking movements. – A greater backward movement is believed to allow a faster forward movement, producing more POWER. (ex. shot put, weightlifting, golf)

Improved Health and Wellness – Stretching exercises can help reduce injury and muscle soreness. – Stretching exercises can help with the following: 1.alleviate menstrual cramps in women 2.relief from leg cramps, shinsplints 3. improve posture 4.relieve back pain 5.reduce fatigue 6.help relax 7.relieve stress

Characteristics of Flexibility Body Build and Flexibility – Anatomical differences in our bodies help determine how flexible we can be. – Do not compare your flexibility scores to others; compare you scores to your previous scores. – FALSE- Short people score better than tall people. – Females DO tend to be more flexible as well as younger people. – As we grow older our muscles grow shorter and our joints allow less movement. Hypermobility- having a large range of movement; also known as double jointed. – Being able to extend the joint beyond a straight line. – Can be an inherited trait. – More prone for joint injuries and arthritis.

Joint Laxity- looseness of a joint resulting from overstretched ligaments; a condition that can lead to hypermobility and injury - Knee Joint: can lead to knee sprains, torn cartilage or dislocated kneecap. - Ligaments CANNOT be strengthened by doing exercises - Strengthening the muscles around the joint CAN help.

Balancing Strength and Flexibility Too many strength exercises to build muscles can result in loss of motion in joints. Too many flexibility exercises and result in injury because we need strong muscles to reinforce the ligament at a joint. A balanced exercise program should include both STRENGTH and FLEXIBILITY exercise for all muscles so that they can apply equal force on all sides of a joint. Example: bicep and pectoral muscles in the front and the deltoid, tricep and rhomboideus muscles in the back help the SHOULDER JOINT.

Fitness Principles and Flexibility Principle of Overload- stretch muscles longer than normal increase flexibility Principle of Progression- gradually increase your exercise intensity (stretching further). Principle of Specificity- perform flexibility exercise specific to the muscles at the specific joints. Principle of Flexibility- once you reach an acceptable level of flexibility for your muscles, you must continue on a regular basis.

10.2 Improving Flexibility Types of Flexibility Exercises properly selected exercises can improve your flexibility and provide many other benefits TWO Types: 1-Range of Motion (ROM) Exercise- flexibility exercises that are used to maintain already present in your joints. * moderate stretching is done during warm-up 2-Stretching Exercise Static Stretching- stretching slowly as far as possible without pain. PNF Stretching- a variation of static stretching that involves contracting a muscle before stretching it. Ballistic Stretching- a series of quick but gentle bouncing or bobbing motions designed to stretch muscles.

The FIT Formula for Flexibility Static or PNFBallistic Frequency Stretch each muscle group daily, if possible, but at least 3 days a week—ROM stretch before and after workouts Stretch each muscle group daily, if possible, but at least 3 days a week. Caution: Before doing ballistic stretching, read about it on page Intensity You must stretch the muscle beyond its normal length. You must have a partner or equipment, or you can you your own body weight to provide an overload. You must stretch the muscle beyond its normal length. Use slow, gentle bounces or bobs, using the motion of your body part to stretch the specific muscle. Caution: No stretch should cause pain, especially sharp pain. Time Hold each stretch for 15 seconds. Rest for 10 seconds. Stretch each muscle group. Start with 1 set of 1 rep and progress to 3 or 4 sets, 1 rep each. Bounce against the muscle slowly and gently 10 to 15 times. Rest for 10 sec. between sets. Stretch each muscle group. Start with 1 set and progress to 3 sets.

Guidelines for Flexibility Exercises 1. Start with a general body warm-up. 2. Use static stretching or PNF when beginning or for general health. 3. Do not overstretch or ballistically stretch an injured muscle. 4. If you do ballistic stretching, do not bounce. 5. Do not stretch joints that are hypermobile, unstable, swollen, or infected. 6. Do not stretch until you feel pain. 7. Avoid dangerous exercises. 8. Avoid stretching muscles that are already overstretched from poor posture.