1. Fill in the gaps.

Fill the gaps in the sentences using the words in brackets.

a. (Four, beings, physical, flexibility, abilities).

____________________ is one of the ____________________ basic ____________________

____________________ of human ____________________.

b. (Series, maximum, joint, movement).

Flexibility refers to the ____________________ range of ____________________ in a

____________________ or ____________________ of joints.

c. (Structure, motion, muscles, elasticity).

The range of ____________________ on each joint basically depends on the joint

____________________ and the ____________________ of the ____________________

which cross them.

d. (Gender, individual´s, influence, activity, factors, temperature).

Many other ____________________ like ____________________, age, body

____________________ or ____________________ level may ____________________ on

____________________ range of motion.

e. (Balance, life, syndromes, maintaining, loss, quality).

____________________ of ____________________ is enhanced by ____________________ and

improving flexibility, while a ____________________ of it may predispose for pain

____________________ or ____________________ disorders.

f. (Improved, muscles, stretching, exercises, degree).

Flexibility in some joints and ____________________ can be ____________________ to a

certain ____________________ by specific ____________________ called

____________________.

g. (Level, test, body, measured, sit).

Individual ____________________ flexibility ____________________ is ____________________

and calculated by performing a ____________________ and reach ____________________.

2. Study the different methods for improving your flexibility.

Flexibility is improved by stretching. Stretching should only be started when muscles are warm and the body temperature is raised.

To be effective while stretching, force applied to the body must be held just beyond a feeling of pain and needs to be held for at least ten seconds.

Increasing the range of motion creates good posture and develops proficient performance in everyday activities, increasing the length of life and overall health of individuals.

There are three types of stretching for increasing the range of movement. Guess which one is each of them by matching the different names with their correct descriptions:

3. Wordsearch.

Find ten hidden words related with flexibility.

W E D R T Y U P U B N M U AS P Y T I C I T S A L E R HD T N F C V N N Z X M L T OX I A U Y D G I O A S L B JB Y M T O A L O K W A Q E GV T I C I X Z J N E C U N IM I C A S C O F H G H I J KE L C S U M A U I O H M P LR I Q W Z E X C A C E O U VF B A G H J U K T L M V N BA I S Q E W R E U I T E I OB X P I Y A R C X Z V M A PU E S D F T E U Q W R E M NA L L I S T I C N U O N G EZ F E B A E J O A T Q T N L

4. Write the correct joint on each arrow.

Hip. Toes. Elbow.

1. Static-Active stretching.

2. Ballistic stretching.

3. Dynamic stretching.

1. It´s classified as the ability to complete a full range of motion of a joint controlling the whole movement and its speed.

2. It includes holding an extended position with just the strength of the muscles.

3. It implicates to make very brusque and fast movements taking the joints to their maximum range of motion. These movements should only be per-

Spine.

Knee.

Shoulder.

Ankle.

Fingers.

Wrist.

5. Match each image with the muscle stretched in it.

Hamstrings Gluteus Adductors Quadriceps Calf muscles

6. Guess the muscle stretched.

Describe your mates the next stretching exercises. They will have to follow your instruc-tions to make the exercises described and then guess the name of the muscles stretched with them.

7. Taboo

Describe the next sports, in which flexibility is very relevant for a good performance. Avoid using the words below.

8. Reading.

Artistic gymnastics

Gymnast

Apparatus

Acrobatics

Strong

Hip

Synchronized swimming

Swimmer

Figure

Swimming pool

Synchronize

Girl

Artistic skating

Skate

Ice

Figure

Turn

Slide

Rhythmic gymnastics

Hip

Apparatus

Leg

Girl

Hoop

Springboard jump

Swimmer

Tramp

Swimming pool

Bend

Trunk

1. Lift your arm in front of your head, extend your elbow and then, extend your hand, pushing your fingers.

2. Stand up, hold your foot and take it close to your gluteus, bending your knee.

3. Lift your arm over your head, bend your elbow and push it to your opposite shoulder.

4. Support your foot onto your heel, lift your toes and bend your trunk, trying to touch them.

5. Catch your hands behind your back and lift them as much as possible, keeping your arms extended and trying to avoid bending your trunk.

6. Stand up, opening your legs as much as possible and keeping your feet parallel.

1. Adductors.

2. Triceps.

3. Biceps.

4. Quadriceps.

5. Calf muscles.

6. Pectoralis.

Read the text and then answer the questions below.

Today, in our space reserved to sports, we are interviewing Almudena Cid Tostado, the best Spanish rhythmic gymnastics ever in Spain.

Journalist: Hello Almudena! How are you?

Almudena: Hi! Fine, thanks!

J: Almudena, when did you start practicing rhythmic gymnastics?

A: When I was very, very young… just at age 6. But, I actually didn´t begin practicing rhythmic gymnastics, but by doing ballet. My mother wanted me to be a classical dancer but, after realizing my great flexibility, my coach, my mother and I decided that, maybe, it would be much better to enroll a rhythmic gymnastics team.

J: Wow… only 6! Too young! And… was it funny for you or was it hard to train every day?

A: At the beginning it was very funny. It didn´t take me too long to train each day and I used the trainings to meet colleges who, little by little, became my friends. Later, when I started holding good marks, my trainings became longer and I had to work harder, so, it was a little bit more difficult for me but, I soon got used to keep the rhythm of going to school in the morning, and studying and training in the afternoons. I have always been a very disciplined person.

J: How many hours a day did you train?

A: I started training 1 hour, three days a week, but, little by little, the length and the peri-odicity of the trainings were increasing, till I finally had to give up studying at school for studying at home with a personal teacher, because my trainings took at about 5 hours a day, 5 days a week and I had no time to do my homework. Finally, when I started compet-ing in an international level as a member of the Spanish rhythmic gymnastics team, I had to move from Vitoria, where I was born, to Madrid, where I lived, studied and trained in a special residence for high level sports men and women and where I trained for 6 or 8 hours a day, 3 or 4 hours in the morning, and other 3 or 4 in the afternoon.

J: That´s really hard! And… what are the best and the worst things you remember from that term at the sports residence?

A: The best things were the friends you make there, the support they give you when you are sad or tired and, of course, the recompense that you get when you win a competition; not only as a gymnast, but as a person. It´s very nice to realize that all your work has a physical and emotional recompense. The worst… all the hours stretching and stretching… feeling the pain in your muscles and… when you injure some days before a competition after such a long time training and all your work is thrown overboard. That´s very, very nasty.

J: I can imagine! But… let´s talk about nice things! Which one do you think that is your best success?

A: Wow! I cannot say only one! There are so many special moments in my life as a gym-nast and as a normal person that I couldn´t make a correct decision. I´ll always remem-ber the first Spanish championship I won and I have a special memory of the golden

medal I won at Mediterranean Olympic Games in 2005. Of course, I will also remember the four finals I played at the Olympic Games in Atlanta, Sydney, Athens and Beijing, spe-cially this last one, in 2008, when I retired from competition.

J: Yes… that´s good! Because you are known all over the world because you´ve been the only rhythmic gymnast in the world who has made the finals at four consecutive Olympic Games! That´s impressive! Isn´t it?

A: Well… I always say that that´s only the result of a little bit of luck and a lot of work, dedication, illusion, passion and, of course, love for gymnastics.

J: You know… It´s contradictory cause some people may think that you haven´t been a lucky gymnast because, although you´ve made four finals at the Olympic Games, you have never held any medals at them. Do you agree with that?

A: Well… I do not agree with that at all. My dreams came true when I went to my first Olympic Games and then, I repeated three times more. So, I cannot say I have been un-lucky. When you are at such a high level of the competition there are a lot of factors that may affect on your performance, specially the quality or perfection of your technical ele-ments, your degree of flexibility, which helps your movements to be softer and more es-thetic and, of course, the tradition of your country in this sport. And… in this last aspect, Russians have always stood out and Spaniards still have nothing to do with that.

J: Yes! Russia has always been a power in rhythmic gymnastics. Who do you think that has been your worst or harder adversary ever… a Russian too?

A: Yes! Of course! Alina Kabáyeva has always been an amazing gymnast and there was no other gymnast in the world who could win her.

J: Well, Almudena! I think you took the hardest decision in your life after Beijing´s Olympic Games final, when you retired from professional sport. We could see you kissing the car-pet where you had competed and crying. Those where difficult moments, of course, but… how do you feel now?

A: Well… It´s true that that was the most difficult decision in my life. It´s hard to leave be-hind all you´ve been doing in your life but now, I can enjoy of the advantages of having a lot of time for me, my family and my boyfriend. And, anyway, all sportsmen/women must know there´s a top time for everybody when your body cannot go on working so hard and needs to rest, and that´s the time to say good bye to the competition. Everything has an end.

J: You´re right! Everything has an end! As this interview which is getting to its end! And so, for ending… what advice would you give to all those boys or girls who, as you, want to become an international champion?

A: My advice for them is that they work hard for what they want, try to train and study at the same time and never miss their hope, although they ever fall… you can always get up again.

J: Oh! Very good advice, Almudena! Thank you very much for answering our questions and very nice to meet you!

A: Very nice to meet you too! Thanks to you!

Now, answer the next questions about the text read.

1. Where was Almudena born?

2. How old was she when she started practicing rhythmic gymnastics?

3. Had her mother always wanted her to be a gymnast?

4. How has the length of her trainings varied all along her life as a gymnast?

5. Where did she live when she moved to Madrid?

6. Did she ever give up studying?

7. Do you think she enjoyed her trainings? Why?

8. Which are Almudena´s best successes?

9. Why is she known all over the world?

10. What are Almudena´s secrets for succeeding?

11. Do you think that Almudena feels that she has been lucky or unlucky in her career as a gymnast? Why?

12. Who has been her hardest adversary? What was her nationality?

13. Which one has been Almudena´s hardest decision?

14. Do you think she is happy now? Why?

15. What´s her advice for all those people who want to become a sports star?

© JoséAntonioGuerreroRuiz2013