Final answer:
To decrease the risk of injury by increasing flexibility, one should aim to elongate the muscle. Flexibility exercises, like stretching and yoga, can help improve muscle range of motion and elasticity. The correct answer is to elongate the muscle, which helps prevent injuries, and during flexion, the angle between bones is decreased.
Step-by-step explanation:
To decrease your risk of injury, increasing your flexibility is essential. By enhancing flexibility, you elongate the muscles and improve their range of motion, which may prevent injuries during physical activities. Flexibility exercises such as stretching, yoga, and tai chi not only lengthen the muscles but also improve the elasticity of the muscle fibers. The elasticity allows muscles to stretch and rebound effectively, reducing tension in the muscle. Properly hydrated and loose connective tissue, including the endomysium that covers each muscle fiber, plays a key role in maintaining good flexibility.
Good flexibility practices involve a proper warm-up to increase blood flow, reduce the risk of muscle fiber damage or tendon strain, and maximize muscle performance. It's also important to use the correct safety equipment for activities and to stretch both before and after those activities. By taking these steps, you can help prevent injuries and ensure your body is ready to handle the demands of various exercises.
In the context of the choices given, to decrease the risk of injury by increasing flexibility, you would want to:
- a. elongate the muscle - This is the correct option.
- b. it makes imbalances within the body - This is incorrect as increasing flexibility aims to correct imbalances, not create them.
- c. it weakens the muscle - This is incorrect as flexibility exercises do not inherently weaken muscles but rather improve their elasticity and function.
- d. it shortens the muscle - This is incorrect as flexibility exercises work to lengthen and not shorten muscles.
Regarding flexion, the correct statement would be:
- b. The angle between bones is decreased.
This movement generally happens during activities such as bending the arm at the elbow or the leg at the knee, effectively reducing the angle between the bones at the joint.
Therefore, I will mention the correct option answer in the final answer for both parts:
To decrease your risk of injury by increasing flexibility, you would want to elongate the muscle, and during flexion, the angle between bones is decreased.