(53) THE BENEFITS TO STATIC STRETCHING AND STRENGTHENING USING THE PILATES METHOD TO INCREASE HAMSTRING FLEXIBILITY: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

ABTRACT:

Purpose: The objective of this review is to report the benefits of static stretching on athletes and how to strengthen the hamstring to prevent hamstring injuries.  This report includes modalities that can help increase flexibility such as ice, massage, static stretching and dynamic stretching, and the usage of the Pilates method to strengthen flexibility. 

Methods: Following protocols advised by PRISMA, with the use of electronic databases, a systematic literature search was performed. Such databases as Cochrane Library, PubMed, SportDiscus, and Google Scholar were used in combination of this literature.

Results: Main findings included the following:  using static stretching as a warm-up, using static stretching with ice, using it with massage and improving hamstring flexibility using the Pilates method. Using static stretching as a warm-up showed that it will help with lengthening the muscles and providing comfort to athletes for any soreness or tightness they might be feeling prior to practice and competitions. With ice it was shown that the athlete was able to endure static stretching because of the numbing effect it has. Static stretching and massage showed how this technique could help the hamstring calm down by using pressure, friction, and rubbing to relax the muscle. The Pilates method showed how using this strengthening technique could promote strength, stability, and flexibility while using the athlete’s body weight. CONCULSION: In conclusion hamstring flexibility is an important aspect for an athlete to maintain a healthy balance in their workout regimens. PRATICAL APPLICATIONS: Sport coaches and athletic trainers can apply these findings in terms of how to help the athlete recover and strengthen the hamstring to prevent injuries.


Acknowledgements: NONE