Active stretching, flexibility, adolescents, postural hygiene, range of motion

Abstract

The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of 5 weeks of flexibility training using the type of global active stretching (SGA) on range of motion in a group of high school students.A total of 21 students belonging to a high school class were randomly assigned to a control (n = 10) or experimental (n = 11) group.The intervention consisted of 10 sessions over 5 weeks applying 20 minutes of coxofemoral closure SGA exercises. To evaluate the improvements in range of motion, a finger-ground evaluation test and a measurement of the active shoulder flexion angle (bilateral sagittal shoulder hyperflexion) were carried out; before (pre) and after (post) the intervention. In the control group, no significant differences were observed in the range of motion of the lower limb or in the angle of hyperflexion of the shoulder. However, the experimental subjects had significant improvements in both tests after the intervention. No significant differences were observed between groups. Therefore, it seems that the SGA method generates improvements at the level of range of motion in the upper and lower limbs and can be an innovative useful, and interesting proposal to apply during the cool down during Physical Education classes.