IMPROVING  FLEXIBILITY  FOR  THE  AGING  ATHLETE  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Britta  Nelson-­‐Maki  

April  27,  2014  

Course  Year  2014  

Gig  Harbor,  Washington  

   

 

ABSTRACT  

Flexibility  decreases  with  age  and  physical  inactivity,  and  this  can  cause  your  muscles,  tendons  

and  ligaments  to  grow  shorter  over  time.    But  regardless  of  your  age,  you  can  increase  your  

flexibility  by  incorporating  stretching  and  overall  body  strengthening  into  your  exercise  routine.    

Regular  stretching  can  improve  physical  performance,  circulation,  posture  and  coordination  and  

balance.  

The  Pilates  conditioning  program  for  an  aging  athlete,  outlined  in  this  paper,  focuses  on  

improving  the  subject’s  overall  flexibility,  but  especially  the  lower  back,  hamstrings,  and  hip  

flexors.    Secondary  goals  include  strengthening  the  abs,  weight  loss  and  toning  the  entire  body.    

   

 

TABLE  OF  CONTENTS  

 

 

ABSTRACT                          ii  

TABLE  OF  CONTENTS                      iii  

ANATOMICAL  DESCRIPTION                      1  

CASE  STUDY                          6  

CONDITIONING  PROGRAM                      8  

CONCLUSION                       11  

BIBLIOGRAPHY                     12  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

ANATOMICAL  DESCRIPTION  

The  focus  of  this  conditioning  program  is  to  improve  overall  flexibility  and  range  of  motion  for  

an  athlete  who  is  termed  a  baby  boomer.    The  specific  areas  of  focus  are  the  lower  back,  

hamstrings  and  hip  flexors;  the  muscles  or  muscle  groups  associated  with  these  areas  are  

identified  in  the  Study  Guide,  Comprehensive  Course  (2000-­‐2013,  pp  29-­‐31)  and  are  provided  

below  with  diagrams.  

Lower  back  (lumbar  spine  and  pelvis)  

• Transverse  abdominus  

 

 

   

 

 

 

• Multifidus  

 

                                                         

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

• Pelvic  floor  muscles  (formed  by  the  two  levator  ani  and  two  coccygeus  muscles)      

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

Hamstrings  

• Semimembranous  • Semitendinosus  • Biceps  femoris  

 

                   

 

 

 

 

   

 

Hips  

• Iliopsoas  (Iliacus  and  Psoas  major)            • Rectus  femoris  • Sartorius  • Gluteus  maximus,  magnus  and  minimus  • Hamstrings  (Biceps  femoris,  Semimembranosus  and  Semitendinosus)  • Adductor  longus,  brevis  and  magnus  • Gracilis  

 

   

     

INTRODUCTION  

Baby  boomers  (born  after  World  War  II  between  1946  and  1964)  were  the  first  generation  to  

grow  up  exercising,  and  their  exercise  routines  have  been  heavily  influenced  by  the  President's  

Council  on  Fitness,  Sports  &  Nutrition;  a  program  initiated  in  the  1960s.    Through  2013,  The  

Physical  Fitness  Test,  a  part  of  that  Presidential  program,  recognized  students  for  their  level  of  

   

physical  fitness  in  five  activities:    curl-­‐ups,  shuttle  run,  endurance  run/walk,  pull-­‐ups  and  V-­‐sit  

reach.    Flexibility  and  overall  body  conditioning  were  not  and  continue  not  to  be  a  priority  of  

the  Presidential  program.    The  youngest  of  the  baby  boomers  is  turning  50  this  year;  this  

population  group  grew  up  in  an  educational  system  that  encouraged  exercise,  but  the  exercise  

routines  were  focused  on  aerobic  and  muscle-­‐building  activities  (e.g.,  team  sports  such  as  

basketball,  running,  weight  training).    Consequently,  most  baby  boomers  continue  to  exercise  in  

the  same  patterns  that  were  learned  during  their  school  (i.e.,  grade  school  through  high  school)  

years.    Therefore,  I  focused  my  case  study  on  an  athlete  who,  for  the  most  part,  continues  to  

exercise  in  those  patterns  but  realizes  that  flexibility  and  overall  body  conditioning  need  to  

become  a  part  of  his  total  exercise  program.        

Physical  fitness  is  comprised  of  three  parts:    flexibility,  strength,  and  endurance.    They  should  

be  pursued  in  this  order  with  flexibility  always  being  a  part  of  the  process.    Working  on  strength  

and  endurance  with  little  or  no  focus  on  flexibility  is  a  path  leading  to  stiffness,  distortion,  

density,  inflexibility,  injury,  pain,  and  decrepitude  (Dunn  2008).  

               

   

 

 

CASE  STUDY  

Pat  is  a  63-­‐year-­‐old  male,  5  feet  11  inches  tall,  178  pounds  and  in  good  health.    Pat’s  Body  Mass  

Index  (BMI),  according  to  the  U.S.  Department  of  Health  and  Human  Services,  National  Institute  

of  Health,  is  at  the  top  of  the  normal  weight  range  (i.e.,  24.8).    Note  that  the  BMI  normal  weight  

range  is  between  18.5  and  24.9.    One  of  his  goals  is  to  lose  10  pounds,  which  will  bring  his  BMI  

closer  to  the  middle  of  the  normal  weight  range.  

Pat  has  hyperlordosis  (i.e.,  increased  lumbar  curve  of  the  spine,  accompanied  by  an  anterior  tilt  

of  the  pelvis).    To  help  minimize  this  postural  fault,  abdominal  muscles  must  be  strengthened,  

and  hip  flexors  and  lower  back  extensors  must  be  stretched  (Isacowitz  2006).  

In  addition,  Pat  has  slightly  bow  legs  (genu  varum)  which  involves  a  medial  deviation  of  the  

distal  tibia  relative  to  the  knee,  such  that  the  knees  are  separated  while  the  feet  touch  (Study  

Guide,  Comprehensive  Training  2000-­‐2013).  

Pat  is  (was)  a  somewhat  natural  athlete.    Since  the  age  of  eight  he  played  multiple  organized  

sports  (i.e.,  baseball,  football,  basketball,  track  and  bowling).    Pat  played  football  through  

college  where  he  set  several  records  that  still  hold  today.    However,  as  a  football  player,  his  

conditioning  program  centered  more  on  building  muscle  and  improving  agility  (specificity  

training,  defined  as  working  on  specific  skills  and  developing  the  neuromuscular  system  in  such  

a  way  as  to  improve  the  performance  of  these  skills  (Study  Guide,  Comprehensive  Training  

   

2000-­‐2013)  rather  than  cross  training,  which  deals  with  conditioning  the  “whole”  body  as  

advocated  through  the  Pilates  method.  

As  Pat  moved  past  playing  college  football  and  into  his  work  career,  he  remained  active.    His  

current  exercise  program  and  activities  include  aerobic  exercise  (such  as  running  and  bicycling);  

recreational  activities  (such  as  basketball,  golf  and,  most  importantly,  walking  the  dog);  and  

weight  lifting,  sit  ups,  and  some  stretching  (such  as  toe  touches).  

To  improve  his  overall  physical  fitness,  Pat  recognizes  the  need  for  more  whole  body  exercises  

that  the  Pilates  method  can  provide.    His  goal  by  including  the  Pilates  movements  into  his  

current  exercises  and  activities  are  to  strengthen  his  abdominal  muscles  and  improve  overall  

flexibility,  specifically  increasing  range  of  motion  in  the  hip  joints  and  lengthen  the  hamstrings.  

To  meet  these  goals  I  developed  the  following  conditioning  program  using  the  Block  System  

from  the  Body  Arts  and  Science  International  (BASI)  approach.          

CONDITIONING  PROGRAM  

 

BLOCK   APPARTUS   EXERCISE  Warm-­‐up   Mat   Fundamental       o pelvic  curl       o spine  twist  supine       o chest  lift       o chest  lift  w/rotation       Single  leg  lifts  and  changes  Foot  Work   Cadillac   Fundamental       o heels  parallel       o toes  parallel       o heels  in  V  position       o heels  in  wide  V  position       o toes  in  wide  V  position       o calf  raises  

   

    o prances  Abdominal  Work   Reformer*   100  prep       The  100  (w/legs  in  table  top)  Hip  Work   Reformer   o frog       o down  circles       o up  circles       o openings  Spinal  Articulation   Reformer   Bottom  lift  (on  heels,  working  to  toes)  Stretches   Reformer   Standing  lunge  Full  Body  Integration  (Fundamental/Inter)  

Reformer   Reverse  knee  stretch    

Arm  Work   Reformer   Sitting  arm  series  on  box  (alternate  with  kneeling  arm  series)  

    o chest  expansion       o biceps       o rhomboids       o hug-­‐a-­‐tree       o salute       Kneeling  arm  series       o chest  expansion       o up  circles       o down  circles       o triceps  (kneeling  salutes)       o biceps  Full  Body  Integration  (Advanced  &  Master)  

Reformer   Long  stretch  (if  time)  

Leg  Work   Cadillac   Single  leg  side  series       o changes       o scissors       o circles  forward       o circles  back  Lateral  Flexion/Rotation   Ladder  Barrel   Side  over  prep  Back  Extension   Ladder  Barrel   Swan  prep    

*Since  Pat  is  5  feet  11  inches  tall,  the  Reformer  is  set  on  second  gear  to  allow  for  a  better  range  of  motion.  

 

The  reasoning  behind  this  conditioning  program  is  discussed  below.      

   

• During  the  fundamental  warm-­‐up,  an  assist  is  included  by  placing  a  ball  between  Pat’s  

knees  to  prevent  his  legs  from  splaying,  a  natural  tendency  because  of  his  bow  legs.    To  

keep  Pat’s  spine  in  alignment  a  folded  towel  is  placed  under  his  head.    Also,  single  leg  

lifts  and  changes  were  added  to  the  warm-­‐up  to  incorporate  additional  abdominal  work  

into  the  program  and  to  work  on  flexibility  of  the  hips  (i.e.,  hip  joint  disassociation).      

• Foot  work  is  completed  on  the  Cadillac  to  minimize  Pat’s  hyperlordosis  and  better  

stretch  the  lower  back  and  hamstrings  as  discussed  in  Isacowitz  (2006).  

• Again,  during  the  100,  a  ball  is  placed  between  Pat’s  knees  to  prevent  his  knees  from  

splaying.  

• The  reverse  knee  stretch  is  included  in  the  program  to  increase  abdominal  work  (to  

improve  abdominal  strength,  which  is  one  of  Pat’s  goals)  and  to  work  on  his  hip  flexors  

(to  improve  flexibility,  specifically  range  of  motion  in  the  hips).  

• Arm  work  is  alternated  between  the  sitting  arm  series  and  the  kneeling  arm  series  

mostly  to  keep  from  a  set  routine  (i.e.,  to  keep  Pat  from  getting  bored).    The  sitting  arm  

series  is  completed  on  a  box  because  Pat’s  hamstrings  are  very  tight  (i.e.,  he  isn’t  able  to  

sit  upright  even  with  his  knees  bent;  therefore,  he  is  not  able  to  complete  this  series  in  

good  posture  and  consequently  losing  the  integrity  of  the  work).    The  kneeling  arm  

series  is  more  challenging;  it  increases  the  use  of  Pat’s  abdominal  muscles  and  also  

forces  him  to  work  on  balance.  

• The  single  leg  side  series  on  the  Cadillac  was  selected  to  help  increase  range  of  motion  

in  the  hips.  

   

 

• And,  finally,  the  exercises  on  the  Ladder  Barrel  are  included  for  the  lateral  

flexion/rotation  and  back  extension  blocks  because  Pat  is  familiar  with  this  piece  of  

equipment.    While  conditioning  for  football,  he  would  complete  a  version  of  a  back  

extension  while  holding  weights  behind  his  head.    I  believe  these  exercises  provide  a  

positive,  familiar  aspect  to  the  program  which  is  reinforced  by  how  well  he  performs  

them.      

   

 

CONCLUSION  

 

The  primary  reason  that  many  senior  citizens  are  moving  around  the  way  they  do  is  not  

because  they  are  too  weak  to  move  otherwise,  it's  because  they  are  stiff  and  inflexible  (Dunn  

2008)!    Consistent  with  the  information  from  Dunn,  Pat  does  believe  his  stiffness  and  

inflexibility  is  affecting  his  movement.    After  a  few  workouts  using  the  Pilates  movements,  he  

became  more  accepting  of  this  new  type  of  exercise  (even  though  a  part  of  him  wants  to  hold  

onto  the  adage,  no  pain,  no  gain).  

After  seven  one-­‐hour  sessions  over  a  timeframe  of  approximately  a  month,  Pat  believes  he  has  

been  able  to  feel  some  results,  especially  in  his  legs  and  hips.    Simple  things  like  going  from  

sitting  to  standing  seems  to  be  not  as  difficult,  and  bending  over  to  pick  something  up  off  the  

ground  is  getting  easier  too.    He  still  can’t  quite  touch  his  toes  while  keeping  his  legs  straight,  

but  he  is  closer  than  when  he  started  the  program.  

Pat  has  also  expressed  that  he  likes  the  feeling  of  toning  and  flexibility  in  his  arms  and  chest.    

Visually  he’s  not  getting  a  sculptured  look  yet  but  he  believes  he  can  feel  a  change  for  the  good.    

He  hasn’t  achieved  any  weight  reduction,  but  he  also  hasn’t  gained  any  weight  since  starting  

this  conditioning  program.    To  reach  his  weight  goal,  he  realizes  he  will  need  to  be  a  little  more  

diligent  on  his  diet  and  portion  control.      

Overall  Pat  is  satisfied  with  the  Pilates  conditioning  program  as  part  of  his  exercise  routine  and  

at  this  time  wants  to  continue  it  until  his  short-­‐term  goals  are  met.                      

   

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY  

     

• Biel,  Andrew,  Trail  Guide  to  the  Body,  Books  of  Discovery,  4th  Edition,  2010    

• Dunn,  Blue,  Senior  Citizens  –  Flexibility  Exercise  Vs  Weight  Training,  Health  and  Fitness:  Exercise,  June  20,  2008    

• Fit  Studio,  “Stretching  for  Older  Adults,”    https://www.fitstudio.com/articles/stretching-­‐for-­‐older-­‐adults    (accessed  April  25,  2014)  

 • Isacowitz,  R.,  2006,  Pilates,  Human  Kinetics.    • Ogle,  M.,  “What  to  Know  About  Flexibility,  How  to  Do  Stretching  Exercises  Safely  and  

Effectively.”    About.com  Senior  Living,  Updated  April  10,  2013,  http://seniorliving.about.com/od/exercisefitnes1/a/stretching.htm        

• President's  Council  on  Fitness,  Sports  &  Nutrition,  http://www.fitness.gov/be-­‐active/physical-­‐activity-­‐guidelines-­‐for-­‐americans/  (accessed  April  24,  2014)  

 

• Study  Guide,  Comprehensive  Course,  2000-­‐2013,  Body  Arts  and  Science  International.