Maintaining and improving flexibility

Flexibility has been defined as the ability to move a joint or series of joints through a full, nonrestricted, pain-free range of motion. For the sports therapist, a return to or improvement on this preinjury range is an important goal of any rehabilitation program. Most sports activities require relatively "normal" amounts of flexibility. However, some activities, such as gymnastics, ballet, diving, or karate, require increased flexibility for superior performance. An athlete who has a restricted range of motion will probably realize a decrease in performance capabilities. For example, a sprinter with tight, inelastic hamstring muscles probably loses some speed because the hamstring muscles restrict the ability to flex the hip joint and thus	Flexibility. Flexibility is an essential component of many sports-related activities
shorten stride length. Lack of flexibility may also result in uncoordinated or awkward movement patterns. Most sports therapists would agree that good flexibility is essential to successful physical performance, although their ideas are based primarily on observation rather than scientific research. Likewise, they also believe that maintaining good flexibility is important in prevention of injury to the musculotendinous unit, and they will generally insist that stretching exercises be included as part of the warm-up before engaging in strenuous activity, although little or no research evidence is available to support this practice. Flexibility can be discussed in relation to movement involving only one joint, such as the knees, or movement involving a whole series of joints, such as the spinal vertebral joints, which must all move together to allow smooth bending or rotation of the trunk. Flexibility is specific to a given joint or movement. A person may have good range of motion in the ankles, knees, hips, back, and one shoulder joint. If the other shoulder joint lacks normal movement, however, then a problem exists that needs to be corrected before the person can function normally.

4.1. Listen to the text “Maintaining and Improving Flexibility”.

4.2. Read and translate the text.

4.3. Answer the questions on the text.

1. How has flexibility been defined as? 2. What is the main goal of the sports

therapist’s rehabilitation program? 3. Does any sports activity require the same amount of flexibility? 4. How does a restricted range of motion influence an athlete’s performance? 5. Good flexibility is essential to successful physical performance, isn’t it? 6. Why should stretching exercises be included as a part of the warm-up? 7. Can flexibility be discussed in relation to movement involving only one joint or a whole series of joints? 8. Is flexibility specific to a given joint or movement?

4.4. Find in the text English equivalents for the following.

гибкость, способность, цель, группа суставов, полный, неограниченный,

безболезненный, амплитуда /спектр движений, возможно столкнется со снижением исполнительских возможностей, тугой, подколенное сухожилие, требовать, относительно, количество, однако, прыжки в воду, лучший /превосходный, результативное выступление /соревновательное мастерство, ограниченный, более того, утрачивать, сгибать, тазобедренный, кончаться /иметь результатом, неуклюжий, недостаточность /нехватка, таким образом, длина шага, настаивать, нежели, научные исследования, полагать /считать, разминка, профилактика травм, обычно, включать, существенный, мышечно-сухожильный, энергичная деятельность, хотя, не существует научных свидетельств в защиту этой практики, колено, существовать, спина, позволять, вращение, голеностоп, нуждаться, позвоночный, спинной, быть в наличии, поддержание /сохранение, заниматься чем-либо

4.5. Complete the sentences with logical endings.

1 Flexibility has been defined as …. 2. Lack of flexibility may also result in ….

3. Most sports therapists would agree that good flexibility is …. 4. An athlete who has a restricted range of motion will probably realize …. 5. Most sports activities require …. 6. Most sports therapists believe that maintaining good flexibility is important in prevention of …. 7. Sports therapists will generally insist that stretching exercises be included as …. 8. Flexibility is specific to ….

4.6. Open the brackets and use the verbs in a right grammar form.

1. Active range of motion, also called dynamic flexibility, (refer) to the degree to which a joint can be moved by a muscle contraction, usually through the midrange of movement. 2. Dynamic flexibility (be) not necessarily a good indicator of the stiffness or looseness of a joint because it (apply) to the ability to move a joint efficiently, with little resistance to motion. 3. Passive range of motion, sometimes called static flexibility, (refer) to the degree to which a joint may be passively moved to the endpoints in the range of motion. 4. No muscle contraction (be) involved to move a joint through a passive range.

4.7. Complete the sentences with words from a box below.

motion, musculotendinous, an essential component, goal, prevention

1. Flexibility has been defined as the range of … possible about a single joint or through a series of articulations. 2. The maintenance of a full, nonrestricted range of motion has long been recognized as … … … of athletic fitness. 3. Flexibility is important not only for successful physical performance but also for the … of injury. 4. The … of any effective flexibility program should be to improve the range of motion at a given articulation by altering the extensibility of the musculotendinous units that produce movement at the joint. 5. It is well documented that exercises that stretch these … units over time will increase the range of movement possible about a given joint.

4.8. Act out the conversation.