What’s This Research About?
Maintaining and/or improving flexibility is one of several recommendations in The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) guidelines for fitness and health. Different studies have evaluated different stretching programs. This study aims to evaluate ACSM’s recommendations on stretching, specifically on the hamstring muscles, by (1) comparing two techniques; passive-static stretching and active-static stretching, and (2) by comparing three single-stretch durations during a 12 week program.
Even though yoga is not by any means defined as or limited to stretching techniques, stretching is part of the physical practice of yoga. Flexibility is one of the top reasons why many engage in yoga as an activity. This makes stretching a topic of importance to evaluate, not only for sports and fitness but also yoga practice.
TITLE: Chronic flexibility improvement after 12 weeks of stretching program utilizing the ACSM recommendations: hamstring flexibility
PUBLICATION: International Journal of Sports Medicine
DATE: June 2010
AUTHORS : Sainz de Baranda P. and Ayala F.
PROM: passive range of motion, where someone or something else takes a relaxed joint into maximal capacity of that joint’s angle. In this study a subject’s leg was lifted passively by the tester into hip flexion.
Static stretching: a stretch that is held for a period of time, at a challenging but comfortable position.
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