HOW TO GET FLEXIBLE AND STAY FLEXIBLE WITH
A GREAT PROGRAM AND USING THE TENS FUNCTION ON YOUR EMS UNIT

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CHAPTER 1

Physiology and Fitness:
A revolution is occurring in the health and fitness industry. Old rules are being discarded and new rules are being written. Every day there are advances in the health and fitness industry. There is a multitude of new information about exercise, and while most people are aware of the importance of being fit and healthy, much of this new information is confusing and conflicting. People need to be kept up-to-date concerning the basics of how the body works and what should be done to achieve and maintain peak health and fitness.

The Physiology of Muscles and Tendons
Muscles are made up of thousands of tiny cylindrical cells called muscle fibres. These muscle fibres run parallel to each other and some can be as long as 30 cm. Muscles are connected to the bones by tendons, which consist of dense connective tissue. They are extremely strong yet very pliable. It is the muscle fibres and tendons that we need to stretch to gain the maximum benefits of good flexibility, and decrease the likelihood of injury.

How Muscles React to Exercise

Exercise is a disciplined form of physical activity designed to place stress on the body. When the body recovers from that stress it is better prepared and more capable of performing that particular physical activity in the future.

During exercise many demands are made on the working muscles. One of the first things to occur to muscles when they are stressed
beyond a comfortable, or sub maximal level, is that the individual muscle fibres become swollen and inflamed.

Due to the increased need for oxygen and nutrients the heart pumps large amounts of blood to the working muscles, this causes them to swell. In the extreme, this puts pressure on the nerve endings and may result in pain.

When the stress of exercise on the working muscles is excessive, a lot of damage can occur to the individual muscle fibres. This damage includes minute tears within the individual muscle fibres, called micro tears, and combined with swelling, can result in pain, a decrease in athletic performance and the possibility of serious injury.

During exercise the heart continually pumps blood to the working muscles. When the oxygen and nutrients in the blood have been used, the working muscles push the blood back to the heart. When the exercising muscles stop, so does the force that pushes the blood back to the heart, this results in blood pooling. This is when large amounts of blood accumulate in the muscles and results in a lot of pain due to the increased pressure placed on nerve endings.

Muscles also produce waste products such as lactic acid during strenuous exercise. Restricted blood flow prevents the drainage of these waste products from the muscles that can lead to pain and damage.
This may all sounds like bad news but exercise is beneficial. Correct exercise will improve the body, but if taken to extremes the results are unfavorable and instead of reaping the rewards of physical activity, the result will be sore, stiff muscles.

How to use the TENS function to increase flexibility:
Using 4 pads and 2 channels place the pads vertically on your hamstrings like so .

Start with a low intensity on the dials on low ( 2- 3 ) contraction time on 4 second and off 3 seconds on do this for 10-15 minutes and then stretch your hamstrings as they will be loosened up

Too much or inappropriate exercise can have a disastrous effect on performance and can result in serious injury. In later chapters this will be explained in depth.