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Fitness Activity Instructions – Week 5: Injury Prevention

Track 2

Introduction:

This week’s Fitness Activities focuses on assessments that identify factors that increase your risk of injury. Injuries may result from not enough physical activity, or too much activity. By understanding the factors that increase the risk of injury, it becomes possible to reduce these risks.

In this week’s Fitness Activities, you complete a combination of personal and analytical activities. For one of the Fitness Activities (preventing injury during exercise), you complete the activities using yourself as the subject. For the other Fitness Activity (assessing flexibility and back pain), you assess and analyze the results of a fictional student data set to complete the assignment. Finally, you create a fitness presentation about injury prevention to present to a group interested in personal fitness.

Student Statistics:

The following is information about the two fictional students you will be evaluating:

· Tara, 41-year-old female

· Willie, 51–year-old male

Preparation:

Review the media titled “Fitness Activities: Assessing Flexibility and Back Pain.” Pay particular attention to the instructions provided for each fitness activity.

Fitness Activities:

1. Preventing Injury During Exercise (complete the questions based on your personal goals and experience)

Answer the questions to identify and reduce ways in which your exercise program may cause injuries. The statements provided are associated with preventing exercise-related injuries. Check “yes” for those statements which accurately reflect things you implement in your fitness program (and life in general). Check “no” for statements that do not reflect your current practices and explain what changes you might implement to reduce or eliminate the associated risks.

2. Assess Flexibility and Back Pain (complete this assignment using the student data set provided)

Proper care for the back is often overlooked and failure to incorporate back stretches into a personal fitness plan may have long term repercussions on back health. The following flexibility assessments help to identify flexibility problems that might lead to back pain and injury.

Student Data Set for Flexibility and Back Pain Assessment

Back to wall flexibility test

Tara stands with her back against a wall so that her head, shoulders, calves, and heels are all touching the wall. You have her try to reduce the space between the small of her back and the wall by pressing it back towards the wall. Once she is in position, you place your hand between the wall and the small of her back. The space between the wall and the small of her back is much greater than the thickness of your flattened hand.

Your repeat this assessment with Willie, but there is very little space between the wall and the small of his back to place your hand.

Straight leg lift flexibility test

Tara lies on her back with her hands behind her neck. You kneel on her left side and place your right hand on her right knee to stabilize it and keep it straight. With your left hand, you grasp her left ankle and slowly lift her leg as near to straight up as possible. Her left leg bends at the knee as you raise it, but her back and her right leg remain on the floor. When testing the opposite side, her right leg bends at the knee and her back comes off the floor, but her left leg does remain on the floor.

You repeat the assessment with Willie. His left leg bends at the knee, and his back and his right leg come off the floor. When testing the opposite side, his right leg bends at the knee and his back and left leg come off the floor.

Knee to chest flexibility test

When Tara brings her left knee to her chest, her right thigh remains in contact with the table. She repeats the process using the right knee to her chest and her left thigh comes off the table.

When Willie brings his left knee to his chest, his right thigh comes off the table. He repeats the process using the right knee to his chest and his left thigh comes off the table.

Back to wall flexibility test – The back to wall flexibility test assesses the flexibility of the lower back.

Process:

Stand with your back against a wall so that your head, shoulders, calves, and heels are all touching the wall. Try to reduce the space between the small of your back and the wall by pressing it back towards the wall. Once you are in position, have your partner place their hand between the wall and the small of you back.

Interpreting your results:

If the space between the wall and the small of your back is greater than the thickness of a flattened hand, you may have lumbar lordosis (increased curvature in the lower back with a forward pelvic tilt) with shortened lumbar and hip flexor muscles. To correct or prevent lumbar lordosis, flexibility exercises to lengthen the hip flexor muscles, as well as strength and endurance exercise for the abdominal muscles, are recommended.

Straight leg lift flexibility test – The straight leg lift flexibility test assesses the flexibility of the hips and hamstrings.

Process:

Lie on your back with your hands behind your neck. Your partner will kneel on your left side and place his or her right hand on your right knee to stabilize it and keep it straight. With his or her left hand, your partner will grasp your left heel and slowly lift your leg as near to straight up as possible. Stop if the stretch becomes painful. When the left leg is in position, your lower back should be pressed against the floor, and the right leg should remain straight and on the floor. Once the test is complete, repeat the process using the other leg.

Interpreting your results:

If your left leg bends at the knee, your hamstring muscles are short. If your back and/or your right leg does not remain on the floor, short lumbar muscles, short hip flexors, or both are implicated. To correct this condition, perform exercises to stretch your hamstrings. Lower back stretches can be used to lengthen the lumbar muscles.

Knee to chest flexibility test – The knee to chest flexibility test assesses the flexibility of the hips flexor muscles.

Process:

Lie on your back on the ground. Bring your left knee to your chest, and grasp your shin, pulling the leg down towards your chest. Your right thigh should remain in contact with the table. Once the test is complete, repeat the process using the other leg.

Interpreting your results:

If your right thigh lifts off the table while you hug your leg to your chest, you have a tight right hip flexor muscle. If your left thigh lifts, then you have a tight left hip flexor.

3. Prepare a Fitness Presentation

Prepare a short presentation, no more than 2–3 paragraphs, about the benefits of injury prevention. The presentation should discuss the value of using the assessments presented during this week and the benefits of using those assessments to achieve personal fitness goals. Write the fitness presentation as if you are planning on reading what you write directly to a group interested in health and fitness.

Reference:

Powers, S. K., Dodd, S. L., & Jackson, E. M. (2011). Total fitness & wellness (brief 5e, media update). San Francisco, CA: Pearson/Benjamin Cummings.