The document contains questions and information about flexibility and stretching exercises. It defines key terms like flexibility, stretching, and different stretching exercise modes. It discusses factors that affect flexibility and recommends warmup times before steady and stop-and-go activities. While stretching has benefits, it suggests static stretching before exercise may increase injury risk and recommends light movement instead to warmup muscles in a controlled way.

1. CHAPTER 8 DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1) Answer the following questions from the FAQ box on page 272:
A) Will stretching before exercise prevent injuries?
B) Does strength training limit flexibility?
C) Will stretching exercises help me lose weight?
D) How much should stretching hurt to gain flexibility?
2) Define flexibility.
3) Define stretching.
4) Approximately what % of all low-back problems in the US are a direct result of inflexible & weak
muscles?
5) What are 2 benefits of good flexibility?
6) Explain the difference between plastic elongation & elastic elongation.
7) What do most health & fitness centers rely on as an indicator of flexibility?
8) Define the following modes of stretching exercises:
A) Static Stretching
B) Passive Stretching
C) Ballistic Stretching
D) Dynamic Stretching
E) Controlled Ballistic Stretching
F) Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation
9) What are the 2 sensory organs whose function is to protect muscles from injury during stretching?
10) What is the recommended warm-up time before doing steady activities?
11) What is the recommended warm-up time before doing stop-&-go activities?

2. DO YOU STRETCH BEFORE YOU EXERCISE?

3. 1A) WILL STRETCHING BEFORE EXERCISE PREVENT INJURIES?
-DATA SUGGESTS:
-INTENSE STRETCHING PRIOR TO PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
MODESTLY INCREASES THE RISK FOR INJURIES & LOSS OF
MUSCLE STRENGTH & POWER
-MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR PRIOR TO VIGOROUS EXERCISE TO
PEVENT INJURY IS TO GRADUALLY INCREASE EXERCISE
INTENSITY
-WHEN PARTICIPATING IN ACTIVITIES THAT REQUIRE
FLEXIBILITY, STRETCH FOLLOWING AN APPROPRIATE WARM-UP
-STATIC VS DYNAMIC STRETCHING (ARTICLE FOR THURSDAY)

4. 1B) DOES STRENGTH TRAINING LIMIT FLEXIBILITY?
-MYTH: BIG MUSCLES = INFLEXIBILITY
-DATA SHOWS THAT STRENGTH-TRAINING EXERCISES,
WHEN PERFORMED THROUGH A FULL RANGE OF MOTION,
DO NOT LIMIT FLEXIBILITY
-BODY BUILDERS & GYMNASTS, WHO TRAIN HEAVILY WITH
WEIGHTS, HAVE BETTER THAN AVERAGE FLEXIBILITY

5. 1C) WILL STRETCHING EXERCISES HELP YOU LOSE WEIGHT?
-FLEXIBILITY EXERCISES HELP DEVELOP OVERALL HEALTH-
RELATED FITNESS BUT DO NOT CONTRIBUTE MUCH TO WEIGHT
LOSS/MAINTENANCE
-THE ENERGY (CALORIC) EXPENDITURE OF STRETCHING
EXERCISES IS EXTREMELY LOW
-30 MINUTES OF AEROBIC EXERCISE CAN BURN AN
ADDITIONAL 250-300 CALORIES COMPARED TO 30 MINUTES
OF STRETCHING
-MOST PEOPLE WILL BURN 150
CALORIES/HOUR DOING YOGA, COMPARED TO 300+
CALORIES/HOUR WALKING AT 3 MPH

6. 1D) HOW MUCH SHOULD STRETCHING “HURT” TO GAIN
FLEXIBILITY?
-PROPER STRETCHING SHOULD NEVER HURT
-PAIN IS AN INDICATION THAT YOU ARE STRETCHING TOO
AGGRESSIVELY
-STRETCH TO THE POINT OF MILD TENSION
-FOR BEST RESULTS: DECREASE THE DEGREE OF
STRETCH & HOLD STRETCH LONGER

7. “WANT A BETTER WORKOUT? DON’T STRETCH BEFORE”

8. 1) Most fitness experts now agree that what kind of stretching before exercise is not just counter-productive, but potentially
harmful?
-STATIC STRETCHING
2) Traditional stretches, like when people bend over to touch their toes or stretch their legs on a fence, often cause the muscles
to do what?
-TIGHTEN RATHER THAN RELAX
3) When people stretch to the maximum, they are more likely to do what?
-PULL A MUSCLE
4) When you stretch before exercising, your body may think it's at risk of what?
-BEING OVERSTRETCHED
5) How does your body compensate?
-BY CONTRACTING & BECOMING MORE TENSE
6) Stretching helps with flexibility, but people should only do it when?
-THEY AREN’T ABOUT TO EXERCISE (AFTER A WORKOUT OR AT THE END OF THE DAY)
7) In the last few years, what have several studies have found about static stretching before playing a sport?
-IT MAKES YOU SLOWER & WEAKER

9. 8) What has the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found about people who stretched before exercise?
-THEY ARE NO LESS LIKELY TO SUFFER INJURIES SUCH AS A PULLED MUSCLE
9) Instead of stretching, many experts recommend warming up with what?
-A LIGHT JOG OR SPORT-SPECIFIC EXERCISE
10) What does that type of light movement do for the body?
-INCREASES THE HEART RATE & BLOOD FLOW TO THE MUSCLES
11) Fill in the blanks: "This allows you to approach your full ________, but in a very ________ way."
-RANGE OF MOTION, CONTROLLED
12) Research shows static stretching doesn't work as well as more active kinds of stretching that incorporate what?
-MOVEMENT
13) A study published earlier this year in the Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine found that people who stretched using
conventional techniques, like bending over to touch their toes, were less flexible than those who did a more active type of
stretching that used more what?
-MUSCLE GROUPS
14) Many yoga poses involve the whole body and focus not only on stretching a particular muscle, but what else around it?
-LIGAMENTS, TENDONS, & JOINTS

10. 2) FLEXIBILITY
-THE ACHIEVABLE RANGE OF MOTION AT A JOINT OR GROUP
OF JOINTS WITHOUT CAUSING INJURY

11. HEALTH ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH A DECLINE IN FLEXIBILITY
-A DECLINE IN FLEXIBILITY CAN CAUSE:
-INJURY
-ACHES & PAINS
-POOR POSTURE
-APPROXIMATELY 80% OF ALL LOW-BACK PROBLEMS IN THE US STEM FROM
IMPROPER ALIGNMENT OF THE VERTEBRAL COLUMN & PELVIC GIRDLE, A DIRECT
RESULT OF INFLEXIBLE & WEAK MUSCLES
-BACKACHE SYNDROME COSTS U.S. INDUSTRY BILLIONS OF DOLLARS/YEAR IN:
-LOST PRODUCTIVITY
-HEALTH SERVICES
-WORKER COMPENSATION

12. BENEFITS OF GOOD FLEXIBILITY
1) PROMOTES HEALTHY MUSCLES & JOINTS
-IMPROVES ELASTICITY OF MUSCLES & CONNECTIVE TISSUE AROUND
JOINTS WHICH ENABLES GREATER FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT
2) ENHANCES THE QUALTY OF LIFE
-MAKES ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING MUCH EASIER TO PERFORM

13. 3) STRETCHING
-MOVING THE JOINTS BEYOND THE ACCUSTOMED RANGE
OF MOTION.

14. TAKING PART IN A REGULAR STRETCHING PROGRAM:
-INCREASES CIRCULATION TO THE MUSCLE(S) BEING STRETCHED
-PREVENTS LOW-BACK & OTHER SPINAL COLUMN PROBLEMS
-IMPROVES & MAINTAINS GOOD POSTURAL ALIGNMENT
-PROMOTES PROPER & GRACEFUL BODY MOVEMENT
-IMPROVES PERSONAL APPEARANCE & SELF-IMAGE
-HELPS TO DEVELOP & MAINTAIN MOTOR SKILLS THROUGHOUT LIFE

15. PLASTIC ELONGATION VS ELASTIC ELONGATION

16. PLASTIC ELONGATION
-”THE PERMANENT LENGTHENING OF SOFT TISSUE”
-BEST ATTAINED THROUGH SLOW-SUSTAINED STRETCHING EXERCISES

17. ELASTIC ELONGATION
-”THE TEMPORARY LENGTHENING OF SOFT TISSUE”
-INCREASES EXTENSIBILITY
-THE ABILITY TO STRETCH MUSCLES

18. FACTORS THAT AFFECT FLEXIBILITY

19. MUSCLE TEMPERATURE
-CAN INCREASE/DECREASE FLEXIBILITY BY 20%
-STRETCHING BEFORE EXERCISING WARMS MUSCLES & INCREASES
FLEXIBILITY
-COOL TEMPERATURES HAVE OPPOSITIE EFFECT, SO STRETCHING
AFTER FIRST PERFORMING AN AEROBIC EXERCISE (JOGGING) IS BEST

20. AMOUNT OF ADIPOSE TISSUE
-EXCESS ADIPOSE TISSUE (FAT) IN & AROUND JOINTS INCREASES
RESISTANCE TO MOVEMENT & DECREASES FLEXIBILITY

21. GENDER
-WOMEN ARE MORE FLEXIBLE THAN MEN, & SEEM TO RETAIN THIS
ADVANTAGE THROUGHOUT LIFE

22. AGE
-AGING DECREASES THE EXTENSIBILITY OF SOFT TISSUE, RESULTING
IN LESS FLEXIBILITY OF BOTH SEXES

23. LIFESTYLE
-SEDENTARY LIVING: MOST SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTOR TO LOWER
FLEXIBILITY
-INACTIVITY CAUSES MUSCLES TO LOSE THEIR ELASTICITY AND
TENDONS & LIGAMENTS TO TIGHTEN & SHORTEN

24. INJURY
-INJURY TO MUSCLE TISSUE & TIGHT SKIN FROM EXCESSIVE SCAR
TISSUE LEAD TO A DECREASE IN FLEXIBILITY

25. BEFORE ENGAGING IN AN ACTIVITY:
-WHAT IS THE RECOMMENDED WARM-UP TIME BEFORE DOING STEADY
ACTIVITIES (WALKING, JOGGING, CYCLING)?
-3 TO 5 MINUTES
-WHAT IS THE RECOMMENDED WARM-UP TIME BEFORE DOING STOP-&-GO
ACTIVITIES (BASKETBALL, SOCCER, HOCKEY)?
-10 MINUTES

26. MODES OF STRETCHING EXERCISES

27. STATIC STRETCHING
“EXERCISES IN WHICH THE MUSCLES ARE LENGTHENED GRADUALLY
THROUGH A JOINT’S COMPLETE RANGE OF MOTION”
-MOST FREQUENTLY USED & RECOMMENDED IN FLEXIBILITY-
DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS

28. PASSIVE STRETCHING
“EXERCISES PERFORMED WITH THE AID OF AN EXTERNAL FORCE
APPLIED BY EITHER ANOTHER INDIVIDUAL OR AN EXTERNAL
APPARATUS”

29. BALLISTIC STRETCHING
“STRETCHING EXERCISES PERFORMED WITH JERKY, RAPID, & BOUNCY
MOVEMENTS”
-THE LEAST RECOMMENDED FORM OF STRETCHING

30. DYNAMIC STRETCHING
“EXERCISES THAT REQUIRE SPEED OF MOVEMENT, MOMENTUM, &
ACTIVE MUSCULAR EFFORT TO HELP INCREASE THE RANGE OF
MOTION ABOUT A JOINT OR GROUP OF JOINTS”
-PREFERABLE TO STATIC STRETCHING BEFORE COMPETITION
BECAUSE STRENGTH & POWER ARE NOT NEGATIVELY AFFECTED

31. CONTROLLED BALLISTIC STRETCHING
EXERCISES DONE WITH SLOW, GENTLE, & SUSTAINED MOVEMENTS”
-QUITE EFFECTIVE IN DEVELOPING FLEXIBILITY

32. PROPRIOCEPTIVE NEUROMUSCULAR STRETCHING
“MODE OF STRETCHING THAT USES REFLEXES & NEUROMUSCULAR
PRINCIPLES TO RELAX THE MUSCLES BEING STRETCHED”
-BASED ON A “CONTRACT-&-RELAX” METHOD
-MUSCLE BEING STRETCHED ALSO INCREASES IN STRENGTH &
ENDURANCE