THE STUDY OF FLEXIBILITY PRESSED IN DIFFERENT SHAPES AND FORMS
Mesha Mumford
Cary Academy
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to see whether temptation for candy would cause people to try harder to do a split. Stretching has negatives and positives it can improve muscle growth, cancel out diseases, it doesn’t improve performance though, while joints cause the muscle and bones to work together to create movement. The method was to take a participant and ask the participant to do a split as best as possible without any candy and then offer the participant candy and see if temptation caused the participant to try harder to do a split. The results from the method were that the participants would try harder to do a split for candy under temptation. People try harder to do a split to get candy, because sugar gives extra energy to the body.
INTRODUCTION
Questions:
What does stretching do for performance?
Stretching has negatives and positives, because studies show that stretching does not prevent muscle soreness and it does not improve performance, it turns out it is better to keep muscles warm to improve performance. Although it doesn’t help muscle soreness or performance it improves flexibility. Scientist also tested and found out that a certain type of stretching, fascia stretching, enhances muscle growth. Fascia is a tissue covering a muscle that protects the muscle from any massive damage that can be caused, but it also restraints muscle growth. When stretching the fascia when the muscle is warm it causes the fascia to expand making room for the muscle to grow larger. Fascia stretching enhances muscle growth but do not stretch to the point of pain it may cause intensive muscle pain. Stretching prevents certain types of cancers and improves memory. Stretching makes muscles warmer, because it increases blood flow to the legs and when frequently stretching it can prevent arthritis. Stretching lengthens muscle fibers, which improves strength in muscles and with strengthen muscles it can help a person’s metabolism level and fitness. With more blood flow to legs it can also lessen the chance of diabetes, kidney, and risk of cardiovascular disease. If the need to have an increase in flexibility then stretching for a few minutes watching television, before bed, listening to music, or any extra time will help, also stretching cannot do all the work, pushing through will help as well. Although don’t push to the point of excruciating pain.
What is stretching and its voluntary components?
Stretching is important after exercising so that after, joints don’t tense up and cause searing pain in the leg muscles. Ligaments help with stretching and flexibility to help keep the muscles in place. In the muscles there are sensors that are like red stop lights that make sure when there is great tension in a muscle that it won’t be overexerted. Also after stretching the muscle fibers stretch out, because it is more relaxed. The most common stretch is resistance stretching. Resistance stretching is when someone stretches and it lengthens the muscle without straining the muscle to the point of overexertion. Static stretching was the most important along with dynamic stretching. Static stretching is when people stretch before a game although as proven from the paragraph above stretching does not improve athletic performance. Dynamic stretching loosens the muscle allowing them to relax, because it allows more oxygen to flow through the muscles. Ballistic stretching is using momentum to push a limb beyond its ordinary motions. Passive stretching is holding a body part into a position for a certain amount of time like yoga. Isometric stretching involves no movement instead it uses isometric contractions also known as tensing stretched muscles. These stretches are some of the fastest ways to evolve flexibility. Most of them don’t involve any extensive effort, so it would be a very easy way to have better flexibility.
What are joints?
Joints are also a very important part of movement and flexibility in fact it is probably the most important part, because without them there would be no movement. Joints are connected to the bone so that they can allow movement. There are nine types of joints. Mobile joints stand friction, because they are looser without stress. Saddle joints allow movement in two directions without fully rotating. A hinge joint allows extension between two or more muscles. A plane joint gives permission for bones to slide against each other. An ellipsoid joint permits bending but no rotation. The ball and socket joints accept movement in all directions. Condylar joints enables, like a hinge joint, extension between muscles but the difference is that it lets the joint have very little rotation. A pivot joint admits rotation but nothing else. Joints are a big part of flexibility, because there would be no movement to bend, rotate or stretch out.
What experiments have been done before?
There is one loosely related experiment that Samuel Chow conducted. The experiment was testing whether paralysis in one body part affects the ability to exercise. The method of the experiment was to use thee volunteers and ask them to run twenty m. with a paralyzed body part while timing the results. Each person ran three times one time with no body part paralyzed, then one body part paralyzed, and lastly the opposite of the paralyzed body part used for the second run. Each person ran three times and the time was averaged into a graph.
Figure 1 stretches that can be done to improve flexibility
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The materials used in these five experiments include two meter sticks, carpet floor, tile floor, concrete and human test subjects.
The first experiment was testing flexibility between males and females doing a simple right split. To conduct the first part of the experiment a participant of either gender would be led to a carpet area outside of the science room, keep in mind that surface doesn’t matter. Then the participant would try to do the right split and hold it, until the results were measured in cm. (knee to ground).
The second experiment was testing whether surface affected flexibility. To start a volunteer would come to the tile, carpet, or the concrete and try to do the most uncomfortable split. Then the results were measured in cm. (knee to ground).
The third experiment was measuring whether males or females were more at ease doing a straddle. The selected helper was to sit on the ground with legs apart as far as possible and put hands behind back and go down as far as possible. The results were measured ear to ground in cm.
The fourth experiment was measuring whether height affects back flexibility. The person’s height was measured in cm. first. Then a person was led to a wall that was used to crawl down until the person’s back gave out. The person was asked to hold it as long as needed to take the measurements in cm. (mid-back to ground).
The last experiment was measuring temptation when offered candy to see whether the participant wouldtry harder to do a split to get the candy. The subjects were tested first with no candy to get an idea of how far the split was without temptation. Then the subjects were given three pieces of extra chocolaty Hershey kisses that the subjects were permitted to hold and smell to motivated improvement. Then the subject would try the split again and if there was improvement the subject was given candy or they could risk it all and go for four pieces. The same procedure was used for four pieces of candy. The results were measured in cm.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Figure 2 flexibility (split) between males and females
The results showed that the females were the most flexible. These results conclude to this, because a woman’s hips are formed in a way to be more flexible due to child birth, so that the child can pass through. Women have an anatomical advantage.
Figure 3 whether surface affects flexibility rate
The result indicated that the tile surface was the easiest to do a split on; the carpet was the second easiest, and the concrete was the hardest. Tile is probably the easiest to do a split on, because it is the most easy to slide down. Concrete was the worst to do a split because it was harder slide into the proper positioning, while still possible it causes more work for the body. When doing a split it is easiest to be on the most slippery surface as possible, because it is easiest to slide down and have the correct positioning.
Figure 4 flexibility (straddle) males vs. females
The results exposed that females were the most at ease in a straddle.These results conclude to this, because a woman’s hips are formed in a more flexible way due to child birth, so that the child can pass through.
Figure 5 whether height affects flexibility
The results stated that being taller affects back flexibility but it turns out that, because of someone’s height it affects the arch in their back when they bend backwards. Really height doesn’t affect back flexibility it just depends on a person’s experience with back flexibility.
Figure 6 whether people will push harder in a split to get candy
Figure 7 parts of the tongue
The results display that the subjects improved when tempted by the Hershey kisses. Flexibility rate improved, because people were willing to push harder in a split to get chocolate. Sweet things are so compelling to the human body, because sugar is combined with carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, which causes a great surge of energy throughout the body once the sugar touches the apex of the tongue.
CONCLUSION
The last experiment about temptation was to test whether people would push harder if tempted. The hypothesis that was made was proven correct, because people offered to be in the experiment for the candy, so the assumption was that the contributors would push harder if offered candy. These results are important to our world, because it shows that the average human will do almost anything for candy enough to feel discomfort and that’s not healthy for someone’s body or mind to have too much candy consumption. A future experiment that could be done is whether temperature affects flexibility.
CITATIONS
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