Flexibility
Articles and Commentary
| Title | "Flexibility Training Section" |
| Link (if applicable) | http://www.sport-fitness-advisor.com/flexibilitytraining.html |
| Author | Sports Fitness Advisor |
| Date | Reviewed on 8/21/09 from the referenced website |
| Publisher | Sporting Excellence Ltd. |
| Summary | There are different types of stretching routines and they have different purposes. Dynamic stretching is best done as part of a warmup routine, while static stretching should be
done after the muscles are already warm, and is used to increase range of motion. Static stretching prior to an athletic event may have negative consequences, although there is
not concrete evidence of this yet.
Dynamic stretching entails stretching through body movements and do not include "holding" a position to create the stretch. |
| Comment | A good overview of the different types of stretching with good advice on when they should be employed |
Topic Summary to date
- An ideal time to employ dynamic stretching is while warming up for the main activity/sport. It appears that this type of stretching can reduce "muscle tightness"
- Static stretching should be done after the muscles are already warm
- Static stretching is termed "passive" if an outside force, such as a chair, is used to hold the position
- Static stretching is termed "active" if the participant is using their own muscles to hold the stretch
- The goal of static stretching should be to increase overall range of motion
- There is some slight evidence that static stretching prior to major activity could have negative effects, particularly on performance in the activity