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Study Session 3/30/19



Chapter 14: Flexibility

Warm-up: Preparation for activity mentally and physically
* Benefits: 
 - Faster muscle contraction
 - Improvements in force development time
 - Improvements in muscle force/power
 - Less viscous resistance to muscles
 - Improved oxygen delivery to tissues
 - Increased blood flow
 - Enhanced metabolic reactions
 - Improved psychological preparedness.
* Increases muscle endurance for running/jumping, reduces injury - Limited studies
* General warm-up: 5 minutes of light aerobic activity
* Specific warm-up: Activity specific
* No more than 10-20 minutes without fatigue, should end at least 15 minutes prior to start

Flexibility training: Improving ROM around a joint

(RAMP) Workout - Raise, Activate and Mobilize, and Potentiate
* Raise - Temperature, Heart rate, Respiration and Blood flow, Joint fluid viscosity
* Active and Mobilize - Stretching component, No static stretching, Dynamic stretching preferred
* Potentiate - Transitions into the intensity required for the sport/activity especially power, speed, agility

Static flexibility: ROM without using muscles
Dynamic flexibility: ROM using muscles


  • ROM for ROM sake isn't as important as understanding needs and meeting them
  • Older people have fibrosis happen in the muscles limiting flexibility
  • Duration of improvement post-stretching can last 3 minutes to 24 hours
  • Aerobic warm-up prior to stretching increases muscle temperature. 
  • Static stretching does not activate muscle spindles, Dynamic/Ballistic warm-up does.
  • Ballistic stretching: Can be used during warm-up, results are similar to static stretch, care must be exercised
  • Dynamic stretching: (AKA Mobility drills) Sport/activity specific

  • No longer than 15-30 seconds stretch





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