Lengthening Techniques Lecture

Flashcards covering key terms and definitions related to lengthening techniques in corrective exercise, including various stretching types, their mechanisms, adaptations, and applications.

Corrective Exercise Program

A comprehensive program that includes lengthening techniques to improve range of motion and inhibit overactive, tight structures.

Flexibility

The present state or ability of a joint to move through a range of motion, with both static and dynamic components.

Static Flexibility

The range of possible movement about a joint and its surrounding muscles during a passive movement.

Dynamic Flexibility

The available range of motion during active movements, which requires voluntary muscular actions.

Lengthening Techniques

Techniques used in corrective exercise strategies to improve range of motion and inhibit overactive, tight structures.

Static Stretching

Passively taking a muscle to a point of tension and holding it, characterized by elongating the muscle and myofascial tissue at the end range with controlled alignment.

Neuromuscular Stretching (NMS)

A stretching technique that incorporates varied combinations of isometric and static stretching, also known as proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF).

Dynamic Stretching

Active extension of a muscle using its force production and the body's momentum to take a joint through a full available range of motion, typically used for warm-up.

Active Stretching

A technique using multiple repetitions of a 2-second static stretch, emphasizing contraction of the antagonist to induce reciprocal inhibition.

Ballistic Stretching

A dynamic stretching technique that incorporates higher speed movements with bouncing actions at the end of the range of motion, typically used as prep for sports.

Viscoelastic Component

The property of myofascial tissue that is impacted by mechanical adaptations to stretching, decreasing passive resistance and allowing for greater tissue extensibility.

Motor Neuron Excitability

Decreased by static stretching as a neurological adaptation, reducing the firing frequency of receptors.

Nuclear Chain Fibers

Fibers located in muscle spindles that detect the amount of stretch in a muscle.

Nuclear Bag Fibers

Fibers located in muscle spindles that detect the rate of the extent of stretch in a muscle.

Disfacilitation

A neurological adaptation where receptors decrease their firing frequency, resulting in a weaker signal.

Stretch Tolerance

A psycho-physiological adaptation to stretching that significantly contributes to increased range of motion.

Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF)

Another term for Neuromuscular Stretching, which involves specific stages of contraction and stretching.

Autogenic Inhibition

A neural mechanism in NMS where neural impulses sensing tension are greater than impulses causing muscle contraction, leading to an inhibitory effect on muscle spindles.

Reciprocal Inhibition

The mechanism in NMS where contracting an opposing muscle activates it and subsequently relaxes the muscle being stretched.

Golgi Tendon Organs (GTOs)

Receptors activated by neuromuscular stretching mechanisms, which sense tension and contribute to muscle relaxation.

Compliance (Flexibility)

The characteristic of muscles and tendons to absorb forces over a longer duration, decreasing peak forces and reducing injury risk, with high compliance indicating increased flexibility.

Muscle Stiffness

The resistance to motion in a muscle; low stiffness (high flexibility) decreases workload and improves performance, while high stiffness increases workload.

Myofascial Rolling

A warm-up component aimed at increasing muscle temperatures, decreasing tissue viscoelasticity, and increasing inhibition.

Corrective Exercise Continuum

A structured approach to exercise programming that typically progresses through phases: Inhibit, Lengthen, and Activate.