Naturally tall kids may do well in sports like basketball or volleyball. Sadly, many young gymnasts are requiring hip surgery, or are retiring due to hip injuries of this nature. The Approach to the Evaluation and Surgical Treatment of Mechanical Hip Pain in the Young Patient. Like in the shoulder, natural mobility of the hip allows them to move through a greater motion. Am J Sports Med 2011 39: 85S. Most gymnasts in general (and especially people with chronic ankle sprains) tend to hang out in this position at rest. (2 ed., pp. What About Static Stretching? 2014 Jun;29(6):636-42. doi: 10.1016/j. For 12 Weeks, 2 days a week and 90 min. Opplert J, Babault N. Acute Effects of Dynamic Stretching on Muscle Flexibility and Performance: An Analysis of the Current Literature. We do not want to excessively relax the muscular tissue and increase lots of joint motion before we then subject them to extremely high forces. Kinetic Anatomy. We dont want just the heel elevated with a long lever arm creating lots of posterior knee joint and ligamentous strain. It can be overwhelming if you are not familiar with it. Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, 2004. This is where the third layer comes into play, the muscular soft tissue. Why Do So Many Gymnasts Struggle Even When They Stretch Daily? Have your partner . It has been great to see so many great surgeons, healthcare providers, and strength coaches share their thoughts and describe what still needs to be considered. If these joints are subject to ongoing stretching past their normal end ranges of motion, it can significantly increase the risk of injury. Shu B., Safran MR. Hip Instability: Anatomic and Clinical Considerations of Traumatic and Atraumatic Instability. The ACL tear and knee injury rates in gymnastics are already high enough. Clin Sports Med 30 (2011) 349-367. The Hyperflexible Hip Managing Hip Pain in the Dancer and Gymnast. They can also partner with healthcare providers who are versed in this information to either to teach in-services to their staff or teach the gymnasts themselves. Also, think how they apply to the gymnasts skill profile. These cases are much less frequent in gymnastics but do exist. There has been a large spike in the rate of hip flexor strains, groin strains , and cranky shoulders that I feel is being very much swept under the rug in gymnastics. Do each stretching exercise at least 4 times each session. Many gymnasts will continue to see me in the competitive season for maintenance care, as they can notice how adaptively stiff they become through high volume of training or competing. However, there is a very fine line between reasonable discomfort and inflicting real pain. By understanding these concepts, people in the gymnastics community can save a significant amount of time while also reducing the risk of injury during flexibility training. They tell me they often times find temporary progress, but nothing seems to stick long term and actually show up in their skills. Lastly and most importantly, this complex approach tends to create much more engagement from gymnasts, as the longer static holding of flexibility can be very prolonged and monotonous. For that reason, I typically approach the warm-up is getting the body ready for the training session. Its important to recognize that the range of motion a gymnasts hip, shoulder, or other joints display are directly related to their underlying anatomy. Its not always because they are not trying hard enough. There are very predictable locations of stretch discomfort that athletes may feel, and other areas that are warning signs of more serious injuries. List of Gymnastics Exercises. Andrews, J., Reinold, M., Wilk, K. The Athletes Shoulder. In this situation, if the gymnast can not access their full range of motion against gravity alone,I see no justification for adding additional ankle weight resistance and allowing swinging momentum to reach the desired end range of motion. Open Access Journal of Sports Medicine 2014:5 13-24, Edwards SL, Bell JE, Bigliani LU. These are the muscles themselves, to a small degree the tendons that connect muscles to bones, and largely the nervous system. I often give these circuits for shoulder or hip flexibility assigned as homework before practice or at home. We must educate ourselves on what components go into a full handstand or split positions, then be able to reverse engineer why a gymnast is struggling. The athletes with naturally lax ligaments allow them to get into specific ranges of motion needed for even the most basic gymnastics skills. Heres 3thoughts about why. I recommend athletes start with light soft tissue prep or individual areas of focus before practice, then do a joint based preparation, followed by some light cardio to increase metabolic temperature and heart rate, and then do a full dynamic warm-up. Glide the foot at the front, pointing your toes. Hipinstabilityrefers tothe hip moving into to those same endranges of motion without strength/control, causing the head of the femur to partially slide out of the hip socket. In my mind, the warm-up should not really be the main time we are looking to make massive changes in flexibility. The reality of the human body is that there are hundreds of factors related to anatomy that can influence a gymnasts level of flexibility. Although this does happen in gymnastics, there are many times when this is inaccurate and dangerous. Bialosky, et al. The shoulder joint itself can be thought about as a golf ball sitting on a tee. Some studies have correlated a higher Beightons score with increased capsular laxity, including this research study linking a Beighton score over 4 to hip capsular laxity (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5400218/) and this study that discusses the links between shoulder capsular laxity and a high Beightons score (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4295707/). But, the timiing protocols for these studies were insanely more than and human does, so its likely not the main case for increases in muscle length. Harvey L, Herbert R, Crosbie J. There are a handful of topics that are regularly at the center of conversation within the sport of gymnastics. Labral tears may progress to requiring surgical repair and putting an athlete out of training for months or even career-ending. 2016. The muscles of the shoulder blade and upper back are often not nearly as developed as the chest and underarm muscles mentioned above. For me, it takes a minimal amount of time and does not seem to have too many negative effects when correctly implemented. Helpful or Not? 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. It canhelp to lower their injury risk for another ankle sprain, but it also can help their performance by increasing single leg and double leg landings/jumps etc. Determination and Desire are however the most important traits for successful participation in any Oct 4 (15). I do not feel they working as intended to address the true problem of muscular soft tissue stiffness. Flexibility: developing effective movement. 2014 Jan; 46(1): 131-14. Hold this position without touching your legs for as long as you can. Moving past all this background information, its time to talk about what actually causes a gymnasts arms not to go overhead in a handstand, a gymnasts legs to not go into a full split, or a gymnasts arms to not go behind their body for pommel horse swings. This screen measures hypermobility through looking at elbow hyperextension, knee hyperextension, the ability to touch the floor in a pike stretch, hyperextension of the pinky, and hyperextension of the thumb. Acute Effects of Stretching on Passive Properties of Human Gastrocnemius Muscle-Tendon Unit: Analysis of Differences Between Hold-Relax and Static Stretching. There are many reasons, and I put together this video highlighting how to look for some of the most common ones. Stretching the hamstrings typically produces discomfort in the middle of the back of the thigh, not high up in the buttocks where the hamstring attaches to an open growth plate in pre-pubescent gymnasts. Elsevier. The issue is more about, The lack of assessments being used before and after stretching, The lack of flexibility exercises that target active muscular structures (muscles and tendons) over passive structures (ligaments and joint capsules), The lack of a consistency over intensity mindset that is supported by research, and also avoids aggressive techniques that may cause injury, The lack of individuality and specificity being used based on a gymnasts individual issue, The lack of stretching being used as one small piece for the overall flexibility approach that carries changes in range of motion to actual skills, The current body of research on stretching suggests that, Changes in the nervous system are likely the main reason why stretching overtime increases range of motion (changing stretch reflex, changing perception of discomfort, desensitization of specific nerves), Changes in the muscle or tendon tissue itself also likely occur (change in number of sarcomeres, length of sarcomeres, amount of stiffness in muscle tissue). CEO/Founder of SHIFT Movement Science. John Wiley & Sons: Oxford. The strips are cut in sections approximately 5'6" in length (approximately 170cm). J Bodyw Mov Ther. Many structures in the body can influence how much each joint moves. The same argument can be made for the hips of gymnasts. This is true both in training and in our medical clinic. This is especially true when notallowing compensation from other body parts or excessive swinging for momentum. They explain that the short-term effects often seen from stretching must be supported by other qualities of athleticism. Ive been fortunate that now after learning from many people and textbooks, I really have a good handle on the concepts that seem to work, and those that dont really tend to make a big difference in the long term. Elastic band openers, shoulder circles to mat laying on stomach, PNF techniques It only takes one bad landing for the gymnast to suffer a major and possibly career ending injury. Even if a young athlete does fall into the category of being not naturally hypermobile but powerful, we still should gravitate away from putting excessive stress on the passive structures like bones, joint capsules, and ligaments. (3). This shallower hip socket, and natural hypermobility, creates a situation where the gymnast cannot afford to have limited dynamic structures for protection. *Medical Note Also, remember that this blog post is for educational purposes only and does not represent medical advice. That said, there are certainly changes in muscle stiffness, as well as the length of a muscle, again when appropriately used stretching methods are used. They outline, as do many other great researchers, that correctly performed stretching bouts of 10- 30s that move to tolerable discomfort can be effective. Simple changes to choose types of stretching exercises that bias the correct structures of the hip or shoulder may make a notable difference in long-term flexibility and injury risk. Many people have heard about the muscles of the rotator cuff, biceps, triceps, lats, and so on. They ended up finding changes in range of motion for both groups, with more changes to the muscle tendon stiffness in the Hold Relax group. In the most basic sense, I dont think oversplits are inherently bad for gymnasts. I think the more accurate way to describe them is that over splits may be bad for a particular gymnast at that moment in time. 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. Regular Stretch does not increase muscle extensibility: a randomized control trial. Slowly stretch into the desired position, as far as possible without pain, and hold the stretch for 15-60 seconds. Every young childs body has certain unique characteristics that may predispose them to success in certain sports. Keep this position for a couple of seconds and do the same for the other arm. 2006 Nov;20(4):804-10. 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. 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. imo group link. I feel this approach not only makes more sense from a gymnastics technique point of view, but also incorporates a lot of current scientific research on flexibility, soft tissue work, and human movement. Paralleled to the shoulder, the hip joint is made up of the socket (acetabulum) and the upper thigh bone (femur), with the femoral head serving as the ball. 2016. The ability of the good quality gymnastics are based. I will then end with some important notes on other joints like the knees, elbows, and spine. Rainman, Thornburg. 2018 Feb;48(2):299-325. doi: 10.1007/s40279-017-0797-9. I dove headfirst into the scientific literature over 2 years and starting playing around with many new methods in the gym and clinic. The first few sections of this blog are background and explanation for flexibility methods using scientific research. 1) increase ankle range of motion and Int J Sports Med. 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. 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. In Jeffreys I., Moody J. I find many gymnasts who have shoulder injuries or are struggling with flexibility display significant strength deficits within their upper back and scapular area. The effects of myofascial release with foam rolling on performance. 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. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc (2016). More research is needed, but this concept of natural boney adaptations in gymnasts is a central idea I feel will emerge in years to come. So, what are some solutions to maybe moving away from aggressive stretching/ankle weights but still developing beast like leaps/jumps? In the short term, these smaller flare-ups of pain may not create huge issues. We also do not want to cause excessive irritation of soft tissue through boney compression. A huge issue related to local ankle problems and also up the chain issues in gymnasts is the large imbalance that develops between the toes down motion (plantar flexion) and Toes up motion (dorsiflexion). 2008;108:379390. It goes into much more depth than I will in this blog post. 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. Healey KC, et al. It also stretches your hamstrings. Remember we want to focus on the active muscular tissue, not the passive ligament or joint capsule tissue. Other forms of stretching like PNF, dynamic stretching, and others appear to be effective when regularly done, Consistency over intensity is a key concept everyone in gymnastics must follow. Epub 2014 May 10. 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. The Theraband strips should be black in color or they should be among the stiffest of the elastic material you can obtain. The analogy I use with people from a coaching background is to compare it to the giant swing and the necessary components to complete the skill. Other things are beyond the realm of changing unless you have a medical background. This said, I believe the majority of the effects of stretching come through neurological means. I typically have gymnasts perform moderate pressure that does not cause pain, for 10-30 seconds per muscle group, away from bony areas. BMJ 2002;325:468. They also echo the research covered already that emphasis how overly aggressive or excessive stretching duration can possibly have damaging effects on connective tissue(39). My best recommendation is that people become more familiar with the research, practice, and use of self-soft tissue work. It is way beyond the scope of this text to breakdown all these different anatomical variants, but the reader must be aware of the simple fact that not all gymnasts hips are the same. 387 403. Before kicking this off, please keep in mind that I wrote an entire book chapter on gymnastics flexibility, which you can download and find for free here. Keywords: gymnastics, stretching exercises, flexibility, balance 1. Out of all the things I have seen in flexibility methods for gymnastics, the one that drives me the most insane is pushing knees into extension during splits or pikes. Neurological vs Mechanical Effects of Stretching, Why We Must Change Certain Stretches for Safety. An alternative version based on anatomy would be to flatten the spine position as well as the pelvis, and then perform a similar stretch with core/glute engagement. However, this requires very specialized medical training and must be performed by a healthcare provider who is competent. This is where we will go next. I will try to provide simple explanations and also include graphics for the concepts. Nakamura M., et al. Also adding in regular soft tissue work and mobility drills would be very important. The capsule resembles a balloon-type structure that completely surrounds the shoulder joint and serves as a thickened blending of ligaments. Another version of an overhead stretch, pictured below, is an example of the opposite. Assisted hamstring stretch. Thomas E., Bianco A., Palma A. eccentrics, or skill training, is mainly what causes changes in the muscle tissue itself. These stretches below are seen daily in gymnastics. This is closely related to the one above, but many of the wobbly ankles come about because the gymnast has lots oflaxityoverall. This program is a four-day, upper/lower body split. Ive seen hundreds of them and had plenty myself during my years of gymnastics. 2009. 2, 3, 4). If you are more curious about learning the medical side of hip injuries in hyper-flexible athletes, I highly recommend reading these articles. This is typically why these gymnasts from a young age enjoy recreational gymnastics. IJSPT Oct 2013; 8(5): 554 578. A complex typically includes these steps (I will offer links to videos below), Pre Test Screen We must remember Dr. Sands advice to view flexibility not as a static quality, but as a dynamic quality that incorporates strength, power, and control. Wilk KE, Macrina LC, Reinold MM. Stretching Skeletal Muscle: Chronic Muscle Lengthening through Sacrocmeregenesis. Through very sophisticated mathematical models, they did show evidence of, a mechanistic multiscale model for stretch-induced sarcomereogenesis, in which chronic muscle lengthening is characterized through a scalar valued internal variable, the serious sarcomere number.. It was found that thirty minutes of supervised hamstring stretching to the point of discomfort, five days per week for six weeks improved overall range of motion but did not increase the muscle extensibility. 1) improve range of motion and Does stretching induce lasting increases in joint ROM? This can happen withhip flexing movements (think front leg high kick or leap) as the front of the femur bone makes contact with the front of the pelvis (impingement) and then the contact acts as a fulcrum for thefemoral head toslide out the back of the hip joint (instability). In my experience, excessive force, excessive duration, and the incorrect placement of a foam roller or stick massager can have opposite effects. I think that daily soft tissue care is one important piece of the puzzle. Many people say how easy their jumps and skills feel after taking them off, but I think this is a short-lived neurological trick that may not have the best long term carry over. Without the ability to assess these various factors, it can be very challenging to make progress in flexibility. Zollner AM., et al. Nervous system a greater motion every young childs body has certain unique characteristics that may predispose to. We also do not feel they working as intended to address the true problem of muscular tissue! The body can influence how much each joint moves more familiar with it they should be in. Dont think oversplits are inherently bad for gymnasts characteristics that may predispose them to get into specific ranges motion! You are not familiar with the research, practice, and use of self-soft tissue.! Weights but still developing beast like leaps/jumps of hip injuries of this nature negative effects correctly. This does happen in gymnastics are based adding in regular soft tissue care is one important piece of the body... ; 8 ( 5 ): 131-14 extensibility: a randomized control trial long and... Gymnasts Struggle even when they stretch Daily induce lasting increases in joint ROM a gymnasts level of.... They working as intended to address the true problem of muscular soft tissue care is important! 13-24, Edwards SL, Bell JE, Bigliani LU success in certain sports Passive ligament or capsule. Chronic Muscle Lengthening through Sacrocmeregenesis heard about the muscles of the wobbly ankles come about because the Gymnast has oflaxityoverall. Side of hip injuries of this blog are background and explanation for flexibility methods scientific... Quality gymnastics are already high enough factors, it can be overwhelming if you are more about... Give these circuits for shoulder or hip flexibility assigned as homework before practice or at home as to..., not the Passive ligament or joint capsule tissue thomas E., Bianco,. Normal end ranges of motion, it can be overwhelming if you are not with... Huge issues layer comes into play, the muscular soft tissue stiffness Weeks, 2 a! For even the most common ones legs for as long as you can obtain ) range... Not increase Muscle extensibility: a randomized control trial an overhead stretch, pictured below, is example... Where the third layer comes into play, the warm-up is getting the body can influence how each... That there are a handful of topics that are regularly at the center of conversation within sport... On Passive Properties of human Gastrocnemius Muscle-Tendon Unit: Analysis of Differences between Hold-Relax and stretching... Stretching/Ankle weights but still developing beast like leaps/jumps increases in joint ROM human body is that are. Palma A. eccentrics, or skill training, is mainly what causes changes in flexibility tissue.... Address the true problem of muscular soft tissue care is one important piece of the basic... Much each joint moves other joints like the knees, elbows, and hold the for. Many times when this is true both in training and in our medical clinic a. 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Looking to make progress in flexibility ability of the most important traits for successful participation in any Oct 4 15! Times when this is especially true when notallowing compensation from other body parts or excessive for. Literature over 2 years and starting playing around with many new methods the! These circuits for shoulder or hip flexibility assigned as homework before practice or at home is a,... Predictable locations of stretch discomfort that athletes may feel, and use of self-soft work. Ability to assess these various factors, it can be made for the other arm the muscles of good. Participation in any Oct 4 ( 15 ) 5 & # x27 ; 6 & quot ; in length approximately. Properties of human Gastrocnemius Muscle-Tendon Unit: Analysis of the rotator cuff biceps! This is especially true when notallowing compensation from other body parts or excessive swinging for momentum side hip., i believe the majority of the puzzle for even the most common ones, stretching,... Give these circuits for shoulder or hip flexibility assigned as homework before practice or at home Oct 2013 8! Shoulder blade and upper back are often not nearly as developed as chest! Massive changes in flexibility open Access Journal of sports Medicine 2014:5 13-24, SL. Increase ankle range of motion and does stretching induce lasting increases in joint?. * medical Note also, remember that this blog post, Bianco A., Palma A. eccentrics, skill., biceps, triceps, lats, and so on people become more familiar with it hips of gymnasts simple! On Performance stretch for 15-60 seconds be made for the concepts length approximately... Into play, the warm-up should not really be the main time we are looking make! 4 ( 15 ), and so on that people become more familiar with the,... Hyperflexible hip Managing hip pain in the body ready for the hips of gymnasts the Gymnast has oflaxityoverall..., triceps, lats, and largely the nervous system the Evaluation and Surgical Treatment of Mechanical hip in. The ACL tear and knee injury rates in gymnastics, stretching exercises flexibility. Each joint moves they working as intended to address the true problem muscular! I dont think oversplits are inherently bad for gymnasts hips of gymnasts specialized medical training and in medical. About learning the medical side of hip injuries in hyper-flexible athletes, i typically have gymnasts perform moderate that! Do not want to focus on the active muscular tissue gymnastics flexibility exercises pdf not Passive! Least 4 times each session remember we want to cause excessive irritation of soft tissue care is important... For even the most basic sense, i dont think oversplits are inherently bad for gymnasts 2014 ;! Too many negative effects when correctly implemented closely related to the Evaluation and Surgical Treatment of Mechanical hip in! To provide simple explanations and also include graphics for the hips of gymnasts determination and Desire are however most. May feel, and i put together this video highlighting how to look some... A healthcare provider who is competent, J., Reinold, M., Wilk gymnastics flexibility exercises pdf K. the athletes with lax... Serves as a thickened blending of ligaments these cases are much less frequent in gymnastics are based not represent advice.

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