The document discusses the importance of warm ups and flexibility training. It explains that warm ups help protect against injury by improving muscle flexibility and temperature. General warm ups raise heart rate and respiration through activities like jogging. Specific warm ups incorporate sport-specific movements. The document also discusses different types of stretching like static, dynamic, ballistic, and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation stretches. It emphasizes that warm ups and stretching can improve performance and decrease injury risks.

1. SPS451/FSRUiTM
Warm up & Flexibility
Training
Courtesy from YM Raja Mohammed Firhad B.
Raja Azidin
Faculty of Sport Science & Recreation
MARA University of Technology (MALAYSIA)

2. SPS451/FSRUiTM
Warm Up
• Helps protect against injury by improving muscle
flexibility
• Raise the body internal temperature
• General Warm Up
• 5-10 min slow jog, cycle – increase HR, BF, deep
muscle temperature, respiration rate, perspiration and
increase viscosity of joints fluids
• Increase muscle temperature allow greater amount of
flexibility (athletes readiness)
• Specific Warm UP
• Incorporates movements similar to athletes sport.
• 8-12 min of dynamic warm up

3. SPS451/FSRUiTM
• Increases the degradation of
oxyhemoglobin
Breaking down the chemical complex
of oxygen and hemoglobin results in
the release of oxygen from the
blood, enhancing the delivery of
oxygen to the exercising muscle.
• Increases body temperature
The elevation in body temperature
produced by warming up reduces the
potential for skeletal muscle injuries
and connective injuries, since cold
muscle and tendons have been
shown to be more susceptible to
injury.
• Increases blood flow to the exercising
muscles
The greater level of blood reaching the
muscles involved in the activity aids in
the delivery of the fuels (e.g., glucose
and free fatty acids) required for energy
production.
• Increases blood flow to the heart
A greater level of blood delivered to the
heart reduces the potential for
exercise-induced cardiac abnormalities
(e.g., electrocardiographic
disturbances), reducing the potential
for myocardial ischemia.
Why Warming Up is Important?

4. SPS451/FSRUiTM
• Decreases the viscosity of the
muscle
Reduced muscle viscosity increases
the suppleness of the muscle,
thereby enhancing the mechanical
efficiency and power of the
exercising muscles.
• Causes an early onset of sweating
The earlier onset of sweating
promotes evaporative heat loss and,
as a result, decreases the amount of
heat stored by the body. This will
help to prevent an individual's body
temperature from rising to
dangerously high levels during (more
strenuous) exercise.
Why Warming Up is Important?
• Enhances the speed of transmission
of nerve impulses
As nerve impulses are conducted at a
faster rate, neuromuscular
coordination tends to improve,
resulting in better performance of
certain motor tasks.
• Increases the blood saturation of
muscles and connective tissues
A higher level of blood reaching the
muscles, tendons, and ligaments
involved in the activity increases the
elasticity of these tissues, resulting
in a safer, more effective
performance of stretching exercises.

5. SPS451/FSRUiTM
Why Warming Up is Important?
• Prepares the cardiovascular system for the upcoming (more strenuous)
physical activity
Warming up helps to ensure that the cardiovascular system (heart and blood
vessels) is given time to adjust to the body's increased demands for blood and
oxygen.
• Prepares the muscular system for the upcoming (more strenuous) physical
activity
Warming up provides a transition from rest to strenuous exercise, and may
reduce the likelihood that excessive muscular soreness will be a concomitant
result of strenuous activity.

6. Does Warm Up Reduce The
Risk of Injury?
SPS451/FSRUiTM

7. Specific Warm Up?
SPS451/FSRUiTM

8. SPS451/FSRUiTM
Flexibility
• ROM available in a joint or group of joint.
• Optimal musculoskeletal flex can improve
performance by increasing a joint movement,
decreasing risk of injury
• The degree of movement that occur at a
joint is ROM

9. SPS451/FSRUiTM
Flexibility Training Program
“ A planned, deliberate & regular exercise
program that can permanently & progressively
increase the usable ROM of a joint or a set of
joints over a period of time”

10. SPS451/FSRUiTM

11. SPS451/FSRUiTM
Factors Affecting Flexibility
• Joint structure
– Ball & socket joint (shoulder & hip) have the greatest
ROM
• Age & Gender
– Young people tend to be more flexible
– Female more flexible than male
• Connective tissue
– Tendons, ligaments fascial shealths, joint capsules &
skin may limit ROM

12. SPS451/FSRUiTM
Factors Affecting Flexibility
• Weight training with limited ROM
– Heavy resistance training with limited ROM may
decrease ROM
– To prevent loss of ROM athletes should perform
exercises that develop both agonist & antagonist
muscles, & exercise through full ROM

13. SPS451/FSRUiTM
Factors Affecting Flexibility
• Muscle Bulk
– A large increase in muscle bulk may adversely affect
ROM by impeding joint movement
– E.g athletes with large biceps will have difficulty in
stretching the triceps, racking a power clean, or
holding a bar while performing front squat
• Activity Level
– Active person tends to be more flexible

14. SPS451/FSRUiTM
Frequency, Duration & Intensity
of Flexibility Exercise
• Stretching twice a week for 5 weeks has been shown to
improve flexibility
• Each practice session should be preceded with 5 to 6 min of
general warm up, 8 to 12 min of sport specific stretching &
conclude with 4 to 5 min of stretching
• Individual stretches should be held to the point of mild
discomfort, not pain for 15-30s

15. SPS451/FSRUiTM
Proprioceptors & Stretching
• Muscle spindles
– Monitor changes in muscle length
– Rapid stretching will cause stretch reflex (motion will
be limited by the reflexive muscle action)
• Golgi Tendon organ (GTOs)
– Sensitive to increase in muscular tension

16. SPS451/FSRUiTM
Type of Stretching
• Active Stretch
– Occurs when the person stretching supplies the force of
the stretch
• Passive
– Occur when a partner or stretching machine provides
the force of the stretch

17. SPS451/FSRUiTM
Type of Stretching
• Static Stretch
– Slow & constant with end position held for 15-30s
– Includes the relaxation & concurrent elongation of the
stretched muscle
– Does not elicit the stretch reflex
– Less risk of injury

18. SPS451/FSRUiTM
Type of Stretching
• Ballistic Stretch
– Typically involves active muscular effort & uses a
bouncing-type movement in which the end position is not
held
– Often used in pre-exercise warm up
– Trigger stretch reflex
– Not the preferred technique

19. SPS451/FSRUiTM
Type of Stretching
• Dynamic Stretch
– Similar with ballistic but dynamic stretching avoids
bouncing & includes movements specific to a sport or
movement pattern
– Specific warm up

20. Advantages of Dynamic
Stretching?
SPS451/FSRUiTM

21. Arm Swing

22. Lying Cross Leg
Behind
Power Skips

23. Straight Leg Walk Walking High Knee

24. Walking Lunges

25. SPS451/FSRUiTM
Proprioceptive Neuromuscular
Facilitation Stretch (PNF)
3 basic type of PNF
1. Hold Relax
2. Contract Relax
3. Hold Relax with Agonist Contraction
A stretch to improve hamstring flexibility is used
as example.

26. SPS451/FSRUiTM
PNF: Hold Relax
• Begins with a passive pre stretch that is held at the point
of mild discomfort for 10s
• The partner applies a hip flexion force & the athlete is
instructed to “hold & don’t let move the leg”, while the
athlete “hold” and resists the movement so that an
isometric contraction occurs & is held for 6s.
• The athlete then relaxes, and a passive stretch (greater
magnitude) is performed and held for 30s (the increased
ROM is facilitated due to autogenic inhibition – activation
of the hamstring)

27. SPS451/FSRUiTM
PNF: Hold Relax

28. SPS451/FSRUiTM
PNF: Contract-Relax
• Begins with a passive pre stretch that is held at the point of
mild discomfort for 10s
• The athletes then extends the hip against a resistance from
the partner so that a concentric muscle action through the
full ROM occurs.
• The athlete then relaxes, and a passive hip-flexion stretch is
applied & held for 30s

29. SPS451/FSRUiTM
PNF: Contract-Relax

30. SPS451/FSRUiTM
PNF: Hold-Relax with
Agonist Contraction
• This technique is identical to hold-relax in the first two
phases.
• During the third phase, a concentric action of the agonist is
used in addition to the passive stretch to add to the stretch
force

31. SPS451/FSRUiTM
PNF: Hold-Relax with
Agonist Contraction

32. SPS451/FSRUiTM
Common PNF Stretches with a
Partner
Calves
Groin
Quads & Hip Flexor

33. SPS451/FSRUiTM
Common PNF Stretches with a
Partner
Chest Shoulders

34. SPS451/FSRUiTM
Common PNF Stretches with a
Partner
Hamstring
Piriformis
Groin

35. SPS451/FSRUiTM
Common PNF Stretches with a
Partner
Lower Back &Hamstring Quads & Hip Flexor

36. Does Static Stretching Decrease
Muscular Performance?
SPS451/FSRUiTM

37. Enhancing Flexibility Through
Whole Body Vibration?
SPS451/FSRUiTM

38. SPS451/FSRUiTM
Stretching Guidelines for Older Adults
• Always precede stretching exercises with some type of warm
up activity
– Increase circulation & internal btm
– Stretch smoothly & don’t bounce
– Don’t stretch a joint beyond its pain free ROM
– Gradually ease into a stretch, & hold it only as long as it
feels comfortable (10 – 30 s)

39. SPS451/FSRUiTM
Conclusion
To improve performance & decrease the chance of
injury, athletes should use both a warm up & stretching
to prepare for sport or activity. The most effective
stretching techniques are those that take advantage of
the inhibition provided by PNF.
However, if a partner with appropriate expertise is not
available, static stretching is an easy & effective
alternatives.