Physiology of Flexibility & Stretching

Vocabulary

active stretching, dynamic stretching, facilitated stretching, flexibility, passive stretching, proprioceptive neuromuscluar facilitation (PNF), resistance stretching, static stretching, stretching, tensile load

1. ACTIVE STRETCHING — Contracting the muscle in opposition to the targeted stretching muscle
2. DYNAMIC STRETCHING — Stretch done with movement
3. FACILITATED STRETCHING — Another name for Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF)
4. FLEXIBILITY — The ability to move (without pain or restriction) through a joint’s range of motion
5. PASSIVE STRETCHING — Many non-yoga sources define it as using an outside force such as a partner; most yoga sources likely mean what Ray Long calls Passive Static Stretching, defined as relaxing into the stretch such as in a Restorative Pose
6. PROPRIOCEPTIVE NEUROMUSCULAR FACILITATION (PNF) — A muscle group is passively stretched, then contracts isometrically against resistance while in the stretched position, and is then passively stretched again
7. RESISTANCE STRETCHING — Stretch is done with contraction while lengthening (eccentric contraction)
8. STATIC STRETCHING — Stretch is performed with no outside force and no movement, and is held for some period of time
9. STRETCHING — Affects the nervous system in a way that relaxes muscle fibers (Many other definitions included in lesson)

TENSILELOAD / TENSILE STRENGTH — One of many ways that stretching is defined; refers to the greatest pulling force that a material can withstand without breaking; “tensile” refers to pulling apart in contrast to “compressive” which refers to pushing together

What Is Flexibility & What Limits It?

What Is Flexibility?

• Flexibility refers to the ability to move (without pain or restriction) through a joint’s range of motion.
• It is not something general but specific to a particular joint or set of joints. (MIT)