Wellness Chap. 5 Flexibility & low back health.

Stretching before exercise can disturb proprioceptors & interfere w/motor control during exercise.

Benefits of Flexibility: provides benefits for entire muscular system, it prevents injury & soreness. & improves performance in all physical activities.

The best lower back exercises are whole body exercises that force core muscles to stabilize the spine in different directions.

Causes of lower back pain: The lumbar hurt most because they bare the most weight, spine is more likely to be injured when baring loads at an angle to its long axis or when trunk is flexed-(bent over).>>

The disks are made up of a gel/water-filled nucleus surrounded by fibrous rings. The liquid nucleus can change shape when it is compressed, allowing the disks to absorb shock. They also maintain the space so the nerves don't get compressed.

Core Muscles: Abdomen, pelvic floor, sides of the trunk, back, butt, hips, pelvis. 29 muscles in all. Stabilize spine & transfer weight between upper/lower body. They stabilize the midsection when you sit/jump/squat/stand/throw/twist/bend. The work together during any dynamic movement.

Managing/preventing back pain: Do low-back exercises 3 days a week, emphasize endurance over strength, don't do Full ROM spine exercises in the morning. >>

Do cardio endurance along with strength/flexibility, "NO pain, NO gain doesn't apply to back exercises, if it hurts stop.

Yoga: involves slow gentle movements performed w/controlled breathing & focused attention. Hold posture for 60 seconds.>>

It involves simple breathing exercises that gentle stretch upper back while helping the practitioner focus. It is often recommended for people w/back pain.

Applying FITT to flexibility: Frequency- 2-3 days a week, don't stretch before a workout. do a light warm up. 5-7 days per week is ideal.

Intensity & time: stretch to mild discomfort or slight tension. hold it for 10-30 seconds. rest 30-60 seconds between stretches. do 2-4 reps of each stretch. a complete flexibility exercise takes 10-30 minutes.

The vertebral body is designed to carry body weight. Nerve roots pass through the vertebral arch.

Intervertebral disks: absorb & disperse the stresses placed on the spine, & separate the vertebrae from each other. >>

Relaxation-(flexibility exercises, w/yoga or tai chi reduce mental tension, slows breathing, reduces BP.

Stretching reduces pain & improves functional capacity in people with arthritis, stroke, or muscle nerve diseases & people recovering from surgery/injury.

People with Low or High flexibility are at increased risk of injury. Low--don't get through full ROM. High--have less joint stability.

Stretching-(relieves aches & pains). Gentle stretching-(relieves muscles cramps, caused by increased electrical currents w/in the muscles). >>

They are based on sports movements or daily life movement, developing functional flexibility. >>

Their more challenging than static stretches because they require balance & coordination, & carry a greater risk of soreness & injury.

Flexibility: The ability to move a joint through a full range of motion.

2 types of flexibility: Static & dynamic.

Soft Tissues: include skin, muscles, tendons, & ligaments. Muscle tissue is the key to flexibility because it can be stretched out. >>

>>Connective tissue (CT) surrounds every part of muscle tissue, it provides structure, elasticity, & bulk that makes up 30% of muscle mass. 2 types of CT. Collagen & Elastin.

Joint Structure: hinge joints-(knees, fingers). ball-&-socket joints-(hips, shoulder)-lots of movement. Major joints are surrounded by a joint capsule-(semielastic structures, composed of connective tissue. >>

>>Joint capsule-(give joints strength/stability, limit movement. Synovial joint underneath, & cartilage. Heredity plays role in flexibility of a joint).

Elastic elongation: Temporary lengthening, if done regularly the connective tissue will lengthen. flexibility will improve through the addition of contractile sarcomeres. >>

>>Plastic elongation: the Long-term lengthening, w/out regular stretching this process is reversed. Connective tissue becomes more brittle & may rupture if overstretched.

Static: The ability to hold an extended position at one end or point in a joints range of motion. ex.- how far can you extend your arm across the front of your body. >>

>>it depends on your ability to tolerate stretched muscles, the structure of your joints, & the tightness of muscles, tendons, & ligaments.

Ballistic Stretching: muscles are stretched suddenly in a forceful bouncing movement. ex.- touching the toes rapidly, stretches the hamstrings. Only for above avg athletes, it trains the muscles dynamically. >>

A problem is that increased proprioceptors activity caused by the rapid stretches can continue for some time. causing injury during any activity that follow. >>

Another problem is that triggering strong responses from the nerves, can cause a reflex muscle contraction that makes it harder to stretch. Thus, it is not recommended for people of avg fitness.

Dynamic (functional) stretching: muscles are stretched by moving the joints slowly, through their full ROM in a controlled manner. ex.- a lunge that is slowly controlled. it lengthens muscles w/out high tension. They train the neuromuscular system.>>

Collagen: White fibers that provide structure & support.

Elastin: Yellow fibers that elastic & flexible.

It can result from trauma, but is normally associated w/weak, inflexible muscles, poor posture/body mechanics during activities-(lifting/carrying things).

Function & Structure of the Spine: provides body structure, surrounds & protects the spinal column. Supports much of the body's weight & transfers it to the lower body. >>

Serious athletes may use dynamic stretches as part of the warm-up, in order to move the joints through ROM.

Functional flexibility can be combined w/functional strength training. ex.-lunge curls-(lunges w/free weights).

Bottom line--the earlier in life you become physically active, the greater protection against bone loss, & bone related diseases.

Joint Health: when the muscles are tight around joints, it can place abnormal stress on those joints. Tight thigh muscles can stress the knee cap. It can also affect joint lubrication.

Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF): contracting a muscle prior to stretching it can allow the muscle stretch farther.

Modifying nervous control through movement & specific exercises is best for improving the functional Range of motion.

You can achieve flexility improvements in 2-3 weeks, but may take 2 months to increase 10-20% flexibility in many joints. (((She said 4 days)))

More than 85% of people in U.S. experience back pain by age 50. Low back pain is second most common ailment in the U.S. It costs 50 billion in lost work etc. >>

Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF): Use reflexes initiated by both muscle & joint nerves to cause greater training effects. >>

Most popular PNF is *Contract-Relax stretching*-(where the muscle is contracted before it is stretched. The contraction activates proprioceptors, causing relaxation in the muscle about to be stretched). >>

Preventing Low-Back pain: Regular exercise aimed at flexibility & increased muscle strength/endurance, in the core, prevents the loss of fluid in the disks. >>

Movement helps lubricate spinal joints & increases muscle fitness in trunk & legs. No smoking, sitting too long, medium firm matters, lumbar support in car, warm up before exercising, gradually improve training.

You can improve bone mineral density 1-2% by exercising. Off setting bone mineral losses of 1-4% over 1-4 years.

Osteoarthritis: really physical sports can increase this disease. Cross-country skiing, running, don't cause this.

A partner provides resistance for an Isometric contraction-(muscle doesn't change length during contraction). for 6 seconds, followed by relaxation then stretching for 10-30 seconds. You need to push hard during the isometric contraction.

Passive Stretching: muscles are stretched by an outside force/resistance provided by a partner/gravity/or weights to move the joints through a full ROM. You get a greater ROM w/these stretches but they can cause injury because the stretch is not controlled by the muscles themselves.

Aging decreases elasticity of muscles/tendons/joints. joint flexibility can decrease arthritis & helps with balance & stability.

Prevention of Low-back pain & injuries: poor spinal stability puts pressure on nerves. So strengthen back/pelvis/thighs. Strong knees limit shock.

Stretch gradually & conservatively when the muscles are warm, or after applying heat. Sudden stretching is less effective.

Proprioceptors: nerves that send info about the position/force of muscular & skeletal system to the nervous system. They control strength/speed/coordination of muscle contractions.

When a muscle is lengthened, Nervous System responds by initiating *Reflex Contraction* that resists the lengthening. & antagonist relaxes to assist the contraction.

Rapid, bouncy movements can cause injury because the muscle can be lengthening & contracting at the same time. Slow gradual stretches offset the proprioceptors trying to limit the lengthening, as they adjust.

You don't have to do something active to injure the back. picking up a pencil w/poor mechanics can injure the back. Knees locked and bending over can also do hurt the back.

Risk factors: over 34 years old, family history, sedentary lifestyle, low job satisfaction/socioeconomic status, smoking-(increases degeneration in spine), body weight, stress/depression-(increase muscle tension). >>

Slipped disks: stress can cause the disks to break down, it bulges out, & puts pressure on the nerves. >>

S/S--numbness in back/hip/leg/foot, radiating pain, loss of muscle function, etc. if pressure is severe enough on the nerve it can be permanent.

Serves as an attachment site for a large number of muscles, tendons, & ligaments. allows movements of head & neck in all directions.

Spine is made up of Vertebrae, 7 cervical, 12 thoracic, 5 lumbar. 5 Sacrum, 4 coccyx-(fused together in sacral complex).

85% of bone mass for girls is before their 18. Boys build the same amount by age 20.

Start losing bone density at 30. 10 million have osteoporosis. 34 million are at risk because of low bone density.

Type: 4 major types stretches that focus on major joints.

Static stretching: most often recommended. each muscle is slowly stretched, & then held in that stretched position for 10-30 seconds. The key is to stretch the muscles until you feel a pull. too much stretching can cause joint instability.

physically demanding jobs, jobs that require high concentration-(computer programming), & jobs that involve full body vibration-(truck driving).

Underlying causes: poor muscle endurance/strength in core muscles, poor body mechanics even while sleeping, injuries to muscles/tendons/lig's.

Dynamic: The ability to move a joint through it's range of motion w/little resistance. ex.- ability to pitch a ball or swing a golf club. it also relies on static flexibility, but also Strength, Coordination, & resistance to movement.

What determines flexibility? Joints structure, muscle elasticity, length & nervous system.

Osteoporosis: affects 55% of people 50 or older.

exercise can reduce fractures. Especially if you walk at least 4 hours a week, with at least 1 hour of higher intensity.

Good flexibility-- less you assume more efficient body positions & exert force through a greater ROM. >> *Most common flexibility test is "sit & reach."*

it increases body posture & balance. ex.- sitting slumped over can lead to tightness in the chest muscles--called *kyphosis*>>

Active Stretching: Muscle is stretched by a contraction of opposing muscles. ex.- stretching your calf w/out using your hand to pull your toes back. >>

problems-(you may not be able to stretch far enough, to increase flexibility. The safest technique, it to Active stretch, w/occasional passive assist).