And the Importance of Stretching

 Reduces muscle stiffness which is the leading cause of muscle injury  Greater range of motion of limbs and core  Increased blood flow to active muscles  Increased metabolism  Allows heart rate to climb to a level appropriate for more intense exercise

 It Depends…  Example of a general warm up:  5-10 minutes of jogging  sit ups  push ups  minutes of focused stretching  Sport specific warm ups will often be longer, more intense, more focused on sport

 Aids in the dissipation of wastes such as lactic acid  Reduces the risk of DOMS  Delayed Onset of Muscle Soreness  Reduces the chance of dizziness or fainting caused by blood pooling in extremities  Reduces the level of Adrenaline in blood  Allows heart rate to lower to resting heart rate

 Ballistic Stretching  Dynamic Stretching  Static Stretching  PNF Stretching

 Uses movement of body or limb to force muscles beyond their normal range of motion  Example: Bouncing while trying to touch toes  Not considered useful and can lead to injury such as torn/pulled muscles

 Moving body in a way that gradually increases reach, range of motion, and speed  DIFFERENT FROM BALLISTIC STRETCHING  Example: Swinging legs or kicking up, toes to hands  Used by many different athletes including track, soccer, football, baseball, swimming and more

 Most common form of stretching  Stretch to the furthest point possible and hold for a given amount of time  Seen in schools, sports teams, gyms, just about everywhere…

 Also known as:  Proprioceptive  Neuromuscular  Facilitation  Can only be done with a partner  Example: Partner 1 lays on ground and stretches hamstrings using partner 2 for assistance (15 secs)  Partner 1 then pushes against partner 2’s force (10 Seconds)  Partner 1 relaxes while partner 2 pushes back on the stretch (demonstration?)

 Typically used by Physical Therapist and Sports Trainers for high school/ college/ professional teams  Most effective way to get a good stretch, however it takes the most time and is difficult to perform without proper training