Assessing Flexibility

BPE-SPE 2019

1. Assessing Flexibility and Designing Stretching Programs

2. PRE-TEST Directions: Choose the best letter of the correct answer 1. It measures the total ROM of the joint. flexibility b. static flexibility c. dynamic flexibility 2. It measures the torque or resistance to movement. Static flexibility b. flexibility c. dynamic flexibility 3. It is the ability of a point or resistance of joints to move fluidly through a full range of motion. f lexibility b. static flexibility c. dynamic flexibility 4. What component/factors affecting persons flexibility? hobbies, interest & social status e nvironment, blood type & citizenship age, gender & physical activity

3. POST-TEST Directions: Choose the best letter of the correct answer 1. It measures the total ROM of the joint. flexibility b. static flexibility c. dynamic flexibility 2. It measures the torque or resistance to movement. Static flexibility b. flexibility c. dynamic flexibility 3. It is the ability of a point or resistance of joints to move fluidly through a full range of motion. flexibility b. static flexibility c. dynamic flexibility 4. What component/factors affecting persons flexibility? hobbies, interest & social status environment, blood type & citizenship age, gender & physical activity

4. Words to Unlock Dynamic flexibility Static flexibility Flexibility

5. Definition and Nature of Flexibility

6. Flexibility is an important, yet often neglected, component of physical fitness. Adequate flexibility in all joints of the body is important, especially in older adults, to prevent musculoskeletal injury and to maintain functional independence with aging.

7. FLEXIBILITY Is the ability of a joint, or series of joints, to move fluidly through a full range of motion.

8. STATIC FLEXIBILITY Is a measure of the total range of motion at the joint.

9. DYNAMIC FLEXIBILITY Is a measure of the torque or resistance to movement.

10. The joint structure determines the planes of motion and may limit the ROM at a given joint. Individuals with less flexibility and tighter muscles and tendons have a greater contractile response during stretching exercises and resistance to stretching. Stress relaxation occurs when the muscles and tendons are stretched and held at a fixed length, then the tension within the unit, or tensile stress, decreases over time.

11. The tightness of soft tissue structures such as muscle, tendons, and ligaments is a major limitation to both static and dynamic flexibility

12. Does body type limit flexibility?

13. Individuals with large hypertrophied muscles or excessive amounts of subcutaneous fat may score poorly on ROM tests, because adjacent body segments in these people contact each other sooner compared to those with smaller limbs and trunk girths. But, on the other hand, many body builders and obese individuals who routinely stretch their muscles have adequate levels of flexibility.

14. Why do older individuals tend to be less flexible than younger people?

15. Flexibility progressively decreases with aging because of changes in the elasticity of the soft tissues and a decrease in the physical level. But using flexibility training can improve and retain flexibility to an individual regardless of the age group.

16. Are females more flexible than males?

17. Some evidences suggests that females generally are more flexible than males at all ages (Alter 1996). Females tend to have more hip flexion and spinal lateral flexion compared to males of the same age. On the other hand, males have greater ROM in the hip extension and spinal flexion and extension in the thoracolumbar region.

18. How do physical activity and inactivity affect flexibility?

19. Habitual movement patterns and physical activity levels apparently are more important determinants of flexibility than gender, age and body type. Disuse, due to lack of physical activity or immobilization produces contracture and shortening of the connective tissue which, in turn, restrict joint mobility.

20. Does warm up affect flexibility?

21. Warming the joint 113 degrees Fahrenheit, produces a 20% increase in ROM, where areas cooling the joint 65 degrees Fahrenheit results in a 10 to 20% decrease in flexibility.

22. Can you develop too much flexibility?

23. Hypermobility leads to joint laxity (loosens or instability) and may increase the risk of musculoskeletal injuries. As a specialist, you need to accurately assess ROM and to design stretching programs that improve your clients flexibility without compromising joint stability.

24. ASSESSMENT OF FLEXIBILITY

25. FIELD and CLINICAL TESTS are available for assessing static flexibility. Although ROM data are important, measures of joint stiffness and resistance to movement may be more meaningful in terms of physical performance.

26. However, little research has focused on the assessment of dynamic flexibility. Typically, static flexibility is assessed in field and clinical settings by measuring the ROM directly or indirectly.

27. GENERAL GUIDLINES

28. To assess a client’s flexibility, you should select a number of test items because of the highly specific nature of flexibility. Direct tests that measure the range of joint rotation in degrees are usually more useful than indirect tests that measure static flexibility in linear units.

29. 1 ONE

30. Have the client perform a short warm-up prior to the test and avoid fast, jerky movements and stretching beyond the pain-free range of joint motion

31. 2 TWO

32. Administer three trials of each test items

33. 3 THREE

34. Compare clients best score to norms in order to obtain a flexibility rating for each test item.

35. 4 FOUR

36. Use the test results to identify joints and muscle groups in need of improvement.

37. Direct Methods of Measuring of Static Flexibility

38. To asses Static Flexibility directly, measure the amount of joint rotation in degrees using a Goniometer, Flexometer , or Inclinometer.

39. Universal Goniometer Test Procedures

40. It is a protractor like device with two steel or plastic arms that measures the joint angle at the extremes of the ROM.

41. Flexometer Test Procedure

42. Another tool that can be used to measure ROM is the device Leighton Flexometer . This device consists of a weighted 360 degree dial and weighted pointer.

43. The ROM is measured in relation to the downward pull of gravity on the dial and pointer.

44. Inclinometer Test Procedures

45. Is another type of gravity dependent Goniometer. It measures the angle between the long axis of the moving segment and the line of gravity.

46. Validity and Reliability of Direct Measure

47. The Validity and Reliability of these devices for directly measuring ROM is highly dependent on the joint being measured and technician skill.

48. Radiography is considered to be the best reference method for establishing Validity of Goniometer measurements.

49. Indirect Methods of Measuring

50. You can also assess Static Flexibility indirectly using linear measurements of the ROM.

51. Weakness of some flexibility field tests is that the length or width of the body segments may affect the performance. Some commonly used indirect tests for assessing spinal mobility and low back flexibility are the standard and modified sit-and-reach tests and the skin distraction test.

52. Standard Sit-and-Reach Test

53. The ACSM (1995) recommends using the standard sit-and-reach Test to evaluate low back and hip flexibility. You can use either a sit-and-reach box or a yardstick. Secure the yardstick to the floor by placing tape at a right angle to the 15-inch (38cm) mark of the yardstick.

54. The client sits, straddling the yardstick, with the knees extended (but not locked) and legs spread 10 to 12 inches (25.4 to 30.5) apart. The heels of the feet touch the tape at the 15-inch mark. Although most exercise specialists assume the standard sit-and-reach test to be a valid measure of low back and hip flexibility.

55. Modified Sit-and-Reach Test

56. Individuals having short legs relative to the trunk have a definite advantage when performing the standard sit-and-reach test. Hoeger developed a modified sit-and-reach test which takes into account the distance between the end of the fingers and the sit-and-reach box and uses the finger-to-box distance as the relative zero point.

57. The client sits on the floor with buttocks, shoulders, and head in contact with the wall; extends (but does not lock) his knees; and places the soles of the feet against the box. A yardstick is placed on top of the box with the zero end toward the client .

58. Research comparing the standard sit and modified sit-and-reach test scores indicated that individuals with proportionally longer arms than legs (lower finger-to-box distance) had significantly among the three groups ( Hoeger et al. 1990 ; Hoeger and Hopkins 1992)

59. Skin Distraction Test

60. These field tests are reliable and have good agreement with radiographic measurements of spinal flexion and extension.

61. THANK YOU.