FLEXIBILITYFOR INJURY PREVENTION

BySteve Brooks

Technology and Assessment

Why Be Flexible?Beneficial even if your not an athlete!

Improves Circulation Lowers risk for cardiovascular disease Stress Relief! Improves coordination Reduce muscle soreness/injuries Increases the production of synovial fluid!

Synovial Fluid Lubricates joints

Transports nutrients to joints

Helps protect against the wear on cartilage!

Flexible Athletes Injury prevention! Improved performance

Improving flexibility is good for every kind of athlete as long as it is done correctly!

Times Are Changing – Change with them!

STATIC STRETCHING DYNAMIC STRETCHING Traditional The new

Static Stretching Hold stretch for at least 30 second Before and after performance Best way to improve overall flexibility

What you may not know: Decreases strength! Decreases speed!

Static ExamplesQuadriceps Hamstrings

Groin

Dynamic Stretching Movement stretching – no holding! Warms the body up more More effective before exercise Does not decrease performance Most effective for injury prevention Sport Specific stretches!

Dynamic Examples

Leg Swings

Lunges

Flexibility vs. Strength

Increased flexibility decreases strength. Increased strength decreases flexibility.

It’s a Balancing act!

This does NOT mean anyone should or shouldn’t stretch!

What stretching does

BENEFITS DISADVANTAGES Increases range of

motion Decreases chance of

injury

Decreases reaction time which: Decreases strength Decreases speed

Pulls apart muscle and tendon fibers

Why?Longer the muscle fibers the longer it takes for an impulse to travel from

point A to point B

Find the right routine for you!

Weight lifters – more dynamic stretching

Long distance runners – more static stretching

Sprinters – more dynamic stretching

Gymnasts – more static stretching

Over all what this means It is best to do:

Dynamic stretching before

Static stretching after

BecauseDynamic stretching • Doesn’t stretch muscle

fibers as far apart • Still warms the body up

and prevents injury

• Dynamic stretches can be sport specific!

Static stretching • Pulls the fibers apart

more which causing strength and speed loss

• Improves flexibility and long term injury prevention.

• Static stretches are more universal!

What if I don’t Stretch?Injuries due to lack of flexibility are

inevitable!Oww! I should have stretched more!

Not just athletes Injuries due to lack of flexibility can occur

for everyone not just athletes! Can cause poor posture Problems walking Lower back pain! Knee problems

Pelvic Tilt

Which can cause leg length discrepancy

Patellar Tracking Runner’s knee

Not just for runners

Pulls the patella out of place causing pain and stiffness

Athletic injuries Tears

ACL, LCL, meniscus, etc

Tennis elbow

Muscle can tear bone apart!

Tore my ACL! Should have stretched…even for golf

So stretch!Save yourself the trouble of an injury; its

worth the few extra minutes!

Questions?