Improving upper body flexibility in students through various types of stretching during physical education lessons

Abstract

This study, which was conducted on a university student population, followed the progress of upper body flexibility as a result of performing static (SS) and dynamic stretching (DS) during warm-up and cool down in physical education lessons. A group of 297 subjects (206 males and 91 females with an average age of 23.62 ± 4.3 years), who were students of the Dunărea de Jos – Galați University over the course of the academic year of 2018–2019, participated in the specific curricular physical education activities for 28 weeks with 1 module/2 h per week. The results recorded analyzed using the ANOVA procedure with repeated measurements confirmed only partially significant correlations in the investigated groups, especially for the tests including working positions and motions that are similar to the ones used frequently in joint mobilizations and muscle stretching during physical activities, an aspect reinforced by the high values of Partial eta squared/Ƞ2 p. In many cases, the null hypothesis could not be rejected with only insignificant increases of the results, and the F values corresponded to a P>0.05 and Ƞ2 p with values of <0.14, indicating low effects of stretching on the flexibility. The female subjects recorded statistically superior values compared to the male subjects in most tests, but the low frequency of the weekly physical activities was an impediment that limited significant improvements for the entire battery of tests. In conclusion, the authors recommend as solutions for optimizing the flexibility an increase in the number of physical education classes in the curricula of universities, but also making the younger generations aware of the need for exercise and stretching during leisure time activities as ways to ensure a state of wellbeing and to achieve good fitness.