Expanding the body's range of motion through static and dynamic stretching, mobility drills, and recovery techniques to move freely, prevent injury, and support athletic performance.
Flexibility is the capacity of muscles, tendons, and joints to move through their full range of motion. Training flexibility involves static holds, dynamic movements, PNF patterns, and targeted mobility work. Progress spans from learning basic stretches safely to designing sport-specific mobility programs, coaching others, developing evidence-based methodologies, and advancing the science of human movement.
You are new to intentional flexibility training. You can identify the major muscle groups and perform simple static stretches with verbal or visual guidance. You understand the difference between stretching and pain, and you know that cold muscles should be warmed up before deep stretching. You are building the habit of including stretching in your weekly routine.
What Comes Next
If you have achieved most of this checklist, you are ready to enter the Endurance stage of the proficiency model — building a consistent 3x/week stretching routine and learning foam rolling basics. According to Fitts & Posner's Motor Learning Stages theory, transitioning from the cognitive stage to the associative stage requires repeating each stretch's form and breathing pattern until they can be performed without conscious attention.
CES corrective exercise protocols directly inform checklist items such as L5 movement screening and L6 coach education module design.
The authoritative standard for joint mobility assessment, with FRCms protocols defining industry benchmarks for joint-specific mobility measurement and training.
Comprehensive academic text covering the science of stretching from basic anatomy through program design for special populations.
Systematic review and meta-analysis of static, dynamic, and PNF stretching effects on performance and injury prevention, providing evidence basis for stretching type selection in L1-L4 checklists.
