Flexibility: Freedom of Movement
Courtesy of Omron, Written By Neil Wolkodoff, Ph.D.

Range of motion (ROM) is defined as the movement around a joint or set of joints and the connecting muscles, tendons, ligaments, and bones. Often called flexibility, this is an important fitness factor

Muscular tightness and joint stiffness can start for some people in their early 30's and then only gets worse with each advancing year; thus, flexibility takes on more importance as one gets older. Not only will you lose it if you don't use it, you have to work consistently and harder as you age to maintain flexibility. The modern lifestyle, with the emphasis on sitting and working at a desk or terminal, only makes the lack of movement freedom worse from inactivity.

Tight joints and muscles are typically the result of inactivity-without regular exercise you lose flexibility and strength. Regular stretching and general activity helps reduce muscle tension, prevents muscle and joint injuries, increases range of motion, and improves circulation, balance, and flexibility. Studies have shown that stretching after strenuous exercise will relieve both immediate and short-term discomfort.

Stretching Versus Warm-Ups

A warm-up is different from a stretch, but it can include stretching. In most sports or physical activity, stretching exercises have been included as part of a warm-up routine that includes substantial movement. Active warm-ups can include stretching or may be based on other kinds of movement. An active warm-up will reduce injury, though not necessarily because it includes stretching. The active part of the warm-up is what really prepares the muscles for activity by increasing blood flow and temperature. Callisthenic exercises done in increasing intensity and range of motion are still a good warm-up activity. Using an aerobic machine such as a treadmill or rowing machine for three to five minutes before more vigorous activity is also a good active warm-up.

Basic Types of Flexibility Training Methods Used in Sports and Fitness

A. Static or Reach-and-Hold: In this method you stretch to a specific position, then hold the stretch, normally for ten or more seconds.

B. Ballistic Stretching: In this method the muscle is pushed so far with active movement that it stretches back rapidly like a tight rubber band that has been released, utilizing the physical elasticity of the muscle and the activation of the nervous system (stretch reflex).

C. Passive Flexibility: In this method a training partner or external force is used to push a muscle or limb beyond its normal range of motion.

D. Dynamic Movement: This method relies on sets of exercises that gradually push the joints and muscles through greater range of movement over a period of time. It refers especially to the use of alternating muscle groups, as in swinging the arms forward to stretch the rear deltoid, then backward to stretch the chest muscles.

Stretching: Any activity that singularly promotes flexibility by increasing range of motion through movement and formal stretching techniques such as static and ballistic stretches. Warm-Up: Any single activity or sequence of movement-based activities designed to increase blood flow, muscle temperature, and prepare the body for more rigorous activity. In order to prevent mature joint wear, important to elongate the out affecting structures.

In picking the flexibility training methods best suited to improving your personal goal, it's important to understand how muscles function and what contributes to and detracts from flexibility. In addition, there are factors that provide resistance to increasing ROM. During passive motion, in which an external force slowly moves a limb, the muscle itself accounts for around 40% of the resistance to ROM. The joint capsule, or surfaces of the joint, on average account for 47% of resistance to flexibility. Skin, tendons and ligaments combine for around 12% resistance. In order to prevent premature joint wear, it is important to stretch or elongate the muscle without affecting the support structures. Stretch the muscle, don't injure the joint! Some exercise experts have advocated that other methods besides static stretching can more effectively increase ROM without potential joint problems.

Research Conclusions: What Works the Best?

Most flexibility-training research centers on the static method and its effect on everything from relaxation to sports performance. The original research on the benefits of static or reach and hold flexibility was conducted in the 1960's by the noted physiologist Herbert DeVries, who observed that static stretching helped to reduce muscular soreness. It is thought that muscular distress produces "microspasms" in affected muscles. The research demonstrated that static stretching definitely decreased electrical activity and spasms. This is why static stretching is recommended after resistance training or vigorous activity: It helps reduce Delayed Onset Muscular Soreness (DOMS). This results when heavily exercised or stressed muscle responds by taking on fluid, temporarily decreasing spasms in order to repair itself. Stretch after heavy exercise and you won't get as sore later. Ballistic or bouncing movements, in which a muscle is rapidly pushed in one direction until the stretch reflex and stored elastic energy essentially pulls it back, have been blamed for causing injuries. But little empirical research proves that this is actually the case.

Ballistic stretching is just as effective at developing flexibility as are static methods. There is a movement in sports toward ballistic stretching, especially as the final component to a scientific warm-up. Use of ballistic stretching initially requires a better than average level of conditioning to begin with, and no orthopedic problems. In addition, ballistic stretching is not really effective at decreasing muscular soreness. Stretching Builds Mental Muscle For athletes, regular stretching can be a mental cue that practice or competition is about to begin. For general exercise, stretching at the end of the exercise session can be a sign to get re-focused and re-charged. Stretching-especially static stretching- combined with deep-breathing exercises has been demonstrated to decrease stress and tension. If you want to reap full mental benefit from stretching, plan on developing a daily routine, especially after exercise. Keep in mind that movement-based stretching does not appear to provide the same relaxation and tension-reduction benefits as static stretching. Practicing stretching exercises on a regular basis helps to establish a link between increasing focus and decreasing tension to the actual activity of stretching.

Guidelines for Stretching

Before you start a flexibility program, if you are in doubt about your fitness, or if you've had a joint or muscular injury, consult a sports medicine physician. You also can talk to other trained health and fitness professionals for advice, If you are fit to begin a stretching program, it is vital that you develop an individualized program that is part of a total conditioning program.

Always check with your physician or other health professional before starting any exercise program, especially if you are over 40, have significant risk factors for heart disease, or have symptoms of heart disease. Also, if you experience any of the following conditions, even once while starting an exercise program, stop and consult with your personal physician before continuing. These conditions include but are not limited to any abnormal heart action such as an irregular pulse; pain or pressure in the middle of chest, arm or throat; dizziness, lightheadedness, sudden loss of coordination, confusion, fainting or blueness. Principles of Stretching

Stretch A Little Each Day

Stretching every day is preferable to a marathon session once a week, which will only increase your risk of injury and won't improve your flexibility. Like other forms of exercise, stretching should "overload" the system to force both permanent and short-term changes. Stretching, like resistance training, should stress proper mechanics and alignment. Static stretching is excellent for relieving muscular soreness and for building general flexibility. In addition, joint systems susceptible to injury, such as the back, benefit more from static stretching because of its lower potential for causing injury.

Stretching Before Activity or Sports: Only After a Warm-Up!

Incorporating stretching into an active warm-up is essential for any sport activity you might pursue. In order for stretching and warming up to get you in the right frame of mind for your practice or game, you have to tell yourself why stretching and warm-ups are important. Before you stretch, get your muscles warm! If you are relatively new to exercise, you will need to perform light movements such as calisthenics and aerobic activity for at least five minutes before beginning a stretching routine. If you are relatively fit, three minutes of activity can be sufficient to get the muscles warm. Without that activity, a cold muscle may actually tear in a stretching routine.

Breathing is an important factor in stretching for relaxation and full effectiveness. Make sure to take deeper breaths than normal, and do not hold your breath during any stretch. Certain types of music, such as classical or light jazz, have been found to be very effective at helping athletes maintain a breathing rhythm during stretching.

Stretching in an Exercise Session

If you go through a formal exercise training session such as for resistance training or an aerobic workout, then static stretching after your routine will improve flexibility and alleviate muscle soreness. Stretch the muscles used in your training regimen. Your progress should move from standing exercises to prone exercises for the back and hips. Most exercisers should have at least one stretch after exercise for the hips, low back, hamstrings and shoulders.

Remember, in active exercises like resistance training, the best warm-up is using a lighter than normal resistance through a full range of motion. Your flexibility development routine is best placed at the end of your lifting or exercise session, where it will do the most good.

Additional Reading

de Vries, H. A. 1961. Prevention of muscular distress after exercise. Research Quarterly 32(2):77-1 85. Evans, M. 1996. Instant Stretches for Stress Relief. New York: Lorenz. Hubley-Kozey, C. L., and W. D. Standish. 1984. Can stretching prevent athletic injuries? Journal of Musculoskeletal Medicine 1 (9):25-32. Johns, R. J., and V. Wright. 1962. The relative importance of various tissues in joint stiffness. Journal of Applied Physiology 1 7(5):824-828. Lewandowski, P. 1995. To stretch or not to stretch? Triathlete 1 34 (june):1 06-108, 110. Moore, M., and R. Hutton. 1980. Electromyographic evaluation of muscle-stretching techniques. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 12:322. Richardson, B. 1990. Flexibility. Australian Golf Digest (August):84-89. Sharkey, B. 1. 1997. Fitness and Health, fourth edition. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics. Vuori, I. 1995. Exercise and physical health: musculoskeletal health and functional capabilities. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport 66(4):276-285. Wolkodoff, N. 1997. Physical Golf: The Golfer's Guide to Peak Conditioning and Performance. Denver: KickPoint Press. Wolkodoff, N. 1999. Physical Skiing, Denver: Kickpoint Press.