Fetching data from CrossRef. This may take some time to load. Loading related content. Jump to main content. Jump to site search. You do not have JavaScript enabled. Please enable JavaScript to access the full features of the site or access our non-JavaScript page. Issue 26, Karbasiyoun , a K. This article is Open Access.
Please wait while we load your content Something went wrong. Try again? Cited by. Download options Please wait Supplementary information PDF K. Article type Paper.
Research has shown that active flexibility is more closely related to the level of sports achievement than is passive flexibility. Active flexibility is harder to develop than passive flexibility which is what most people think of as "flexibility" ; not only does active flexibility require passive flexibility in order to assume an initial extended position, it also requires muscle strength to be able to hold and maintain that position. Increased water intake is believed to contribute to increased mobility, as well as increased total body relaxation.
Rather than discuss each of these factors in significant detail as Gummerson does, I will attempt to focus on some of the more common factors which limit one's flexibility.
According to SynerStretch , the most common factors are: bone structure, muscle mass, excess fatty tissue, and connective tissue and, of course, physical injury or disability. Depending on the type of joint involved and its present condition is it healthy? This is a common way in which age can be a factor limiting flexibility since older joints tend not to be as healthy as younger ones.
Muscle mass can be a factor when the muscle is so heavily developed that it interferes with the ability to take the adjacent joints through their complete range of motion for example, large hamstrings limit the ability to fully bend the knees. Excess fatty tissue imposes a similar restriction.
The majority of "flexibility" work should involve performing exercises designed to reduce the internal resistance offered by soft connective tissues see section Connective Tissue. Most stretching exercises attempt to accomplish this goal and can be performed by almost anyone, regardless of age or gender. How Connective Tissue Affects Flexibility How Aging Affects Flexibility How Connective Tissue Affects Flexibility How Aging Affects Flexibility : next subsection Factors Limiting Flexibility : beginning of section The resistance to lengthening that is offered by a muscle is dependent upon its connective tissues: When the muscle elongates, the surrounding connective tissues become more taut see section Connective Tissue.
Also, inactivity of certain muscles or joints can cause chemical changes in connective tissue which restrict flexibility. According to M.
Alter , each type of tissue plays a certain role in joint stiffness: "The joint capsule i. Alter goes on to say that efforts to increase flexibility should be directed at the muscle's fascia however. This is because it has the most elastic tissue, and because ligaments and tendons since they have less elastic tissue are not intended to stretched very much at all.
Overstretching them may weaken the joint's integrity and cause destabilization which increases the risk of injury. When connective tissue is overused, the tissue becomes fatigued and may tear, which also limits flexibility. When connective tissue is unused or under used, it provides significant resistance and limits flexibility. The elastin begins to fray and loses some of its elasticity, and the collagen increases in stiffness and in density.
Aging has some of the same effects on connective tissue that lack of use has. How Aging Affects Flexibility How Connective Tissue Affects Flexibility : previous subsection Factors Limiting Flexibility : beginning of section With appropriate training, flexibility can, and should, be developed at all ages.
This does not imply, however, that flexibility can be developed at the same rate by everyone. In general, the older you are, the longer it will take to develop the desired level of flexibility. Hopefully, you'll be more patient if you're older. Alter , the main reason we become less flexible as we get older is a result of certain changes that take place in our connective tissues. As we age, our bodies gradually dehydrate to some extent. It is believed that "stretching stimulates the production or retention of lubricants between the connective tissue fibers, thus preventing the formation of adhesions".
Hence, exercise can delay some of the loss of flexibility that occurs due to the aging process. Alter further states that some of the physical changes attributed to aging are the following: An increased amount of calcium deposits, adhesions, and cross-links in the body An increase in the level of fragmentation and dehydration Changes in the chemical structure of the tissues.
Loss of suppleness due to the replacement of muscle fibers with fatty, collagenous fibers. This does not mean that you should give up trying to achieve flexibility if you are old or inflexible. It just means that you need to work harder, and more carefully, for a longer period of time when attempting to increase flexibility. Increases in the ability of muscle tissues and connective tissues to elongate stretch can be achieved at any age.
Strength and Flexibility Overflexibility : next section Factors Limiting Flexibility : previous section Flexibility : beginning of chapter Strength training and flexibility training should go hand in hand.
It is a common misconception that there must always be a trade-off between flexibility and strength. Obviously, if you neglect flexibility training altogether in order to train for strength then you are certainly sacrificing flexibility and vice versa.
However, performing exercises for both strength and flexibility need not sacrifice either one. As a matter of fact, flexibility training and strength training can actually enhance one another. Static stretching of fatigued muscles see section Static Stretching performed immediately following the exercise s that caused the fatigue, helps not only to increase flexibility, but also enhances the promotion of muscular development muscle growth , and will actually help decrease the level of post-exercise soreness.
Here's why: After you have used weights or other means to overload and fatigue your muscles, your muscles retain a "pump" and are shortened somewhat.
0コメント