Feb 02, 2012
Written by A. Lynn Millar, P.T., Ph.D., FACSM
Two parts of fitness that are often overlooked are flexibility and
balance. This may be because of conflicting information regarding their importance
or relevance. However, both can play a vital role in overall fitness and
function. Tight muscles can contribute to back pain or difficulty performing
simple tasks, such as putting objects into overhead cupboards. While poor
balance is known to increase the risk of falls in older persons, it may also
affect sports performance in younger individuals. Luckily, it is very easy to
work on both flexibility and balance on your own.
To train flexibility, stretching or repeated movement through a joint’s complete range of motion will work to increase joint range or prevent loss of motion, respectively. To stretch a muscle, it should be put in a position that produces a slight pull on the muscle but not to the point of pain. With a static stretch, the position in which a slight stretch is felt should be held 15-30 seconds, and each stretch should be repeated 3-5 times on each side of the body. The primary note regarding stretch position is that it should not cause pain or take the joint past the normal range. There are several forms of dynamic stretching, with the key difference being that dynamic stretches take the joint and muscles through the full range of motion, often repeatedly.
健身经常忽视的两方面分别是柔韧和平衡。这可能是由于涉及他们重要性或者相关性的信息经常相互矛盾。但是,两者在整个健身和功能上起着关键的作用。肌肉紧缩容易引起背部疼痛或者难于完成简单的动作,例如:把物品放到吊柜上。较差的平衡性会增加老年人跌倒的风险,也会影响年轻人的运动能力。
幸运的是,独自致力于柔韧和平衡是很简单的。通过关节的全方位的运动范围去训练柔韧、拉伸或者不断的运动有助于各自增加关节的运动范围或者阻止运动的损失。
拉伸肌肉应该处于对肌肉的轻微的拉力但不至于疼痛。静态的拉伸处于轻微的拉伸位置,应该坚持15-30秒,并且在身体的每一侧每一次拉伸应该重复3-5次。主要注意的是拉伸位置不应该引起疼痛或者使关节运动超过了正常的范围。有若干种动态拉伸,不同之处在于动态拉伸使关节和肌肉进行全方位的重复的运动
ACSM guidelines recommend that stretching activities be done at least two days per week. If you have lost some joint motion or feel stiff, range of motion or stretching activities should be done daily. The muscles that are most often tight are the hamstrings, hip flexors, calves and chest muscles. Each of these can be stretched using different positions, and some general motions may stretch more than one muscle group. For simplicity’s sake, only common static stretches will be described below.
美国运动医学会指南建议拉伸运动每周至少练两天。如果你失去关节运动能力或者感觉僵硬,每天都应该做一定范围的活动或者拉伸练习。经常紧张的肌肉是腿筋、臀屈肌、小腿和胸部肌肉。
使用不同的姿势可以拉伸他们中的每一块肌肉,并且一些一般的动作可能会拉伸不只一个肌肉组织。为简单起见,下面仅描述一般的静态拉伸。
Hamstrings. Sit on the ground with legs straight
in front of you. Gently lean forward from the hips (try to keep the back fairly
straight) until a stretch is felt on the back of the thighs.
腿筋。坐在地上,腿伸直在你前方。从臀部轻轻向前倾斜(努力保持背部挺直)直到感觉到大腿后面有拉伸。
Hip flexors. Stand on one foot, and bring the
other foot to the buttocks. Pull back gently, while keeping your knee pointed at
the ground and your hip straight. If needed, hold onto a counter or chair to
keep your balance.
臀屈肌。一只脚站立,另一只脚提到臀部。轻轻往后拉,这时要保持膝盖对着地并且臀部挺直。如果需要,手抓柜台或者椅子以保持平衡。
Calves. Step forward with one leg. Shift your
weight toward the front leg while keeping the back heel on the ground. If you
press the hip of your back leg forward, this will also help stretch the hip
flexors.
小腿。一条腿向前跨。把你的重心转移到前腿上,同时保持后脚跟着地。如果你压迫你的后腿上的臀部向前,这也有助于拉伸臀屈肌。
Chest muscles. Standing in a corner, bring hands
up to shoulder height and place against the wall on either side. Keeping hands
in position, lean body forward until a stretch is felt in the front of the
chest. This can also be done using a doorway, turning away from the hand that
is on the wall.
胸部肌肉。站在一个拐角处,把手举到与肩一样的高度和两边靠墙的地方。保持手的位置,身体向前倾斜直到在胸前感到一种拉伸力。也可以使用门道做这个动作,并且让手离开墙。
Problems with tripping or falling often indicate difficulty with balance. Ideally, you should be able to stand on one leg for at least 20 seconds unsupported for static (not moving) balance. Balance activities can be started with simple position shifts for those that already have balance issues.
Shifting should take place in all directions, including angles, with different
placements of the feet. Improving balance requires a progressive challenge.
This can be done by increasing the number of repetitions or the length of a
balance activity, adding movement to make the activity more dynamic, or by
reducing input from other senses, such as by closing the eyes. In addition, the amount of support from the arms can be progressed by using both hands, then one hand, then one finger, and finally no assistance. ACSM guidelines suggest such activities be done at least two days per week. A simple progression at home might be:
绊倒或者跌倒的问题通常暗示平衡问题。理想情况下,你应该能够无任何支撑的一条腿静态平衡的站立至少20秒。平衡运动应该以那些有平衡问题的人简单的姿势移动为开端。移动应该发生在各个方向,包括角度,脚的不同位置。改善平衡需要渐进的挑战。
完成这一挑战,需要通过增加重复的次数和平衡运动的时长,增加运动使活动更加有动力或者减少来自其他感官的输入,例如借助于闭眼。另外,通过使用两只手,然后一只手,然后一根手指到最后没有协助来增加来自于手臂的支撑力。美国运动医学会指南建议这样的活动每周至少做两天。在家里的一些简单的进步是:
Weight shifts. Step side-to-side, forward and
backward. Then step forward and backward at an angle.
重心转移。一边走到另一边,向前,向后。然后以一个角度向前向后。
Single leg stance. Stand next to a counter or
chair for support. Stand on one leg and touch the toe of the other leg to the
front, side and back.
单腿站立。站在柜台旁或者椅子旁作为支撑。单腿站立并且将另一条腿的脚趾接触到前方,侧方和后方。
Single leg stance with movement. Stand next to a
counter or chair for support. Stand on one leg and perform a partial squat.
Repeat five times with each leg. This will also help with thigh strength.
Alternative: turn slightly to the left, then right, moving only at the hip.
Repeat five times with each leg.
单腿站立移动。站在柜台或者椅子旁作为支撑。一条腿站立,做一个局部的下蹲。每条腿重复5次。这将有助于大腿力量增强。交替:稍微的转向左边然后右边,并且仅在臀部移动。每条腿重复5次。
Other activities can also be used for flexibility and balance. Tai
chi, an activity based on martial arts, is excellent for balance because it
uses multiple types of weight shifts as well as standing on one leg for short
periods of time.
Yoga uses different body positions and more sustained holds,
thus it can also be used to improve static balance and flexibility. There are
numerous DVDs and other aids available for those wishing to learn one of these
activities. The key to any stretching or balance program is regularity, and
these activities are not meant to be done at a high intensity.
其他运动也能用于提高柔韧性和平衡性。太极是一种基于武术的运动。它是一种很好的平衡运动,因为它运用各种类型的重心转移方式,而且也短时间单腿站立。
瑜伽也运用不同的身体姿势和更持久的支撑,这样它也可以用于提高静态平衡和柔韧。有许多DVD和其他辅助材料帮助人们学习这些运动。任何一个拉伸或者平衡项目的关键都在于规律性,并且这些运动并不是高强度的。
View
the full winter 2012 issue of the ACSM Fit Society® Page online.