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Flexibility

53 topics

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Flexibility53 topics

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On this page:Stretch Principle Guideline

Duration

◆ Stretch

29 topics

Stretch: Achilles Tendon & Calves (Seated, Leg Crossed)Sitting with one leg extended and the other crossed onto the opposing knee, lean forward and pull on the foot of the extended leg.

Stretch: Achilles Tendon & Calves (Seated, Both Legs)Sitting with both legs straight, lean forward, grasp the feet (or use a folded towel), and pull on them.

Stretch: Achilles Tendon & Calves (Wall, One Leg Bent)Standing 4-5 steps from a wall, bend one leg forward with the rear leg straight, keep the rear foot flat, and lean the chest toward the wall.

Stretch: Achilles Tendon & Calves (Wall, Both Legs Straight)Standing 4-5 steps from a wall with both legs together and straight, keep both heels flat and lean the chest toward the wall.

Stretch: Anterior ShoulderBrace on a sturdy chair with arms straight behind and legs extended forward, then bend the arms and lower the buttocks toward the floor.

Stretch: Biceps (Door Frame)Standing with your back to a door frame, rest a hand against it with the arm externally rotated and thumb down, then try to roll the biceps to face upward.

Stretch: Buttocks & Hips (Knee Pulled Across Body)Lying on the back, raise one flexed knee to the chest, grasp it, and slowly pull it across the body to the floor.

Stretch: Buttocks & Hips (Both Legs Lowered to Side)Lying on the back with arms out and knees flexed, slowly lower both legs to the floor on one side while keeping elbows, head, and shoulders flat.

Stretch: Buttocks & Hips (Seated Spinal Twist)Seated with one leg crossed over the other, place the opposite elbow outside the bent knee and twist the trunk while looking over the shoulder.

Stretch: Buttocks & Hips (Supine, Foot to Opposite Shoulder)Lying on the floor with one leg flexed, grasp the ankle and knee and slowly pull the foot to the opposite shoulder, keeping the back flat.

Stretch: Buttocks & Hips (Seated, Foot to Opposite Shoulder)Sitting against a wall with one leg flexed, grasp the ankle and hook the knee with the opposite elbow, then pull the foot toward the opposite shoulder.

Stretch: Groin (Soles Together, Forward Lean)From the soles-together groin position, grasp the feet/ankles and lean forward from the hips (without bending the back) to lower the chest toward the floor.

Stretch: Groin (Seated, Soles Together)Sit with the soles of the feet together pulled toward the buttocks, place the elbows on the inner thighs, and slowly push the legs toward the floor.

Stretch: Hamstrings & Lower Back (Both Legs Extended)Seated with both legs extended, bend forward at the waist with both legs straight and lower the trunk onto the thighs.

Stretch: Hamstrings & Lower Back (Figure-Four)Seated with one leg extended and the other bent in a figure-four against the inner thigh, bend at the waist and lower the torso onto the straight thigh.

Stretch: Lateral Aspect of NeckA seated/standing neck stretch — pull the head laterally toward one shoulder to stretch the opposite side of the neck.

Stretch: Lower Back (Cat / All-Fours)On all fours, round the back while contracting the abdominals, then relax back to a flat-back position.

Stretch: Lower Back (Knees to Chest)Lying on the back, grasp behind the thighs, pull the knees toward the chest/shoulders, and elevate the hips — with cautions on knee hyperextension and re-extending the legs slowly.

Stretch: Posterior Aspect of NeckInterlock the hands behind the head and pull forward until the chin rests on the chest, stretching the back of the neck.

Stretch: Posterior Shoulder (Behind Back)With one arm flexed behind the back, grasp the elbow from behind with the opposite hand and pull it across the mid-line of the back.

Stretch: Posterior Shoulder (Cross-Body)Bring one arm across to the opposite shoulder, grasp the raised elbow with the other hand, and pull the elbow backward.

Stretch: Quadriceps & Hip Flexors (Kneeling Lunge)From a wide stance, turn one foot 90° sideways, flex that knee and roll the rear foot under so the instep rests on the floor, then force the rear hip toward the floor.

Stretch: Quadriceps & Hip Flexors (Prone)Lying face down, reach back to grasp the ankle and pull the heel toward the buttocks — avoid if you have "bad knees."

Stretch: Quadriceps & Hip Flexors (Side-Lying)Lying on the side, grasp the ankle and pull the heel toward the buttocks — avoid if you have "bad knees."

Stretch: Quadriceps & Hip Flexors (Standing)Standing with one hand on a support, grasp the foot of the flexed leg and pull the heel toward the buttocks — avoid if you have "bad knees."

Stretch: Triceps (Behind-Back Interlock)With one arm reaching up the back and the other lifted overhead and bent, interlock the fingers behind the back.

Stretch: Triceps (Overhead Elbow Pull)Raise one arm overhead with the hand on the shoulder blade, grasp the elbow with the opposite hand, and pull the elbow behind the head.

Stretch: Upper Back (Bar Hang)Hang from an overhead bar with a hollow body, drop the chin to the chest and sink the shoulders to stretch the upper back.

Stretch: Upper Back (Standing Support Reach)Standing about three feet from a waist-to-shoulder-height support, bend forward with straight arms and legs, grip the support, and press down to arch the upper back.

◆ Principle

16 topics

Active StretchingStretching using only your own muscles, with no external assistance — it builds active flexibility (which correlates more highly with sports achievement) but can trigger the stretch reflex.

Ballistic StretchingBobbing, bouncing, rebounding movements — the most controversial technique because it causes the most soreness and injury, though it does build the dynamic flexibility some sports require.

Semi-Permanent Fascial Sheath Length ChangeSustained stretching over time can make the connective sheaths that encase muscle — plus tendons, ligaments, fascia, and scar tissue — undergo a semi-permanent change in length.

The Five Basic Stretching TechniquesStretching (the process of elongation) can be done five ways — static, ballistic, passive, active, and proprioceptive (PNF) — chosen by goal, ability, and state of training.

Benefits and Outcomes of Flexibility ExerciseFlexibility (joint ROM) helps in sport, work, and home tasks; its outcomes include improved ROM, contribution to fitness, better motor performance, warm-up assistance, injury reduction, reduced tissue trauma, and relaxation.

Flexibility Exercise Not Always NeededAn individual can have too much ROM — excessive tissue elongation costs joint stability, so loose-jointed people should rely on muscle strengthening and consider reducing flexibility work.

GAGs and Connective Tissue LubricationStretching is thought to stimulate gel-like glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) that, with water and hyaluronic acid, lubricate connective tissue fibers and keep them from sticking and forming excessive cross-linkages.

Golgi Tendon Organ (GTO) in StretchingThe GTOs are proprioceptors whose firing during a sufficiently long-held stretch induces muscular relaxation — one of the advantages that makes static stretching effective.

Passive StretchingYou stay relaxed while an outside agent (a partner or a machine) creates the range of motion — useful when the muscle is too weak to move itself, but riskier if the partner applies force incorrectly.

Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF)A range-of-motion strategy (also called a muscle energy technique) originally developed for rehabilitation; its two most common forms are the contract-relax and the contract-relax-contract techniques.

Static StretchingStretching to the farthest point and holding the position — the safest technique, requiring the least energy and giving time to reset the stretch reflex, change length, and relax the muscle via the GTOs.

Stretch Reflex ResettingWhen a muscle is stretched suddenly the stretch reflex makes it contract, but training can raise the threshold at which the reflex fires, letting the muscle relax further into the stretch.

Stretching ControversyStretching is not a panacea — for some athletes it may increase the risk of ligament injury and joint separation/dislocation, and excessively loose joints may lead to premature osteoarthritis.

Physiological Effects of Warm-UpA warm-up raises tissue temperature (speeding metabolism ~13% per °C), increases oxygen delivery, speeds nerve impulses, improves muscle force and elasticity, opens blood vessels, and shifts hormones toward energy production.

Types of Warm-Up (Passive, General, Specific)Warm-ups fall into three categories — passive (external heat), general (unrelated large-muscle movement), and specific (reduced-intensity versions of the target activity) — with a specific warm-up preferred when possible.

What Happens When You StretchRegular, proper stretching produces three adaptations — a reset stretch reflex, a semi-permanent lengthening of the connective sheaths, and increased lubricating gel that keeps connective fibers from sticking together.

◆ Guideline

8 topics

When Not to Stretch (Precautions)Do not stretch if a bone blocks motion, after a recent fracture, with suspected joint infection/inflammation, with osteoporosis, with sharp acute pain on movement, or with certain vascular/skin diseases.

Flexibility Guidelines (ACSM)ACSM recommends stretching the major muscle groups at least 2–3 days/week, with at least 4 repetitions held 10–30 seconds each.

Flexibility Guidelines (Program Standards)Per the exercise program standards, flexibility work raises ROM in the major muscle groups; all stretches are static, held 10 seconds, and repeated twice.

Stretching Guidelines (Alter)Eight how-to rules for safe stretching from Alter (1996): warm up first, isolate the muscle, move in slowly, align properly, breathe out into the stretch, hold ~10 seconds, concentrate, and come out carefully.

General (Aerobic) Warm-UpLight aerobic activity (bike, treadmill, rower, etc.) that elevates the heart rate 20–30 bpm above rest for 5–10 minutes, to raise muscle temperature, boost blood flow, and reduce injury risk.

How Much Warm-Up Is EnoughTen to fifteen minutes is generally adequate; intensity should raise heart rate to 90–120 bpm depending on age, with longer warm-ups needed on cold days, in early morning, and for older adults.

Specific (Exercise Movement) Warm-UpA specific warm-up rehearses the actual activity at reduced intensity — for resistance exercise, one set of 12–15 reps using 50% of 1RM.

"X-Rated" (Contraindicated) Stretches — ListThe program standards and Alter (1996) rate eight stretches "X" (too advanced or dangerous for the average participant): Plough, Hurdler's Stretch, Deep Knee Bend/Lunge/Squat, Torso Twist, Straight-Leg Straddle Floor/Toe Touch, Straight-Leg Standing Floor/Toe Touch, Bridge, and Inversion.