Abstract
Flexibility is one of the physiological parameters involved in almost all forms of human movement. It is also a necessary component of general health, fitness, and sport-specific conditioning. Flexibility exercises have been advocated as a means of preventing and treating injuries, as well as a way to improve performance. We all have some idea of what flexibility is, yet there is no satisfactory definition of it in the literature. This has lead to misinterpretations of the term, misapplications of the concept, and consequent difficulties not only in researching this parameter, but also in applying the results of such research.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Holtet al. (1996a).
See, respectively, Corbin (1984), Hardy (1985), Sahrmann (1996), Shrier (2002).
Low (1976), Ekstrand et al. (1982), Prichard (1987), Schramm et al. (2001), Shrier (2002).
Holt (1974), Low (1976), Piscopo and Bailey (1981), Ekstrand et al. (1982), Smith (1982), van Gyn (1984) Kreighbaum and Bartheis (1985), Prichard (1987), Saal (1987), Alter (1988), Anderson and Burke (1991), Bloomfield et al. (1992), National Strength and Conditioning Certification Commission (1997), Hedrick (2000), Dirckx (2001), Anderson et al. (2002), Shrier (2002), Soares de Araujo (2004).
Alter (1990), Wiksten and Peters (2000), American College of Sport Medicine (2000).
Dirckx (2001), Anderson et al. (2002).
Saal (1987) proposes that the excursions be achievable within limits of pain. However, the restriction offered here, as in Holt et al. (1996a), is much more appropriate. Flexibility implies the preserved functionality of the tissues, not necessarily the subject’s comfort.
Adapted from Holt et al. (1996a). In our original formulation, we considered flexibility to be the “intrinsic physical property of body tissues that determines range of motion....” Our intent was to emphasize the underlying mechanism as well as the distinction between flexibility and range of motion. Although the distinction still holds, we did not get the formulation exactly right. Flexibility is the functional/dispositional property determined by the mechanism, and not part and parcel of it (which intrinsic properties are), just as flexibility, in turn, determines, but is not equivalent to, range of motion.
Cyriax (1969), Kaltenborn (1988), Maitland (1988). See Chapter 10 for more detail on these techniques.
Holt et al. (1996a), Hedrick (2000).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2008 Humana Press Inc., Totowa, NJ
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Holt, L.E., Pelham, T.W., Holt, J. (2008). Introduction. In: Flexibility: A Concise Guide. Musculoskeletal Medicine. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-60327-105-9_1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-60327-105-9_1
Publisher Name: Humana Press
Print ISBN: 978-1-60327-104-2
Online ISBN: 978-1-60327-105-9
eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)