Introduction

INTRODUCTORY NOTE

For newcomers to this educational forum, these Puzzles and Paradoxes (P&Ps)
of Exercise Science are Propositions, not facts or dogmatic proclamations.
They are intended to stimulate interaction among  users working in different
fields, to re-examine traditional concepts, foster distance education,
question our beliefs
and suggest new lines of research or approaches to training.  I look forward
to responses from anyone who has views or relevant information  on the topics.

Mel C Siff  PhD   mcsiff@aol.com
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THE PEDAGOGY OF PUZZLES & PARADOXES (P&Ps)

The following question was sent to one of the professional user groups.

"I am a graduate physical therapy student.  I am looking for research to
support our senior thesis.  We are trying to answer the following question: 
Does active stretching in water improve hamstring muscle flexibility better
than on dry land?  Does anyone have any suggestions or information related to
this topic".
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ANSWER OR P&P?

This mail suggests more than a simple answer or list of references, since it
can serve the purpose of teaching something more than mere mechanical
answers, namely the process of solving problems.

This is the approach which I try to encourage via my Puzzles & Paradoxes of
Exercise Science column that I prepare every fortnight or so.

PREAMBLE

Let us consider the particular problem posed in that opening question.  We
have at least three options open to us:

*  an entirely logical analysis of the problem based on examination of
existing research, the devising of appropriate theory or the execution of new
research

*  the application of mere 'common sense' (this not to be equated with
involuntary intuition or feeling)

*  the application of 'intuition' with little or no formal study or knowledge
of the system involved.

Reliance on the last-mentioned process does not generally enjoy a high
success rate if one examines the history of scientific and  medical
progress, though intuitive leaps to vital stages or endpoints in the process
are quite common (see Koestler A  'Act of Creation').

In other words, a combination of the first two approaches can be
systematised, so that one will usually emerge with a very acceptable  or
plausible solution to the problem.

AN ANALYTICAL APPROACH

Thus, even if we do not examine existing research, we can imagine that we are
the only persons to have been faced with the problem.  We then formulate the
problem in such a way that it is fully understood in all possible ways, using
relevant sketches or flow diagrams,  wherever appropriate.  Next we try to
apply the body of knowledge that we do have and see if that leads to a
logical answer or series of possible solutions.  If we seek more information
from other printed resources or experts, then these answers will emerge more
rapidly. 

However, the danger is that we might accept what the experts say.  If we have
struggled personally through all stages of the problem-solving process,
discussing it along the way, as we so fortunately can do on the Internet,
then the answers may not be accepted so readily and we may come upon even
more exciting and sensible solutions.

TOWARDS A SOLUTION

So, back to the problem of assessing the effects of analysing active
hamstring stretching in water compared with land.

Let us begin by asking "how could the presence of a resisting medium improve
flexibility of 'the hamstring muscles'?".

Immediately we might examine our Problem Statement carefully. We will note
that flexibility really means Range of Movement (ROM) of a given joint, so
that we are now faced with analysis of the joints  involved.  If we are doing
active stretching by swinging the leg in a  given pattern, then we might
implicate one or more of the following  joints : knee, hip and ankle.

We then consider whether the movement is straight-knee kicking or flexed knee
kicking (with or without a preliminary pre-tensioning or ballistic swing). We
also ask if the movement is to be controlled  slowly up and slowly down,
pulled downward or allowed to fall under the influence of gravity, etc.

We then ponder how the situations differ for the same movements in air or in
water, considering viscous drag, the different effects on neuromotor
recruitment, the type of strength involved, the overall duration of each
phase of the movement, differences in overall  balance and stabilisation,
different neural patterns of overall motor control - and there are other
factors which we can all add.

We might even re-examine what we mean by 'active' stretching and  wonder of
we need to include ballistic and PNF methods under this umbrella heading - or
whether they all really fall under the superordinate heading called 'dynamic
stretching'.  We might even wonder if we are justified in confusing
'stretching' exercises and  'flexibility' exercises (the former more
correctly refers to tissue deformation or reformulation).

We now note that the problem has been far better formulated in terms of most
of the factors which ostensibly have an influence on the  flexibility issue. 
We might now decide to examine the conditioning effect of this type of
stretching, not only in terms of enhanced (acute vs chronic effects?) ROM,
but also in terms of any benefits in strength, local muscle endurance,
improved balance, mean power, peak power and so forth.

Of course, we must always ask the precise CONTEXT of this question - why was
it asked and how is its solution to be applied?  This key issue is often
forgotten or not considered when one accepts a list of references the context
of which may be dramatically different from that of your problem.

NOW we are far better equipped to discuss the problem, read through existing
references and formulate one's own hypotheses.

It is THIS type of problem-solving which can teach us so much about what we
do anywhere inscience and daily life and this is why the rapid universal
communication offered by the Internet can be so valuable.

OVER TO EVERYONE

NOW try to solve the above problem and see what answer you emerge with before
you read the references.  Then try to integrate the references and
stimulating answers which come from colleagues on the Internet and see how
immensely valuable this method of critical  or Propositional Analysis can be.
 May we then look forward to having some future P&Ps solved by application of
this type of analytical approach?
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