Final answer:
Before a passive stretch, it is essential to warm up the muscles to increase blood flow and prepare the tissues for stretching to minimize the risk of injury. Passive stretching aims to enhance muscle elasticity and extensibility, and it is important to keep the connective tissue loose and well-hydrated.
Step-by-step explanation:
Before performing a passive stretch, it is critical to warm up the muscles. This can involve activities such as light aerobic exercise or dynamic stretching, which increase blood flow and prepare the muscles and connective tissues for the deeper stretching to follow. A warm-up helps to reduce the risk of injury, such as muscle fiber damage or a tendon pull.
Passive stretching involves lengthening both contractile (muscles) and non-contractile tissue (e.g., ligaments and tendons). Since muscles can only actively contract and not extend, passive stretching helps to increase elasticity and extensibility of these tissues, allowing for greater flexibility and range of motion. It also helps to maintain the connective tissue covering each muscle fiber, called endomysium, loose and well-hydrated, which is essential for optimal muscle function. Understanding the role of contractility, elasticity, and extensibility in muscle function is crucial when applying passive stretching techniques.