This document discusses flexibility and movement. It explains that tightness can be caused by sedentary lifestyles, injury, poor nutrition, and age. Research shows that stretching provides flexibility gains, especially for tighter muscles, though regular stretching may provide more performance benefits than pre-exercise stretching. Myofascial release techniques like self-massage and foam rolling can improve range of motion and reduce muscle soreness. A comprehensive flexibility program incorporates assessment, exercises to address muscle imbalances, self-myofascial release, stretching, and functional movement training.

1. Flexibility: Achieving Great Movement
PRESENTED BY:
Max MARTIN BAppSc (Hons) AEP

2. TODAY’S AGENDA
Why flexibility?
The physiological basis of tightness
What does the research say?
Flexibility assessment
Floor to ceiling flexibility specifics

3. Prescription Paradigms
Movement is a behaviour
Developed, learned and adapted.
Faulty Posture or Movement is a SYMPTOM of
dysfunction
Stabilisers typically become hypotonic/inhibited (weak)
– ‘allowing’ faulty posture
Gross movers typically become hypertonic/facilitated
(tight) – ‘driving’ faulty posture

4. Why weakness?
Muscle inhibition due to pain/injury
Muscle susceptibility – eg. VMO vs VL atrophy post surgery
Muscle inactivity in chronic postures – eg. Sedentary behaviours
CNS driven protection

5. Why do people get tight?
Sedentary lifestyle
Injury and pain
Repetitious movement
Poor nutrition and hydration
Age (accumulation of behaviours)
Altered neuromuscular function

6. Why anatomical tightness?
Joint ROM can be limited by the following factors
1. Joint constraints
2. connective tissue (40%) – protective, inactivity,
hypertonicity
3. Neurogenic constraints (voluntary and reflexive) -
protective
4. Myogenic constraints – overload protective

7. tightness?
Or
gaining stability??

8. synergist
tightness weakness
antagonist

9. Upper Cross Syndrome
Lower Cross Syndrome

10. Clinical/Practical findings
synergist
tightness weakness
Pec Minor
Levator Scapula antagonist
Rhomboids
Serratus Anterior
Downward Traps
rotators of scaps! Upward rotators
of scaps!

11. Clinical/Practical findings
synergist
Glute max
tightness weakness
Hamstrings
Hip Flexors
• Psoas
antagonist
• Iliacus Glute max
• TFL
• Rec fem TrA (+core)
Lumbar Erectors

12. Pronation
Weakness!!

13. Stretching for Joint ROM
Harvey, Herbert & Crosbie (2002)
13 studies of poor to moderate scientific quality
Various stretching methods used
• Range Of Motion (ROM) gains on average of 8%
• tighter muscles greatest measured improvements.
• Consistency of >3weeks for ‘plastic’ changes.

14. Stretching and Performance
Shrier 2004
Pre Exercise Stretching:
•Detrimental to isometric force, isokinetic torque
and jumping height
•One study found benefits for running economy
•Of four studies related to running speed:
–1 was found to be positive
– 1 found stretching detrimental
–two showed no effect
Regular Stretching
•7/9 studies showed positive effects upon various performance
parameters, with none showing detrimental effects

15. Let’s think about the design
• Stretching as part of warm up (Young & Behm 2003) prior to
jumping tests - concentric & drop jump
• Five groups: Result:
1. control (no stretch) 1. run
1.b) run, stretch &
2. 4 min run
jump
3. passive stretch 3. Run & stretch
4. run & stretch 4. control
5. run, stretch & practice jumps 5. Passive stretch

16. Effects of Stretching on DOMS:
Herbert & Gabriel (2002)
• Pre or Post-exercise
stretching found to be
ineffective in reducing
DOMS

17. Injury prevention?
Difficult to study – unreliable results
 Hard to control
 Need very high intensity to produce risk of injury
Weldon (2003)
• Pre-exercise stretching shown to be ineffective for reducing
injury risk
• Highest quality studies showed poorest results

18. Massage & DOMS
Ernst (1998)
• Post-exercise massage
shown to be effective in
reducing DOMS
• Poor study quality

19. Massage & Performance
Hennings (2001)
 Improvements to muscle
endurance and power
 No effect upon MVC, stride
length, submax running
 No effect when massaged
between exercise bouts

20. Massage & Joint ROM
Moraska (2005)
• Pre-exercise massage
shown to improve ROM
• Results short term

21. Self-Myofascial Release
Reviews
None!

22. Superficial Front Line

23. Superficial Back Line

24. Spiral Line

25. Functional
Front & Back Lines

26. Exercise and myofascial release
Exercise/movement is vital for myofascial release treatment
Resets neurological programming (ideal 30-60 secs post)
Both needed for permanent change

27. Practical programming
Look at what is short-tight and facilitated (assess!!)
Address Right/left and front/back imbalances
Consider performance effect of chosen modality
 Stretch if trying to ‘relax’ certain muscle
 Stretch for the ‘stiff’ post SMFR > tissue and joint
mobility
 SMFR to low-tone, ‘floppy’ client
 Trigger point release will reset muscle function

28. Practical programming
Warm up:
 Self-myofascial release
 Activation exercises (+ mobilisers)
 Dynamic warm up with progressive loading
 (jog, add speed and direction change, dynamic stretch, agility, skill)
Cool Down
 Decrease metabolic load for waste product clearance
 Slow dynamic stretching movements
 SMFR
 Static stretching later

29. Joint by joint approach
Foot Stable unstable
Ankle Mobile Stiff
Knee Stable unstable
Hip Mobile Stiff Western Foot!!
Lx Spine Stable unstable
Tx Spine Mobile Stiff
Scapula Stable unstable
GH Joint Mobile Stiff
Prescription Paradigms

30. @iNformMaxMartin Corrective Exercise Australia
PRESENTED BY:
Max MARTIN BAppSc (Hons)AEP
max@correctiveexerciseaustralia.com