Def in Ti On

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Flexibility or limberness refers to the absolute

ange of movement in a joint or series of joints,

and length in muscles that cross the joints.

Flexibility is variable between individuals,

particularly in terms of differences in musclength of multi-joint muscles. Flexibility in some

oints can be increased to a certain degree by

exercise, with stretching a common exercise

component to maintain or improve flexibility.

Quality of life is enhanced by improving and

maintaining a good range of motion in the

joints. Overall flexibility should be developedwith specific joint range of motion needs in

mind as the individual joints vary from one to

nother. Loss of flexibility can be a predisposing

factor for physical issues such as pain

syndromes or balance disorders



1) Gender, age, and genetics are

important for range of motion

2) joint structure

3) ligaments,

4) tendons,

muscles,

5) skin, tissue injury,

6) fat (or adipose) tissue,

7) body temperature,8) age and gender all influence an

individual's range of motion about

a joint.



Joint

The joints in a human body are surrounded by synovial

membranes and articular cartilage which cover, cushionand nourish the joint and surfaces of each [1].Increasing muscular elasticity of the joint’s range of mobility increases flexibility.

Ligament

Ligaments are composed of two different tissues: whiteand yellow. The white fibrous tissues are not stretchy,but are extremely strong so that even if the bone werefractured the tissue would remain in place. The whitetissue allows subjective freedom of movement. Theyellow elastic tissue can be stretched considerably whilereturning to its original length



Tendons :endons are not elastic and are even less stretchy. Tendons areategorized as a connective tissue. Connective tissue supportsurrounds, and binds the muscle fibres. They contain bothastic and non-elastic tissue.

Areolar tissue :he areolar tissue is permeable and is extensively distributedhroughout the body. This tissue acts as a general binder forl other tissues

Muscle Tissue:Muscle tissue is made of a stretchy material. It is arranged in

undles of parallel tendons.[3]

Stretch Receptors:tretch receptors have two parts: Spindle cells and Golgiendons. Spindle cells, located in the center of a muscle, send

essages for the muscle to contract[4]. On the other hand,olgi tendon receptors are located near the end of a muscle

ber and send messages for the muscle to relax. As theseeceptors are trained through continual use, stretchingecomes easier. When reflexes that inhibit flexibility areeleased the splits then become easier to perform. The splitsse the body’s complete range of motion and provide aomplete stretch.



tretchinglexibility is improved by stretching[5]. Stretching should only bearted when muscles are warm and the body temperature isised. To be effective while stretching, force applied to the bodyust be held just beyond a feeling of pain and needs to be heldr at least ten seconds. If held too long, the muscle will become

oo loose and stretchy. Increasing the range of motion createsood posture and develops proficient performance in everydayctivities increasing the length of life and overall health of the

dividual[6].Dynamic

ynamic flexibility is classified as the ability to complete a fullnge of motion of a joint. It also controls movement as the speedcreases while stretching parts of the body.

Static-Activeigure skater Caroline Zhang at 2008 Skate Canada

atic-active stretching includes holding an extended position withst the strength of the muscles such as holding the leg in front,de or behind. Static-active flexibility requires a great deal of rength, making it the hardest to develop.

Static-Passivetatic-passive stretching is similar to static-active, but one holds aosition with help of gravity. Doing the splits is an example of atic-passive stretching.

Ballisticallistic stretching is separate from all other forms of stretching.does not include stretching or any kind of bouncing motion. The

ctual performance of ballistic movements prevents lengtheningf tissues. These movements should only be performed when theody is very warm; otherwise they can lead to injury



imits of Flexibility

ch individual is born with a particular range of motion for each joint ineir body. In the book Finding Balance by Gigi Berardi, the author mentionsree limiting factors: Occupational demands, movement demands andaining oversights[7].

nternal Factors of FlexibilityMale yoga practitioner in an inverted lotus position

ovement demands include strength, endurance and range of motion.aining oversights occurs when the body is overused[8]. Internally, theints, muscles, tendons, and ligaments can affect one’s flexibility. Aseviously mentioned, each part of the body has its own limitations and

mbined, the range of motion can be affected. The mental attitude of theerformer during the state of motion can also affect their range.

xternal Factors of Flexibilityxternally, anything from the weather outside to the age of the performern affect flexibility. General tissues and collagen change with agefluencing the individual. Young performers should be aware of over-

retching. Even basic things such as clothing and equipment can affect aerformance. Dance surfaces and lack of proper shoes can also affect aerformer’s ability to perform at his/her best[9].

igns of Injurytretching for too long or too much can give way to an injury[10]. For mosttivities, the normal range of motion is more than adequate. Any sudden

ovements or going too fast can cause a muscle to tighten. This leads toxtreme pain and the performer should let the muscle relax by resting.

Risk of Injuryrisoners-of-war of the Finnish Civil War doing gymnastics exercises in anternment camp, 1918

ediatric Emergency Care shared an incident of a cheerleader. While doinge splits, a cheerleader, who had performed the splits many times before,d it just like any other time and heard a pop. Exaggerated forces were

pplied to the muscle-bone junction when the splits were performed[11].terwards she walked with a limp and had pain in her gluteus maximus.



Athletes in most sports must be flexible toperform better and avoid injuries. There arenumerous stretches an athlete can do withoutany special equipment. However, if an athletewants to take his stretching routine to a higher

level, he can use flexibility exercise equipment.There are many flexibility machines and devicesthat can help an athlete get a good stretch in hislegs, arms, shoulders, abs and back.

Legs:A martial artist is an example of an athlete whoneeds a high degree of flexibility in his legs. Manymartial artists frequently kick to the head level oftheir opponents. Leg stretching machines are

often used to help martial artist get that extrastretch in their legs. A leg stretching machine isbasically an apparatus that a martial artist sits inwhile placing his legs in padded leg supports. Themachine allows him to increase the distancebetween his legs, ultimately achieving a seatedsplit.



Arms and ShouldersFrom boxing to baseball, there are many sportsthat require its athletes to have flexible arms and

shoulders. One of the best pieces of equipmentto stretch the arms and shoulders is a stretchingstrap. A stretching strap is typically made out of anon-flexible cloth material. Some straps allow anathlete to adjust their length, and the straps canreach up to 6-feet long. These straps can be used

in a variety of ways to stretch the arms andshoulders. For example, the ends of the strap canbe held in each hand, or one end of the strap canbe attached a door. Stretching straps can also beused to stretch the legs.

Abs and BackMost sports require athletes to do some type of twisting, turning or bending. These movementsuse the abdominal and back muscles. A good

piece of equipment for stretching these areas is astability ball. A stability ball is a large, inflatedrubber ball. An athlete can get a good abdominalstretch by simply lying on the stability ball andextending his body backward over the ball. The

back can be stretched by lying face down anddraping the body over the ball.



Pricelexibility exercise equipment can vary greatly inrices. A stretching strap can be purchased for asttle as $10, but a leg stretching machine can be

riced as high as $200. The importance of flexibilityn an athlete's sport or daily routine will dictateow much money is invested in flexibility exercisequipment.

Availability

ome flexibility exercise equipment, such as thetability ball and stretching strap, can be purchasedt local sporting goods stores. Some pieces of tretching equipment are also readily available forse at local gyms. Larger, unique pieces of quipment, such as the leg stretching machine,

might need to be purchased through a catalog orn the Internet.

Considerationslexibility exercise equipment can help athletes

tretch their muscles beyond normal limits.owever, athletes need to be careful not to overdo. The increased ability to stretch the muscles canlso mean an increased risk of damaging them.

Minimal strain and no pain should be felt duringtretches.



Calf-stretching equipment helps you bend at your ankles, drawing yourtoes and your shin bone toward each other, elongating the two primarymuscles at the back of your lower leg: your soleus and your

gastrocnemius. The soleus lies under your gastrocnemius and is betterstretched when you bend your knees while using calf stretchingequipment. Your gastrocnemius is primarily stretched with your kneesstraightened and is the more visible calf muscle. You can buy suchequipment online or occasionally find it in your local gym.

• Slant BoardsSlant boards are contraptions with a base and a platform anglingupward. The angles may be fixed or may be adjusted from small tolarger angles depending on the flexibility of your muscles. Such boardsare designed to place your entire foot or both feet on the platform.Adjustable boards are effective at improving the range of motion atyour ankle because you can increase the degree of stretch by increasingthe angle of the board. There are also slant boards made with softmaterial to stretch your calf muscles simultaneously at vertical andlateral angles. Slant boards are typically made of wood, but you will alsofind some made of metal or plastic.

• Extreme Calf MachineThe extreme calf machine uses a narrow platform suspended betweentwo bases of support. The suspended platform moves when you bendyour ankles, bringing your shin bone toward your toes, increasing thestretch on the calve muscles. Increase the intensity of calf stretches onthis machine by using your body weight to weigh-in on one leg at atime. Be sure to hold on to an immovable object for balance.

• Pro-StretchThis is a rocking calf stretcher made of wood or plastic. The pro-stretchcomes in a single-calf or double-calf version. The benefit to the rockingmotion is you can easily roll into a greater stretch by dropping the heelof your foot or feet closer to the floor. Additionally, you can bring yourbody weight more forward to increase the load on the calve muscles. Ifyou travel often, this apparatus takes up very little space compared toslant boards and the extreme calf machine.



Stretch-out Strap:A stretch-out strap is used primarily in the seatedposition with one leg or both legs extended infront of you. You simply place the strap along thebase of your toes with your fingers anchored inthe loops and pull. The stretch-out strap hasmultiple loops along the length of the strapproviding various levels for you to pull from. Alsothe strap takes up the least amount of spacecompared to the other calf stretchers. Finally,

you can use these straps to not only stretch yourcalves, but to stretch your entire body.

Everyday Equipment:Specific calf-stretching equipment is quitebeneficial if you are recovering from injury to the

lower leg or if your calves cramp-up often. Asidefrom such circumstances, you can effectivelystretch your soleus and gastrocnemius at thecorner of a wall, at the edge of a treadmill, at thebase of a bench press, or on the edge of asidewalk. Place your heel on the floor and yourtoes on the wall or metal post and lean forward.If using the edge of a treadmill or sidewalk, placeyour toes at the edge and allow your heel to droptoward the floor. First, keep your knee straight tostretch the round gastrocnemius then bend your

knee to stretch your soleus



REFRENCEMyFit.ca: Stretches and Flexibility Exercises

Eternity Yoga: Yoga Exercise Equipment

Bodybuilding Tips Guide: Stretching

quipment for Great Exercising

Personal Trainer Manual"; American Council

n Exercise; 1997

"Essentials of Strength Training and

onditioning"; Thomas R. Baechle and Roger W.

arle; 2000

Appleton, Brad. Stretching and Flexibility.

www.cmcrossroads.com. URL accessed on

February 10, 2005.

Eddie Fle Flexibility Score.www.flexiscore.com. Site accessed on

November 14, 2010

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