Stretching is a fundamentally important part of sport and exercise, playing a role in improving performance, and preventing injury and rehabilitation, but its scientific underpinnings have, to this point, been overlooked in book publishing. The Science and Physiology of Flexibility and Stretching is the most up-to-date and comprehensive book to cover the underlying physiology and psychology of stretching, critically assessing why, when, and how we should stretch, as well as offering a highly illustrated, practical guide to stretching exercises. Placing stretching in the context of both health and performance, the first section of the book sets out the science behind stretching, critically assessing the benefits, disadvantages, and roles of different types of stretching, exploring the mechanisms behind increasing range-of-movement through stretching and other methods, and offering evidence-based guidance on building stretching into warm-ups. In its second section, the book provides a step-by-step guide to static, dynamic, and PRF stretching exercises for beginners, through recreational athletes, to elite performers. Richly illustrated, and including an online resource, The Science and Physiology of Flexibility and Stretching provides an important scientific enquiry into stretching, and an invaluable reference for any strength and conditioning coach or student, personal trainer, sports coach, or exercise scientist.

"Science of Flexibility has long been considered the leading reference on the topic, and this new edition reaffirms that status. No other book covers these concepts and principles better." "Based on the latest research, this completely revised and updated edition includes five new chapters, nearly doubling the content. These chapters discuss the hypermobility of joints, joint manipulation and chiropractic adjustment, controversial stretches, the relationship of stretching and special populations, and the functionality of stretching and flexibility for specific sports and health conditions." "With more than 1,400 scholarly and professional references and over 200 illustrations, photos, and tables, Science of Flexibility is invaluable for exercise scientists, health/fitness professionals, athletic trainers, sport physical therapists and chiropractors, massage therapists, instructors and practitioners of dance, yoga, and the martial arts."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Stretching for Functional Flexibility is a reference guide for the safe, effective, and efficient application of stretching exercises to improve range of motion and movement potential. Based on the most current research, this text is a valuable reference for physical, occupational and massage therapists, athletic trainers, fitness trainers, coaches, sports and orthopedic physicians, doctors of chiropractic, and many other professionals dealing with the health and performance of the musculoskeletal system. The text provides all of the information necessary to design and implement a safe and effective stretching program. A companion Website will offer the fully searchable text and an image bank for instructors.

Based on the latest research, this revised & updated edition includes detailed illustrations throughout & an expanded section of scholarly & professional references.

Here is a definitive guide to flexibility that revises the conceptual framework of the field. From the conceptual foundations of research to the practical applications of stretching techniques in a number of domains, this book provides a fresh perspective on flexibility, one that challenges current thinking and professional practice. It covers all major types of flexibility technique and training, with an emphasis on when and how to use each method safely and effectively. Specific applications to rehabilitation, sport, fitness, and dance make this book an invaluable resource for all practitioners and professionals in the field of human movement.

Flexitest: An Innovative Flexibility Assessment Method introduces Flexitest, a simple, easy-to-learn grading system that simultaneously measures and evaluates the flexibility of 20 different individual joint movements. Now you will be able to really evaluate, rather than just measure, flexibility for individuals of all age groups and physical activity levels. Claudio Gil Soares de Araújo, a Brazilian sports medicine physician with a PhD in physiology, has spent more than 20 years developing and perfecting the Flexitest method. This concise resource clearly explains how to use Flexitest in different settings, with valuable coverage of data acquisition, analysis, and statistics. The book is organized into three parts and includes the following features: -More than 100 accurate photographs of the assessment of 20 joint movements -Numerous figures and tables presenting the flexogram and flexindex data -Supplemented photographs, scientific full text papers and abstracts, and other materials available via the author ́s institutional Web site - http: //www.clinimex.com.br- for viewing and downloading Flexitest book proposes a 18-point classification system that makes it easy to compare and contrast different flexibility assessment techniques; it will appeal to any professional whose job involves flexibility assessment. The author discusses how to determine a global index of body flexibility, called Flexindex, using the assessment of different joints. He presents normative and statistical information for over 3,000 male and female subjects ranging in age from 5 to 88 and the Flexitest profiles of more than 400 athletes from a variety of sports. You'll also find a self-evaluation test, a review of contemporary flexibility testing methods, variables affecting flexibility assessments, and a rationale for the use of Flexitest based on several controlled studies. The information presented in Flexitest: An Innovative Flexibility Assessment Method is clear enough for practitioners to begin using the technique immediately, yet it is detailed enough to meet the scientific needs of researchers.

Physical fitness affects our ability to function and be active. At poor levels, it is associated with such health outcomes as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Physical fitness testing in American youth was established on a large scale in the 1950s with an early focus on performance-related fitness that gradually gave way to an emphasis on health-related fitness. Using appropriately selected measures to collected fitness data in youth will advance our understanding of how fitness among youth translates into better health. In Fitness Measures and Health Outcomes in Youth, the IOM assesses the relationship between youth fitness test items and health outcomes, recommends the best fitness test items, provides guidance for interpreting fitness scores, and provides an agenda for needed research. The report concludes that selected cardiorespiratory endurance, musculoskeletal fitness, and body composition measures should be in fitness surveys and in schools. Collecting fitness data nationally and in schools helps with setting and achieving fitness goals and priorities for public health at an individual and national level.