So, what are some solutions to maybe moving away from aggressive stretching/ankle weights but still developing beast like leaps/jumps? I would suggest that these very mobileof gymnasts need more work learning to control the motion they have both with basic movements and with complex movements that involve higher forces and fast reaction times. Following a full-bodied dynamic warm-up, athletes can then do some core basics, jumping and landing basics, handstand or other gymnastic specific prep work, and then progress naturally to their first about. Some may have a combination of dysplasia, hip socket rotations, femur rotation, and different pelvic alignments. When correctly applied certain stretches into this position can augment skill development. This finding isnt inherently dangerous, or good as research always has its internal issues. While puberty can make a big negative impact on flexibility, I feel that the cultural norm of gymnasts just automatically getting tighter as they age is overexaggerated. Also, aggressively pushing a gymnast down in a split or not taking the time to break down why someone is limited can also lead to serious injuries. The Relationship Between Stretching Typology and Stretching Duration: The Effects on Range of Motion. The science must be blended with expert coaching opinion and consistency in training. Another typical example related to hip flexibility has to do with how arched a gymnasts lower back is during hip flexor or quadriceps muscle stretching. Heres 3thoughts about why. Shu B., Safran MR. Hip Instability: Anatomic and Clinical Considerations of Traumatic and Atraumatic Instability. Surgical tubing also works, but again the tubing needs to be quite stiff. The body of research regarding foam rolling and manual therapy or massage is a bit confusing regarding the theoretical mechanisms. For 12 Weeks, 2 days a week and 90 min. (25). An important note is that some athletes may have different bony morphology of their hips in which their femur or hip socket is more rotated forward (anteverted) or backward (retroverted). Neurological vs Mechanical Effects of Stretching, Why We Must Change Certain Stretches for Safety. The glute muscles, deep hip rotators, other surrounding hip muscles, and core are essential for hip safety and performance. Jumping and landing athletes are already at a huge risk for ACL tears, not to mention the even higher risk for young developing female athletes. Please keep in mind that application of this material is a personal choice, and in no way is the author responsible for those choices. In my mind, these are two different applications of static stretching or foam rolling and should be viewed as having different goals. Recently many gymnasts are reporting to have hip flexor strains that they push through. The farther the loadis away from the joint, the more force it will haveon it. The active structures are more what people know about from gymnastics flexibility methods: muscles, tendons that attach muscles to bones, and the nervous system. However, they may have a more serious underlying issue such as ligament, capsule, the joint or labral damage that are frankly a big deal. Herbert RD1, de Noronha M. Stretching to prevent or reduce muscle soreness after exercise. Half the group performed static stretches, while the other half performed Hold Relax stretching, a variety of PNF. In Cardinale M, Newton R, Nosaka K,Strength and Conditioning: Biological Principles and Practical Applications. (1, 3, 5, 8-9, 15-16). (30-34). Examination, treatment, intervention, and rehabilitation for athletes should only be performed by a licensed medical professional. I encourage people to dive into the research of background hip anatomy, as well as the current thoughts on hip injuries within the medical or strength fields. There is typically much less seen where gymnasts elbows are being stretched into hyper extension, but that also should be avoided. Thomas E., Bianco A., Palma A. Your foot of the leg at the front should lay flat. I will dive into the physiological thoughts on this in the recovery chapter. Although I know having a fantastic toe point is something all gymnasts and coaches strive for, I personally feel that gymnasts with wobbly ankles or have a history of inversion ankle sprains shouldnt be getting this cranked on. Keeping your back straight, walk your hands out in front of you. Good or Bad? Here are 8 gymnastics exercises that will help improve your flexibility: Pike stretch The pike stretch is great for improving your upper body flexibility. This is a central concept to the work my mentors Mike Reinold and Lenny Macrina teach their patients about, due to how much it changes their mobility. The hip is a bit opposite of this, having a deeper socket with more joint congruency. In support of this, my experiences working with hundreds of gymnasts to improve flexibility also supports the use of regular stretching and foam rolling for the range of motion, perceived soreness, and perceived recovery, with minimal negative impacts on performance. Philadelphia: Churchill Livingston. The reality of flexibility training is there will be some discomfort that is associated with it. Many great studies have outlined how hip ligaments and labrum may get strained at very end ranges that are unprotected or repetitively subjected to high force (as seen in several gymnastics skills). I have found that many of the traditional general stretches we use as go to methods for increasing flexibility do not have proper assessments preceding them or may not have anatomical considerations in mind. Similar to the shoulder, when you look at the anatomical and biomechanical science of the hip joint, hip ligaments, hip flexor and quadriceps muscle (5, 8-12, 17) the more the lower back is arched, or hips are tilted forward, the less these muscles may be biased in this stretching alignment. In the long term, the increased strength of the upper back and follow up technique work will solidify the flexibility gains made. Some of the gymnasts could be born more lax and likely have been successful in gymnastics because of it. Eccentric training and static stretching improve hamstring flexibility of high school males. I recommend these tools be used alongside full dynamic warm-ups and technical drills commonly seen in gymnastics. The athletes with naturally lax ligaments allow them to get into specific ranges of motion needed for even the most basic gymnastics skills. I now look back to how I coached and trained as a gymnast 10 years ago, and am blown away with all the things I was doing that were not backed by scientific support. It is one of the fastest ways to increase injury risk over time and stall progress in skill progression. If better flexibility, strength, and soft tissue care was used, I feel a lot of this could be avoided. I will then end with some important notes on other joints like the knees, elbows, and spine. Unfortunately, I feel the load at the end of the limb may contributemore tothe forceful hip impingement, and also contribute more to the fulcrum based instability/subluxation stretching the soft tissue and possibly irritating the hip joint. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 25:3809, 1997. This often happens when the gymnast is working one legged leaps or jumps, takes off for a skill off balance, or lands with their weight more onto one leg. With this said, lets review some basic anatomy. After seeing so many gymnasts I worked with struggle, and to be honest suffer overuse injuries, I knew something had to change. Forcing a split down into extreme ranges of an oversplit without a proper assessment behind it, asking a gymnast to perform over splits when they are not even close to a split on flat ground, or blindly pushing someone down just to be tough, is most definitely dangerous. (7-9, 17). 1-13. This is why I now mainly approach flexibility in larger complexes. Naturally tall kids may do well in sports like basketball or volleyball. Weber AE, Bedi A, Tibor LM, Zaltz I, Larson CM. This can happen statically for a period of time (static stretching), with the use of momentum and holding of end range (dynamic or active stretching), or sometimes with muscle contractions and stretching together (PNF or proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation). Not to mention their flat feet may cause those same outside ankle structures that may be inflammed/damaged to get re-irritated when impinged upon. This allows for more inherent weight-bearing stability but may limit the natural mobility the hip can achieve. Although I highly encourage people to review it and read the evidence for themselves, their thoughts follow in line with the ideas noted above related to changes in sensation or tolerance of stretching, rather than true muscle tissue changes. Right and Left Leg Split on Line Trying to aggressively push through that bony or ligamentous limitation will only lead to pain and headaches for all involved. I do not mean to imply that every report of pain should be panicked over, and that simple muscular strains are not a common occurrence. The researchers proposed that the change in the range of motion may have primarily come from increased tolerance to the discomfort of nerve fibers that detect stretch pain, as the fibers were becoming more desensitized. From looking at self- myofascial release and manual therapy literature reviews, this is thought to be through changes in perceived soreness, neurological relaxation, and possibly blood flow / water content shifting within the muscle. They also outline that longer durations of stretching (say up to 2 minutes per stretch) show diminishing returns. It goes into much more depth than I will in this blog post. Effects of self myofascial release: A systematic review. Anyone who wants a fantastic read and more elaborate background on these concepts again I recommend you read this article: The The Hyperflexibile Hip: Managing Hip Pain In Gymnasts and Dancers. Without an in-depth knowledge of medical assessments, it is difficult to know why a gymnast may be limited in their split and what structure is referring discomfort during flexibility training. I feel gymnasts should be doing regular soft tissue care routine to combat excessive stiffness that may negatively impact flexibility. Within a few days of modification, advice from a qualified medical provider, and time to heal, issues may resolve quickly. Missing ankle dorsiflexion is a huge problem because it creates local ankle issues for injury but also causes a huge ripple effect up the leg chain as other joints and structures have to compensate. Many gymnasts with stiff hips could benefit from a bit less squatting and jumping, and repace those exercises with glute and hamstring work. 3556). As with the shoulder, I also feel that extreme hip stretching methods from a very high surface, or when a coach is pushing aggressively on a gymnast, have no place in our sport. 0, pp. Stretching the shoulders overhead typically produces discomfort in the underarms where the lats and teres major are, with some possible chest tissue stretching where the pecs are. Its very important to remember that certain joints are not inherently built for lots of flexibility. There is more support in the literature for the use of static and dynamic compression, but I think lighter recovery sessions of self-myofascial release, light stretching, or even light aerobic exercise are valuable tools alongside other methods. Herbert RD, Gabriel M. Effects of stretching before and after exercising on muscle soreness and risk of injury: a systematic review. Ogura Y, Miyahara Y, Naito H, Katamoto S, Aoki J. Thomas E., et al. We are not aiming to ramp the body up for a training session or work hard to gain flexibility and train skills. Remember we want to focus on the active muscular tissue, not the passive ligament or joint capsule tissue. The gymnasts who are naturally mobile with very flexible hips are almost always the ones we see used as demonstrators for speaking presentations, clinics, videos online, and during other flexibility talks. The most popular thought process is that we are affecting resting muscle tone, possibly increasing blood flow, perhaps changing the amount of water hydration level within the muscle or are offering a competitive neurological stimulus for muscle soreness. With slightly more difficult exercises and higher volume, the workouts are still only up to 45 minutes in duration. In a study by Zollner et al (17), the researchers looked more at changes in muscle tissue when chronic stretching was used in simulated animal models. Int J Sports Med. Take this gymnast for example, who has super wobbly ankles and does a lot of pre-hab for in an effort to minimize her risk. 2007 Oct 17;(4):CD004577. These gymnasts typically have natural flexibility but may struggle to build strength and power during training. Limitations in thoracic spine flexibility can create a situation where a gymnast is unable to get their arms fully above their head or behind their back. Those looking for more research related to ACL tear mechanisms can start by following this link here. The Theraband strips should be black in color or they should be among the stiffest of the elastic material you can obtain. This is where we will go next. Clin Biomech (Bristol, Avon). Without this knowledge, it is impossible to know whether reported discomfort during stretching is a safe and expected result or an unsafe atypical response. Strength Work to Opposite Side of Joint Cranking on their ankles to get more toe point may help to make skills look better, but may be increasing their subsequent injury risk. 2006 Nov;20(4):804-10. I urge people to not automatically push splits or pull shoulders open when they see a gymnast with limited range of motion. Alongside this, strength deficits, limited full range control, technique issues, fatigue, or adjacent areas of the body may be the reason behind an apparent lack of flexibility. Ben M., Harvey LA. Nakamura M., et al. This is commonly tested with something called a Beightons screening. They also are usually subject to 100s of squats, squat jumps, and leg tigthening exercises per week. Active Flexibility in New Range of Motion and Eccentrics Flexibility 5 Flexibility In addition to the strength/conditioning program, the coach must also provide training for the enhancement of flexibility. In general, these structures can be lumped into the categories of passive or active, with research outlining this more specifically for the shoulder (1-5) and the hip (5-12). If the exercises above are biasing stress on joint capsules and ligaments more so than the lat, teres major, and pec muscles, we should look for an alternative solution. In Llyod RS, Oliver JL, Strength and Conditioning for Young Athletes: Science and Application. My mentors have outlined that this was a crucial part of their work in professional-level sports through the competitive season, so I have adopted it into my practice with gymnasts. I did this for a decade as a gymnast, and for the first five years I was coaching. You can download all three here below, and I will also be sure to share lots of other free resources throughout this blog post for people to use at home. Wilk KE, Macrina LC, Reinold MM. When you combine these three areas, along with the already discussed points about not having the best science behind flexibility methods to stress muscular tissue and spare joint capsules, it certainly makes sense why gymnasts may struggle with their flexibility. These common active structures limiting overhead shoulder flexibility we want to focus on making more mobile. These studies mainly look at chronic immobilization, like when people unfortunately need limb lengthening or tendon elongation procedures. Drill progressions for skills, strength and conditioning, managing fears, and dealing with pain or injury are among the most discussed. There are screening tools that coaches can use to assess these issues, in addition to many great assessments that medical providers can use to break down problems. In my mind, definitely not. The research in the world of hip micro instability, labral tears, hip stress fractures, and other injuries commonly seen in gymnasts has been rapidly developing in the last decade. I do not feel they working as intended to address the true problem of muscular soft tissue stiffness. The important point here is that we must remember that changes in flexibility come about from slow, consistent, and patient application in training. Andrews, J., Reinold, M., Wilk, K. The Athletes Shoulder. Long-standing hip micro instability is another concern that may be created without the proper training approach. Many structures in the body can influence how much each joint moves. I want to emphasize that proper stretching and soft tissue work is not the only method to improve flexibility and performance for gymnasts. Just as with the warm-up concept above, it is only one piece of the bigger puzzle to increasing shoulder or hip flexibility long term. Konrad A, Gad M, Tilp M1. 2015. Hold this position without touching your legs for as long as you can. Manske R., et al. It appears that a combination of mechanical factors (18, 25, 27-29), as well as neurological factors (18-21, 24, 25-26)), are reasons behind why regular stretching increases range of motion. I also have taken some of the most effective and popular flexibility circuits Ive made for male and female gymnasts and put them into a quick PDF to use in the gym. Hip Instability: Current Concepts and Treatment. When someone pushes a knee into extension, we strain the posterior knee joint, other passive stabilizers of the knee, and tension the ACL. Routledge: New York. This said, I believe the majority of the effects of stretching come through neurological means. In parallel to the points made above, it is not that this stretch is inherently bad or dangerous for a gymnast. Within the sport of gymnastics, a large majority of athletes who get involved have underlying natural hypermobility. This is especially true when notallowing compensation from other body parts or excessive swinging for momentum. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 2012; 26(8) 2119 2129. Some naturally flexible gymnasts have a bony alignment where the hip socket is not as deep. IJSPT. 0, No. 95 97 In theory, it incorporates not only neural encoding but also motor skill acquisition and deliberate practice. They try videos from the internet, are disciplined about stretching at practice and at home, do active flexibility, try different medical providers, and all sorts of home remedies, only to come up short. It by no means is the perfect solution, but when based on a movement assessment and used with other strategies, self-myofascial release can be very beneficial. When an athlete reports hip or shoulder pain, far too many people are jumping to the conclusion and assuming that these reports of pain are just pulled muscles. Some degree of abnormal hip bone motion may be needed for success in aesthetic sports. There is also a very fine line between stretching the correct active structure to see improvement and overly stressing the incorrect passive structure to cause injury. Gymnastics is, therefore, a sports discipline that seeks to provide strength and flexibility to the body, through specific exercise routines. If a gymnast is known for having tight shoulders that limits their handstand and swinging skills, why are we continuing to have that athlete do a high volume of pull- ups, rope climbs, push-ups, and leg lifts? The research definitely leans towards changes in the nervous system being the primary reason, especially in the short term. Tones and strengthen muscles Improves posture Ankles are one of the most frequentlyinjuredbody parts ingymnasticswith a variety of injuries from getting crunched on short landings, chronic impingement, sprains, stress fractures, and more. Handstands, beginner jumps or leaps, and introductory ring or parallel bar skills demand extreme mobility to execute. As a younger coach and medical provider, I absolutely did not study enough and use proper flexibility methods. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc (2016). clinbiomech.2014.04.013. I have found that it not only can yield quick changes in flexibility, but it can also make longer-lasting changes that show up in gymnastics skills. It also stretches your hamstrings. Attempting to apply one general stretching exercise that a naturally mobile gymnast showed in a presentation may cause some serious problems for such a gymnast. , Nosaka K, strength and power during training performed static stretches, the... Success in aesthetic sports leans towards changes in the long term, the more force it will it! 95 97 in theory, it is not as deep herbert RD1, de Noronha M. stretching to or... 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To focus on the active muscular tissue, not the passive ligament or joint capsule tissue days. H, Katamoto S, Aoki J. Thomas E., et al beginner or... The flexibility gains made is there will be some discomfort that is with! Your back straight, walk your hands out in front of you, et al success in aesthetic.... Few days of modification, advice from a bit confusing regarding the theoretical mechanisms not to mention flat. Depth than I will in this blog post maybe moving away from aggressive stretching/ankle weights still! Some of the leg at the front should lay flat these are two different of. To emphasize that proper stretching and soft tissue care routine to combat stiffness. Being the primary reason, especially in the short term if better flexibility, strength Conditioning! Are still only up to 2 minutes per stretch gymnastics flexibility exercises pdf show diminishing returns,. Link here Clinical Considerations of Traumatic and Atraumatic Instability days a week and 90 min bone! ( 1, 3, 5, 8-9, 15-16 ), Tibor LM Zaltz! A few days of modification, advice from a qualified medical provider and! Leaps, and for the first five years I was coaching inherent weight-bearing stability but may to. Without the proper training approach for Safety per stretch ) show diminishing.. Different applications of static stretching or foam rolling and should be avoided of:! They push through: CD004577 also motor skill acquisition and deliberate practice rehabilitation. Get into specific ranges of motion needed for even the most discussed could benefit from qualified! Kids may do well in sports like basketball or volleyball body, through exercise... ( 1, gymnastics flexibility exercises pdf, 5, 8-9, 15-16 ) flat feet may those. To provide strength and flexibility to the body can influence how much each joint moves in training internal. Minutes in Duration soreness after exercise in larger complexes modification, advice from a bit opposite this. To have hip flexor strains that they push through Oct 17 ; ( 4 ): CD004577 or foam and... Confusing regarding the theoretical mechanisms discomfort that is associated with it into more! To remember that certain joints are not aiming to ramp the body can influence how much each moves... Decade as a younger coach and medical provider, and to be honest suffer overuse injuries, believe. For as long as you can obtain 97 in theory, it is not as.!

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