flexibility, body comp, behavior change
The full degree of movement available to a particular joint
Range of motion
The ability to hold an extended position at a joint’s maximum range of motion
Static flexibility
The ability to temporarily move a joint to its maximum range of motion during movements — this greater than static flexibility
Dynamic flexibility
The connection between two bones — the areas where two or more bones meet
Joint
What affects flexibility?
How well the joint fits together
Ligaments around the joint and their properties
The health of the joint
Muscles around the joint and their properties
Joint flexibility
Some joints have a tighter fit, and are less flexible, but others are naturally more mobile
Flexible: shoulder
Not flexible: ankle, knee
Ligaments
Located around the joint
These are more extensive in certain joints than others but also, different people may have looser ligaments than others, increasing their flexibility – gender plays a role but training can change this
Ligaments are slower to adapt
Health of the joint
Reflects the overall “_______________”
Joint injuries are common for active individuals – most heal quickly, but other leave long-lasting damage
Loss of range of motion
Muscles around the Joint
Muscles and other tissue contain collagen and elastin – collagen is not very flexible but elastin is – both can increase their flexibility with increased temp and blood flow, application of heat
Collagen
Not very flexible, can increase flexibility with increased temperature
Elastin
More flexible than collagen, can increase flexibility with increased temperature — lost as we age, so our tissues naturally become less flexible
Problems from poor flexibility
Decreased range of motion
Muscle soreness
Altered posture
Poor mobility
Decreased ability to exercise
Sleep loss
Decreased work productivity
Increased health care costs
Elastic elongation
Temporary lengthening of tissue — improving flexibility
Warming up a muscle will cause this
Plastic elongation
Permanent lengthening of tissue — improving flexibility
Only occurs with chronic flexibility training
Ballistic stretching
Quick, explosive stretches — stretching you see track athletes perform to specifically make their muscle TIGHTER, ready to spring — do not recommend this type of stretching, especially before a warmup
Static stretching
Most common stretch, usually done alone — subject reaches full range of motion + holds position from 10-30 seconds — can improve flexibility both short and long term
Recommended to warm up first, or do stretching at the end of a workout, to reduce chance of injury
Partner stretches and PNF stretching
Using a partner, stretcher pushes back against resistance, activating muscle reflexes and relaxing the muscle — work both short and long term, perhaps even better than static stretching
Functional dynamic stretching
These are activity-specific movements performed before exercise at a gradually increasing speed + intensity
Goal: to improve blood flow in the muscles to be used during activity, thereby improving flexibility
Flexibility training - Frequency
5-6 days per week when starting, less to maintaining
Flexibility training - Intensity
To a position of mild discomfort
Flexibility training - Time/Repetitions
4-5 reps each joint, 10-30 seconds each stretch
When to stretch?
Before a workout, but only after a brief warmup
After a workout while still warm (best choice)
Flexibility and injuries
Improving flexibility decreases injuries because the muscle is less likely to be stretched beyond its range of motion during activity
Imbalance of strength or flexibility between opposing muscles — weaker muscle can be overstretched because it cant resist the strength of the stronger one on the other side of a joint — imbalance between hamstring + quadriceps strength, better flexibility can reduce injuries in this instance
Low back pain
Back pain is experienced by more than 85% of Americans, making it one of the most common medical problems today
Causes of low back pain
Lack of flexibility of muscle strength/flexibility imbalances
Acute trauma to the low back, including improper lifting technique
Chronic poor posture in work-related situation
Obesity
Preventing low back pain
Increase flexibility of low back and quadriceps muscles
Increase strength of gluteus, hamstrings, and abdominal muscles
This results in the pelvis being returned to a neutral position and decreasing the curvature of the lower back
Proper lifting technique
Stand close to the object
Bend at the waist and knees with your spine in a neutral position
Lift upwards, keeping your back angle the same
Minimize twisting while unloading the object
If placing back on the ground, observe the same rules as above
Anterior pelvic tilt (poor)
Weak: Abdominals + Glutes and Tight: Hip flexors + Erector Spinae
Lordosis of the spine, exaggerated lumbar curve
Spine
Need a little curvature to be forgiving of actions – jump, etc
If too much curvature, herniated disc could form – low back pain, tingling, numbness
Pelvic tilt is important – more tilt, causes the lumbar area to curve as well (slide 19)
Obesity problem in America
Obesity problem getting worse — heart disease, obesity, etc.
Age-Adjusted Prevalence of Obesity and Diagnosed Diabetes Among US Adults —— 1994, 2000, 2015
Body Composition
Refers to the percentage of fat, bone, and muscle in your body — fat and nonfat components of the human body
The gold standard is to measure/estimate the percentage of fat by body weight, but other methods are used to assess disease risk
Components of the Body
Fat-free Mass vs Fat Mass
FFM:
Bone
Muscle
Water
FM:
Essential fat
Non-essential fat
Fat-free mass — components of the body
Bone: mostly minerals like calcium + phosphorous
Muscle: largely protein, but also includes water
Water: all over the body
Fat mass
Essential fat: bone marrow, spinal cord, liver, heart, nerve insulation, kidneys, sex-specific fat for reproductive functions
Non-essential fat: for storage purposes only, primarily under the skin
Essential fat for Men
3-5%
Although athletes are often said to be 3% or less, this is likely due to measurement error, since these levels are associated with health problems such as fatigue, bone loss, and higher death rates
Essential fat for Women
12-15%
In women, hormonal disturbances are associated with decreases in % fat to certain levels. This is thought to be caused by a lack of available energy to support proper hormone release
“Proper weight”
While it’s true that excess body fat adversely affects health, it is more important that you pursue:
Healthy diet + relationship with food
Blood pressure + lipid profiles in a healthy range
An active lifestyle
Healthy relationships
Acceptance of your point type
Trying to achieve a body weight that is abnormal for your body type is unhealthy and should be discouraged
How are men + women different?
Men and women differ in essential fat, overall mass + muscle mass, but are similar in storage fat – therefore, a higher percent fat is acceptable, even expected, in women
Why is Body Composition important?
Relationship to disease
Directly related:
Lower back pain
Vascular disease in legs
Higher accident rate
Stress
Indirectly related, but strong relationship:
Heart disease
Congestive heart failure
Cancer
Diabetes
Body Mass Index
Measures the ratio of your height to your weight to estimate the amount of body fat you have — Assess risk of disease, NOT body composition (actual number)
(Body weight x 705)/(height in inches)2
Formula does not take into account variation in percent fat, so a person with higher amounts of muscle might have a higher BMI, but still be healthy. The opposite might also be true
BMI is used because you can see correlation and is easy to measure
Waist to Hip ratio
Does not assess body composition — Assessing Body Composition + Risk for Disease
Ratio of the smallest girth at the waist to the largest girth at the hips — simple but useful measure of fat distribution
Fat stored in the abdomen leads to more health problems than fat stored elsewhere - since men are more likely to store fat in the abdomen, they are at greater disease risk than women
Measurement % fat
Density = Mass/Volume
% fat = (4.95/Density) - 4.5
If you can accurately measure two from: density, mass, and volume, then you can estimate % fat. This is true because fat and lean tissue have different densities, and using a well-known formula, body density can be converted to % fat.
Body Composition Data
No consensus, but generally, range of 10% to 22% for men, and 20% to 32% for women, is considered satisfactory for health
Hydrostatic Weighing
Measures the density of the body
Difference between weight in air and underwater
The body's density is measured by obtaining the difference of body weight in air and under water using Archimedes principle
Because muscle is more dense than water, it sinks – fat is less dense and tends to float – so, the more weight you lose in water, the higher your % fat
A very accurate method, but…
Time consuming
Expensive
Afraid of water
Error rate 3%
Air Plethysmography (BodPod)
Measures the density of the body
Measures body volume inside a defined area – from this, density is derived
Very accurate, but…
Expensive
Skin-tight bathing suit (and swim cap) a must
No water issues, but claustrophobia could be a problem
Error rate 3%
Skinfolds — measurements derived from density measurements
Measures the density of the body
Thickness of subcutaneous fat
Assessment of body composition
Best combination of ease of use, and accuracy, but not the most accurate of all the methods
Error rate 4-5%
Bioelectrical Impedance (BIA)
The speed of electrical current as it passess through the body
Muscle offers little resistance (very watery), so signal runs fast
Fat offers more resistance (no water), so it slows the signal down
Not as accurate as skinfold or others, but extremely convenient, no skill involved
Problem:
What if you’re dehydrated – appear to have more body fat because machine is trying to make up for water weight, opposite for overhydrated
Error rate 4-7% — (highest out of all)
Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA)
Measure absorption of x-rays by the body
Fat, bone, and muscle all absorb different amounts of x-ray, allowing the composition of the body to be accurately estimated
Accuracy as good as or better than any other method, but…
Expensive and not readily available
Error rate 2-3%
Nature of Body Composition changes
Fat is preferentially stored in certain areas, and is lost in those same areas
During weight loss
Greatest changes in skinfolds are abdomen and thigh
Greatest changed in girth area abdomen, then waist, hips and less in thigh
No “spot reduction”!! You can’t pick and choose where you want the fat to be lost
Cardiorespiratory endurance
150-300 minutes per week at moderate to vigorous (60-85% HRR) intensity. Mode should be specific to goals.
Muscular fitness
2-3 times per week, using all major muscle groups. Adjust reps and rest periods for goals, but always work to fatigue for maximum effect.
Flexibility
The ability of a joint or series of joints to move through an unrestricted, pain free range of motion
Include full body stretching on a regular basis, but only after warmup or workout
Transtheoretical model
Behavior modification
People progress through five stages of change at varying rates. In the progress of change, people move back and forth along the stage continuum. Self confidence and the balance between pros and cons is also changing as people transition to the next stage
Transtheoretical model — Stage 1
Precontemplation
No physical activity or exercise is occurring, and the person has no intention to start within the next 6 months
Self-confidence i slow
Cons outweigh the Pros
Transtheoretical model — Stage 2
Contemplation
No physical activity or exercise is occurring, but the person has the intention to start within the next 6 months
Self confidence is increasing
Pros somewhat outweigh the Cons
Transtheoretical model — Stage 3
Preparation
Preparing to do enough to make a difference, getting ready to do more and do enough
Meeting the guidelines but not doing enough to make a change
Participation in some physical activity or exercise is occurring, but not at levels that meet the current guidelines for exercise prescription
Self confidence is high
Pros clearly outweigh the Cons
Transtheoretical model — Stage 4
Action
The person is engaged in physical activity or exercise that meets current guidelines, but the person has not maintained this program for 6 months or longer
Self confidence is high
Pros greatly outweigh the Cons
Transtheoretical model — Stage 5
Maintenance
Exercise or activity that meets current guidelines has been occurring for 6 months or longer
BM — Changing the Way We Think
First two stages:
Increase knowledge of importance of healthy behavior and link to disease
Understanding you are at risk
Reminder of consequences of unhealthy behavior to yourself and to the others
Overcome social stigma and allow yourself to pursue healthy lifestyle
BM — Changing the Way We Behave
Last three stages:
Ridding ourselves of bad habits by replacing with new ones
Enlist social support for new behaviors
Reward yourself for positive behavior
Commit yourself to the new behavior by setting goals
Control the stimuli in your environment to discourage unhealthy behaviors
Having bag packed for the gym night before — committing to go
Relapse Prevention Model
Incorporates the identification of high-risk situations and the development of plans for coping with high-risk situations
An important elements of this model is to learn how to restructure thinking to distinguish between a lapse and a relapse and to develop flexibility in the approach for attaining exercise and physical activity goals — injuries and holidays are common things that disrupt exercise plans
Strategies to minimize disruption include:
Planning out a return to routine following an injury or planned vacation
No all-or-none thinking
Missing a workout does not mean that you will fall behind
Eating a treat will not destroy your diet
List reasons that cause injury
High-impact activities
Starting too fast or transitioning to new intensity too fast
Overtraining
Pre-existing weakness, injury, or abnormalities in your body
Improper equipment/hard surface
Muscle soreness
Cause
Unaccustomed exercise, muscle damage
Treatment
Rest, and then exercise regularly – no effective way to decrease recovery time
Shin splints
Cause
Overuse, hard surface, or worn-out shoes
Treatment
Rest and ice several times a day
Side stitch and muscle cramps
Cause
Unknown, but probably bad hydration or poor circulation – body makes adjustments though, since it occurs less as you continue to train
Treatment
Slow down, drink some water, keep training
Muscle pulls/strains, turned ankles
Cause
Various, but muscle imbalances are likely
Treatment
Rest, Ice, Compress, Elevate
Exercising in the Heat — Facts
High heat/humidity is dangerous
Since the body is not capable of losing heat in hot humid environments, ‘toughing it out’ makes no sense. Neither does withholding water to build toughness. It is, however, a good way to get sued
Sweating a lot ≠ healthy weight loss
Even if you do lose weight after sweating a lot (some people can lose 5-7 lbs. during a long workout), that water must be replaced in order for the body to function normally. This weight loss is therefore only temporary
Exercising in the Heat — Actions
Drink a lot
Not only do you need water to continue to sweat, but your blood is mostly water, which it loses as you sweat. So, sweating a lot decreases the heart’s efficiency and drinking water will help offset this. Don’t overdo it, though. You can actually drink too much (but it’s really hard). Drink something with electrolytes to keep this from happening.
Lower intensity
If you insist on exercising in the heat, remember that your heart is doing double duty: oxygenating the tissues and getting rid of extra heat. Your heart rate will be much higher, and so will your level of exhaustion. Take it easier in the heat.
Stop if you feel dizzy, overheated, etc..
Exercising in the cold
Exercising in the cold usually also results in lots of water loss due to the dry air – just as important to drink in cold weather as in hot