1. Maintaining Flexibility & Back Health
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2. Learning Outcomes
Articulate how regular stretching and being flexible can benefit your lifelong fitness and wellness.
Identify the body structures, body systems, and individual factors that will determine your joint flexibility and back health over time.
Use safe and effective stretching exercises and techniques, reducing stretching-related injuries.
Implement a safe and effective stretching program that will maintain or improve your flexibility.
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3. Learning Outcomes continued
Evaluate your personal risk for the primary causes of lower-back pain.
Incorporate strategies to reduce your risk for (or manage existing) lower-back pain.
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4. Flexibility and Back Health Key Concepts
The ability of joints to move through a full range of motion
Stretching
Should be included in a complete fitness program, along with range-of-motion movements
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5. What Are the Benefits of Stretching and Flexibility?
Improved mobility, posture, and balance
Healthy joints and pain management
Possible reduction of future lower-back pain
Muscle relaxation and stress relief
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6. What Determines My Flexibility?
Flexibility can be classified as static or dynamic.
Static (passive) flexibility
A measure of the limits of a joint's overall range of motion
Dynamic (active) flexibility
A measure of overall joint stiffness during movement
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7. What Determines My Flexibility? continued
Joint structures, and muscles and tendons
Joint: the point of contact between two or more bones
Joint stability is supported by surrounding muscles and tendons.
Joint range of motion is limited by:
Joint structures (cartilage, ligaments, membranes, and fluids)
Muscles and tendons (muscles and connective tissues)
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8. Joint Anatomy
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9. What Determines My Flexibility? continued
The nervous system
Also limits the range of motion in joints
Stimulates muscle contractions
Has receptors on muscles and tendons that interpret muscular information
Receptors include Golgi tendon organs and muscle spindles (stretch receptors)
When muscles get the message to contract, stretch reflex is triggered
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10. What Determines My Flexibility? continued
Individual factors
Genetics: Accounts for differences in body structure and tissue elasticity.
Gender: Although females are often assumed to be more flexible than males, this may be true only for specific joints.
Age: Physical changes related to aging at some point start to affect the body's ability to move.
Body type: Typically affects flexibility only at extremes (e.g., excessive amounts of muscle or fat).
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11. What Determines My Flexibility? continued
Individual factors
Activity level: Inactivity can result in low flexibility levels.
Health status: Certain medical conditions may affect joint health and range of motion (for better or for worse).
Collagen: When this primary protein of connective tissues is compromised by poor health or medical conditions, loss of motion can result.
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12. How Can I Assess My Flexibility?
Sit-and-reach test
A common measure of flexibility
Measures lower back, hip, and hamstring muscle flexibility
Range-of-motion tests
Evaluate your joints' range of motion as compared to that of others
See Lab 5.1 for instructions on both kinds of tests.
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13. Assessments: Box Sit-and-Reach Test
PLAY
Exercise Video: Box Sit-and-Reach Test
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14. Assessments: Range-of-Motion Tests
PLAY
Exercise Video: Joint Range of Motion Tests
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15. How Can I Plan a Good Stretching Program?
Set appropriate flexibility goals.
Consider what you want to achieve: Maintenance? Improvement? More comfort?
Use SMART goals:
Specific
Measurable
Action-oriented
Realistic
Time-oriented
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16. How Can I Plan a Good Stretching Program? continued
Apply the FITT program design principles.
Frequency: how often you stretch
Intensity: how far you stretch
Time: how long you hold or repeat a stretch
Type: which kinds of stretches you use
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17. Flexibility Training Guidelines
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18. Types of Stretches Static stretching
Involves moving slowly into a stretch and holding it
Simplest and safest method; allows muscles to recover
Dynamic stretching
Involves stretching through movement
Mimics the motions of activities, but more slowly
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19. Types of Stretches continued
Ballistic stretching
Involves bouncing, jerky movements, and high momentum
Can be beneficial to athletes in specific ballistic sports
Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF)
Contracts targeted muscle groups to encourage relaxation
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20. A Sample PNF Partner Exercise
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21. Pros and Cons of Common Stretching Methods
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22. Consider Taking a Class
Options for exploring new ways to incorporate stretching:
Yoga: combines mental focus and physical effort
Tai chi: uses slow, smooth movements
Pilates: uses exercises and equipment to stretch and strengthen muscles
Dance: improves flexibility and overall fitness
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23. Flexibility Tools
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24. How Can I Avoid Stretching-Related Injuries?
Stretch only warm muscles.
Perform stretches safely.
Know which exercises can cause injury.
Be especially cautious if you are hyperflexible or inflexible.
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25. Contraindicated Stretches and Safe Alternatives
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26. How Can I Prevent or Manage Back Pain?
Understand the main causes of back pain:
Muscular weakness, inflexibility, and imbalance
Improper posture and body mechanics
Acute trauma
Risky occupations
Medical issues
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27. How Can I Prevent or Manage Back Pain? continued
Understand how the back is supported.
Spine structure:
Designed to absorb force
Has four distinct regions and curvatures
Core trunk muscles:
Support the spinal column and curvatures
Include the back, abdominal, hip, gluteal, pelvis, pelvic floor, and lateral trunk muscles
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28. Basic Structure of the Spine
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29. Spine-Supporting Core Muscles
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30. How Can I Prevent or Manage Back Pain? continued
Reduce your risk of lower-back pain.
Lose weight.
Strengthen and stretch key muscles.
Maintain good posture and body mechanics.
Properly treat lower-back pain.
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31. Proper Posture for a Healthy Back
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32. Proper Posture for a Healthy Back
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33. Proper Posture for a Healthy Back
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34. Proper Posture for a Healthy Back
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35. Proper Posture for a Healthy Back
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36. Assessments: Posture Evaluation
PLAY
Exercise Video: Posture Evaluation
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