Evaluation of Static Stretching Procedures for Improvement of Flexibility

Abstract

In order to evaluate the static stretching procedures of Hatha Yoga for improvement of flexibility, 57 male college subjects were divided into two groups, one of which trained by static stretching, the other by conventional ballistic methods of stretching for seven 30-min. periods. The subjects were tested before and after the experimental period on Cureton's flexibility tests, involving trunk flexion, trunk extension, and shoulder elevation. Both groups made statistically significant gains at the .01 level of confidence in all three measures. None of the differences in gains between groups were significant at the .05 level of confidence.