Flexibility

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Flexibility
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• Definition
• It is a range of movement at a joint.
• Good flexibility is important in many sports.
• For example
• A flexible shoulders help you play tennis better.
• A flexible hip, knee and ankle joints help you
  sprint.
• A flexible spine helps divers and gymnasts move
  more smoothly.

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Improving Flexibility

• You can improve flexibility by using one of the
  following methods
• Static stretching
• Active stretching
• Passive stretching

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Static Stretching

• A muscle is held in a stretched position.
• For a warm up you hold it for 8-10 seconds.
  (maintenance)
• For a cool-down you hold it for 15-20 seconds.
  (developmental)

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Active Stretching

• You do the work.
• You stretch until you can not go no further.
• When doing this do not bounce because it may
  cause the muscle to snap.

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Passive Stretching

• You work as a pair.
• Your partner does the work, holding you in a
  stretch for several seconds.
• Be careful, you must trust your partner because
  too much force can injure you.

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What else do I need to know about stretching?

• The joint capsule controls around half the
  movement at a joint.
• The rest depends mainly on your muscles and
  tendons.
• When you stretch your muscles and tendons get
  stretched. This makes them more flexible so the
  joint can move more freely.
• A flexible joint is at less risk of strain.
• So stretching is part of the warm up for every
  training session.
• Flexibility is also linked to strength.
• Muscles that are stretched well can contract more
  strongly.

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How do I stretch the following?

• Neck
• Shoulders
• Triceps/biceps
• Chest
• Back
• Groin
• Quadriceps
• Hamstrings
• Calf