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Health > Stretching
Flexibility goes hand in hand with stretching.
Flexibility means the range of motion that’s
possible around a specific joint or series of
articulations (keep in mind that flexibility is
specific to a given joint or movement).
The ability for one to move a joint through the
adequate range of movement is vital for all daily
activities as well as sports performance. Sprinters
for example, may be handicapped by tight inelastic
hamstring muscles since their ability to flex the
hip joint will be limited, thus shortening stride
length. Those participating in activities such as
ballet, diving, karate, gymnastics, and yoga will
require improved flexibility and sometimes the
ability to hyperextend their joints to achieve
superior performance.
When speaking of stretching, there are 4 basic types
of stretches: ballistic, dynamic, static and PNF
techniques.
Ballistic is the oldest of all, and this stretch is
made up of repetitive bouncing movements. It has
been abandoned by almost all experts in the field
due to safety concerns.
Next we have dynamic stretching, which incorporates
movements that often mimic a specific sport or
exercise in an exaggerated yet controlled manner.
The Static technique involves passively stretching a
muscle to the point of mild discomfort by holding it
in a maximal stretch for an extended period (between
10-60 seconds). Static Stretches remain the most
effective, safe and popular method of stretching.
Lastly, we have PNF Techniques. PNF techniques
involve a partner actively stretching the
participant by some combination of altering
contraction and relaxation of both agonist and
antagonist muscles. PNF stretches are capable of
achieving great flexibility compared to other
techniques; however its disadvantage is that it
typically will require a partner.
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