1. Personal Fitness: Looking Good Feeling Good
Chapter 6: Flexibility
Personal Fitness: Looking Good Feeling Good

2. What is Flexibility?
When most people think of flexibility they think of someone who is able to stretch really far. The actual definition of flexibility is the ability to move body joints through a full range of motion.
Flexibility: the ability to move body joints through a full range of motion

3. What are joints Joint: the point at which two bones come together
Types of joints: pivot, hinge, ball-and-socket, gliding
Basically any part of the body that can move by bending naturally is a joint.

4. Types of Joints Pivot joints Hinge joints Ball-and-socket joints
Allow a rotating motion
Ex. Neck
Hinge joints
Allow a back and forth motion
Ex. Elbow, knee
Ball-and-socket joints
Allow movement in multiple directions
Ex. Shoulder, hip
Gliding joints
Allow bones to slide over one another
Ex. Wrist, ankles

5. Types of joints Pivot Joint Hinge Joint Ball-and-Socket Joint
Gliding Joint

6. How is joint movement limited?
Muscle: meaty tissue that surrounds bones
Ligament: strong fibrous tissue that attaches one bone to another
Tendon: connective tissue that anchors the muscle to bone

7. A tendon connects muscle to bone

8. A ligament connects bone to bone

9. Why is Flexibility Important?
To prevent injuries
Stretching lengthens muscles and tendons
Joints can move further without injury
Reduce post-exercise pain
Stretching keeps blood from pooling
Keeps your muscles from feeling stiff and tight
Relieve emotional tension
People stretch because it relaxes them
Also stretch when sitting for long periods of time
Prevent lower back pain
80% of people in the US suffer from back pain

10. Types of Stretching
Static stretching: slowly moving the muscle to its stretching point and holding this position for seconds
Ex. Touching your toes for 30 seconds
Think static=still
Cool down or warm-up
Dynamic stretching: done in a continuous, slow, and controlled manner
Ex. Frankensteins, leg swings
Dynamic=in motion
Warm-up

11. Types of stretching cont…
Ballistic stretching: involves bobbing, bouncing, or jerky movements that use the body’s momentum
Ballistic stretching is NOT a safe way to stretch!
PNF can be unsafe because your partner could stretch you too far

12. Adding Flexibility to Personal Fitness
Apply the principle of overload
Safely stretch ligaments, muscles, and tendons farther than you normally do
FIT (frequency, intensity, time spent stretching)
Apply the principle of progression
Gradually increase frequency, intensity, and time
Apply the principle of specificity
Stretching different parts of the body
Ex. Soccer vs. baseball
A soccer player would focus more on their legs than their arms because they mostly use their legs in their sport to run and kick. A baseball player uses their arms more, for throwing and catching so they would focus on stretching their arms more

13. Flexibility Precautions
Always make sure your muscles are warmed up before stretching
10-15min. Of cardio (brisk walking, jogging, etc.)
Avoid ballistic stretching (Dynamic and static are the best way to increase flexibility in a personal fitness plan)
Stretch opposing muscle groups equally
Ex. Hamstrings and quads
Prevent muscular imbalance by stretching opposing muscles

14. Testing Flexibility
Sit-and-reach: test that measures flexibility of lower back and hamstrings
Healthy Fitness Zones
Males age  8in.
Females age 14  10in.
Females age  12in.

15. Examples of Safe static Stretches
Neck stretch
Back stretches

16. Examples of safe static stretches
Triceps stretch
Chest & Biceps stretch

17. Examples of safe static stretches
Quad stretch
Hip flexor stretch
Hamstring stretch
Glute stretch

18. Examples of safe static stretches
Calf stretch
Groin stretch

19. Examples of safe dynamic stretches
Leg swings
Frankensteins
Flamingos (Ballerinas)

20. Examples of safe dynamic stretches
Calf pumps
Hip flexor with a twist
As long as you keep it a controlled movement
These stretches are safe as long as you do them in a controlled manner.

21. Unsafe Stretches Plow Sitting quad stretch
Puts a lot of stress on the neck and lower back
Sitting quad stretch
Puts stress on the knees

22. Unsafe stretches Hurdle stretch Deep knee bends
Bending a hinge joint in a direction it is not intended to move in
Deep knee bends
When stretching past the point where thighs are parallel to the ground, a lot of stress is put on knees

23. Unsafe stretches Four-count-toe touch Bobbing
A lot of rotational stress on the disks of the lower spine
Bobbing
Any bobbing, jerkiness, or uncontrolled swinging is considered ballistic stretching

24. Resource
Williams, C., Harageones, E., Johnson, D., & Smith, C. (2005). Flexibility. In Personal Fitness: Looking Good Feeling Good (5th ed., pp ). Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company.