Locomotor System

Stretching is a form of physical exercise that involves expanding and flexing a muscle or tendon to improve its elasticity and range of motion.  There are many benefits of stretching: it can improve your posture, reduce stress and body aches. Regular stretching also helps you to increase your flexibility. Why is stretching important? We need flexibility to maintain a range of motion in the joints. Without it the muscles shorten and become tight. Then, when you use your muscles to do any physical activity they are weak and unable to extend all the way. That is a risk and it cans produce injuries. There are diferent types of stretching: -Static stretches: they involve holding a stretch in a comfortable position during a time period. This type of stretching is usually done after doing exercise. -Dynamic stretches: these are active movements that cause your muscles to stretch but without keeping the position. It is commonly called wrm up. This type of stretching is commonly done before...

 A joint is a physical connection between two bones. Joints contain a variety of fibrous connecting tissue: -Ligaments: they connect the bones to each other. -Tendons: tendons connect a muscle to a bone. -Cartilage: It covers the ends of bones and provides cushioning. The knee joint is the point of conection between the femur and the tibia. The most common joints in our body are freely movable and they are called synovial joints. Synovial joints are surrounded by fibrous tissue or sac called the joint capsule. The lining of this capsule secretes synovial fluid, which lubricate the tissues and spaces within this capsule. There are several times ofsynovial joints that allow diferent forms of motion: ball and socket joints, condyloid joints, gliding joints, pivot joints... The majority's of human body joints are allow for movement. Joints that do allow for motion, such as knee or ankle, have a predetermined range of movement, which is basically how far is each direction that joint can...

 Ligaments are bands of tissue that help to connect joints, bones and organs and to keep them in their place. We have got more than 900 ligaments. There are in our arms and legs. A common tendons injury is the sprain. It can occurs when we overstretch or torn a ligament. Exactly these are their functions: -Allow the joint to move in the directions it was meant to move. -Hold bones together. -Make sure that joints don't twist. -Stabilize muscles and bones. -Strenghthen joints. -Prevent bones from dislocating. -They also hold women uterus, the liver, the stomach and the intestine. We have got four ligaments in our knee. This is a common injury in football players. Ligament injuries are common, specially in the: -Ankle, knee or wrist. -Back. -Neck. -Thumb or finger. There are three grades of sprains: First Grade.-Is a ligament that is overstretched or slightly torn. Second Grade.-Involves a partial ligament tear. Third Grade.-Is a complete ligament tear or rupture. Based in: http...