Stretching exercises to improve the flexibility of second-division footballers at the professional sports club Exapromo Costa F.C. in the city of Manta, 2026.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70577/h0h9qq02Keywords:
dynamic stretching, static stretching, muscle elasticity, flexibility, Sit and Reach test, football.Abstract
Stretching is a relevant component of physical preparation in football because of its relationship with mobility, musculotendinous extensibility, and the execution of high-intensity actions. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of static and dynamic stretching on muscle elasticity in second-division football players from Exapromo Costa F.C. Professional Sports Club. A quantitative, quasi-experimental pretest-posttest study was conducted. The population consisted of 30 football players aged 18 to 32 years, and the analyzed sample included 23 participants who met the eligibility criteria. Hamstring and lumbar-region flexibility was assessed with the Sit and Reach test before and after a four-week program delivered twice per week and combining dynamic and static stretching. In the final comparison, the mean increased from 30.37 ± 4.59 cm to 33.58 ± 3.80 cm; the pretest-posttest difference was −3.21 ± 2.87 cm, with a 95% confidence interval from −4.46 to −1.97 and p < 0.001. In addition, the poor-flexibility category disappeared in the posttest, whereas the excellent category increased to 21.7%. The findings indicate a consistent improvement after the intervention, with lower dispersion in the final measurements. It is concluded that the applied protocol produced a statistically significant and functionally favorable improvement in muscle elasticity and may constitute a practical, low-cost physiotherapy strategy that can be incorporated into the routine physical preparation of second-division football players.
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