Kenneth Gardner
IT IS intriguing that many of us think more highly of what we drive than what drives us! We prize being mobile when our 'ride' is one of the latest four-wheel drive.
It is unfortunate when this is at the expense of our own anatomical mobility.
The mobilisation of our joints is cardinal to the very basic need of movement which characterises us. Our range of movement may be limited by ligaments, the length and extensibility of muscle tendons, occlusion of soft tissues or the impingement of bones. The transient state of voluntary muscle contraction and the reflex actions that are regulated by muscle mechanisms may also influence our range of movement.
FLEXIBILITY AND HABITUAL MOVEMENT
Flexibility is a synonym used for the range of joint movement which is important in physical fitness, posture, surgery and physical medicine. The lack of flexibility and mobility, by extension, limit performance and the correction of postural defects. On the other hand, excessive flexibility sometimes sacrifices desirable stability and support and may predispose a joint to injury. Determining the optimal amount of flexibility in a particular joint for a particular purpose is a matter for careful professional judgement.
Our flexibility and mobility decrease gradually as we age, but, more so if we are sedentary. On the average, females are more flexible than males at the same age. Athletes in specific sporting events demonstrate flexibility patterns that are typical to the sport. An overview of experimental evidence supports the conclusion that flexibility correlates with habitual movement patterns for each person. Age and gender differences are secondary rather than innate in the level of flexibility displayed.
Habitual posture and chronic heavy work through restricted ranges of motion lead to adaptive shortening of the muscles. Over time, inflexibility tends to become permanent and irreversible especially as the development of osteoarthritis invokes calcification of tissues near the joints. Thus, many activities that we did as youngsters that displayed remarkable flexibility and mobility tend to be near impossible after years of lack of practice.
A sound programme of progressive resistance exercise will increase and maintain flexibility beyond normal ranges. Mobility does improve significantly with the correct exercise prescription. With improved mobility there are reciprocal improvements in the elements of skill-related fitness such as agility, balance, coordination, speed, power and reaction time. Other factors such as cardio-respiratory endurance and body mass index are also significantly improved as we improve our mobility.
Kenneth Gardner is an exercise physiologist at the G.C. Foster College of Physical Education; email: yourhealth@gleanerjm.com.
