FlexibilityFlexibility training is a very important part of conditioning, however it may be the most ignored and undervalued component.
Flexibility is the range of motion that your joints and muscles achieve through static stretching. When your joint range of motion is increased you lessen your risk of injury and improve your sport performance. Tight muscles restrict how far your head or limbs can be turned or bend. During a contact sport like football often your limbs are pushed to an extreme. The more flexible you have trained your muscles to be the more likely you are to resist a tear.
Photo by Thomas Moore Flexibility through stretching is important for your body in order to prevent injury during exrecise. Physical activities can be comfortably performed if your muscles are stretched properly. Flexibility exercises should be done slowly and steadily in order to correctly stretch the muscle group. Always avoid jerky, bouncy movements. There is some debate as to whether the muscles should be stretched immediately before competition. Stretching at this time does not seem to decrease your risk of injury. Warming up by doing a low-intensity simulation of the physical activity before hand seems to be more effective than static stretching for facilitating safe exercise. This means doing a light jog in place, calisthenics, or other core warming exercises before your main athletic activity is encouraged. You may have a more productive stretching session if it is performed just after your sport or activity. Muscles will stretch more easily after exercise because they will be warmed up. Warm muscles stretch more effectively. This may be beneficial in strength training because a stretched muscle can have a greater range of motion. There are several types of flexibility training. I will discuss the top three here. Static stetching, Dynamic stretching, and PNF. Let me give you some background on each type and when to use each one to your maximum benefit. Static StretchingThis was once a staple part of all athletic warm ups. Many strength and conditioning coaches are now saying that static stretches are dangerous when done before a sporting event. They base their beliefs on studies that link pre-game static stretching to detrimental performance in power, maximal voluntary contraction, balance and reaction times.However we should keep in mind that there are other sources that have found no negative effects on power when static stretches are done before competition. All studies agree on the fact that static exercises are still important when done after the athletic event and off season to keep muscles flexible. Static stretching exercises are more effective that dynamic stretches in improving range of motion. Static stretching is a slow and constant stretch where the end position is held for up to 30 seconds. Static stretching can be passive or active. Static passive stretching involves holding a stretch position using your body weight or some other external force. Holding your leg out in front of you and resting it on a chair is one example where the quadricep is not holding the position. With static passive stretching something other than the person's muscle is used to hold the stretch. If just the floor, your body weight, and gravity are causing the stretch tension, then you are doing passive stretching. You could also use a towel or another person to stretch a muscle during passive stretches. If you were to hold a stetch by using your own muscle force you are doing an active stretch. Active stretches require the ability to stretch a muscle using only the tension in the muscles nearby. If you hold one leg out in front of you as high as you can you are stretching your hamstring and using the tension in your quadricep and hip fexors to perform the stretch.
Static stretching is important to expand the range a muscle can move without injury. When done properly, and at the right time it will also improve force production, speed, and jumping ability. Below are some examples of static stretches. Click on the colored link for more information and demonstrations of each.
Shoulder and Chest Arm across Chest Tricep Stretch
Glute Stretch Adductor Stretch Single Leg Hamstring Standing Quadriceps Standing Calf
Dynamic StretchingDynamic stretching uses speed of movement, momentum and active muscular effort to bring about a stretch. Unlike static stretching the end position is not held.A few example of this type of stretch would be exagerated kicking actions, circling arms, or walking lunges without weights. A walking lunge will stretch the hip flexors by emphasizing hip extention, which will lessen hip tightness and help improve your sport motion. This is the type of stretch that is recommended before competition because it will reduce the tighness of your muscles. Fewer muscle and tendon tears occur if the muscles are not tight during your athletic event. It is particularly true that power and strength competitors would benefit from dynamic stretching before their event. Here are some examples of dynamic stretches. Arm Swings Side Bends Trunk Rotations Full Back Stretch Abdominal Stretch Hamstring Stretch Groin Stretch Alternate Toe Touches Leg Swings Walking Knee Highs Walking Butt Kicks Cariocas
This video show how to do a large variety of dynamic stretches .
Upper body dynamic stretches:
PNF Flexibility TrainingProprioceptive neuro-muscular facilitation is one of the best forms of flexibility training for increasing the range of motion in your muscles and joints. Some of these stretches are passive, meaning no muscles are contracting to cause the stretch. Other PNF stretches are active, meaning some of your muscles are contracting to cause the stretch.The reason many coaches and athletes feel that PNF is the superior method of training flexibility is because both the passive and active versions facilitate muscular inhibition. It gets a bit confusing here but try to stay with me. In order to get the best stretch you need to achieve autogenetic inhibition in the muscle being stretched. This is a relaxation reflex that will occur after the golgi organ is stimulated in the particular muscle you want to stretch. In order to achieve this autogenic inhibition you need to complete isometric and concentric muscle actions immediately before the passive stretch. The isometric contraction is called "holding" and the concentric muscle contraction is called "contracting". A similar technique is done by contracting the opposite muscle group to that being stretched. This facilitates reciprocal inhibition. This is when a relaxation reflex takes place in the muscle opposite the muscle where the golgi tendon organ is stimulated. Still with me? Let me walk you through an example. When doing a hamstring stretch while lying on your back, you would extend one leg flat on the floor and the other one at a right angle to your body (straight up).
The steps in the PNF process are... Hold- Relax * A partner will pull your raised leg toward your head until you reach a point of mild discomfort. Hold for 10 seconds. * Then you isometrically contract the hamstring by pushing your leg against your partner's hand. The leg should not move because your partner is preventing any downward movement. This is the holding phase and should last for 6 seconds. * You now relax and your partner repeats the first step of pushing the leg upward. This time it will go farther before you reach the discomfort stage. The reason you have greater hip flexion now is because of the autogenic inhibition activated in the hamstring. Contract- Relax * Just like before, start with your partner moving your extended leg to a point of mild disconfort and hold for 10 seconds. * Your now concentrically contract your hamstring by pressing it against your partner's hand. The difference id this time yout partner allows a slow, resisted movement. You lower your leg to the ground through the resistance. This is the "contract" phase. * Relax and have your partner complete a second passive stretch. Again you will have greater hip flexion due to autogenic inhibition activated in the hamstring. Hold- Relax with Opposing Muscle Contraction * Have your partner move your extended leg to a point of mild discomfort. Hold 10 seconds. * Push your leg against your partners hand. The contraction will again be isometric because your partner will hold your leg in a static position. Hold for 6 seconds to initiate autogenic inhibition. * Your partner will complete asecond passive stretch held for 30 seconds. This time you flex your hip buy pulling the leg in the same direction that it is being pushed. This activates reciprocal inhibition allowing your stretch to go farther.
Here is a PNF stretch routine with a professional partner:
ConclusionDymanic stretches can be used before a competition without negative effects. Start with 10-15 minutes of light aerobics to be sure your body is warm. Use some of the dynamic exercises decribed above during your pre-game warm up.Dynamic exercises will not give you the flexibility that static exercises will but they can prevent injury and won't have a negative effect on your power and strength immediately afterward. I do recommend static stretching at any time except for pre-game. After training it is great for increasing your flexibility which will ultimately help you during your event. Perhaps the most effective stretch for increasing range of motion is the PNF. An informed partner is required to perform most of these stretches. They are not recommended for the morning of your competition but they are good to do after competition or off season. leave Flexibility, visit Aerobic Exercises
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