COMPARISON OF FLEXIBILITY OF STUDENTS OF UNDERGRADUATE PROFESSIONAL STUDIES OF PHYSIOTHERAPY IN RIJEKA

Fleksibilnost se dugo vremena kroz povijest smatrala važnom komponentom tjelesne kondicije i dobrog zdravlja. Znanje o fleksibilnosti i istezanju upadljivo nedostaje u usporedbi s onim što je poznato o povoljnom funkcioniranju i optimalnom jačanju kardiovaskularnog i mišićnog sustava. Fleksibilnost predstavlja moguće sredstvo nadoknade onog što starenje nosi sa sobom. Cilj ovo istraživanja je usporediti razlike u fleksibilnosti između studenata i studentica Fakulteta zdravstvenih studija u Rijeci, smjer Fizioterapija. Ostali ciljevi bili su ispitati postoji li razlika u fleksibilnosti studenata i studentica s obzirom na položaj stopala. Uzorak ispitanika čini 15 studenta i 15 studentica Fakulteta zdravstvenih studija u Rijeci, smjer Fizioterapija, odabranih metodom slučajnog odabira. Za ovo istraživanje koristio se dvokraki kutomjer, a prikupljanje podataka i mjerenje provodilo se na Fakultetu zdravstvenih studija u Rijeci. Testiranje se provodilo u sjedećem položaju s fleksijom zgloba kuka pod 90°, koljenim zglobom 0° te dorzalnom fleksijom 90° i sjedećem položaju s fleksijom zgloba kuka pod 90°, koljenim zglobom 0° te plantarnom fleksijom 50°. Istraživanje je pokazalo da se uz pomoć ova dva načina testiranja fleksibilnost ne može sa sigurnošću odrediti jesu li ispitanice fleksibilnije od ispitanika, međutim dokazalo se da u položaju testiranja fleksibilnosti s fleksijom zgloba kuka i dorzalnom fleksijom nema značajne razlike između ispitanika i ispitanica, dok u položaju fleksije zgloba kuka s plantarnom fleksijom, ispitanice su se pokazale kao fleksibilnije. Prema rezultatima ovog istraživanja pokazalo se da je potrebno provesti daljnje istraživanje kako bi se dokazala značajnija fleksibilnost ženskog spola.Flexibility has long been considered an important component of physical fitness and good health throughout history. Knowledge of flexibility and stretching is conspicuously lacking compared to what is known about the proper functioning and optimal strengthening of the cardiovascular and muscular system. Flexibility is a possible means of compensating for what aging brings with it. The aim of this research is to compare the differences in flexibility between students of the Faculty of Health Studies in Rijeka, majoring in Physiotherapy. Other objectives were to examine whether there is a difference in the flexibility of male and female students with difference in a foot position. The sample consists of 15 male and 15 female students of the Faculty of Health Studies in Rijeka, majoring in Physiotherapy, selected by random selection. A two-armed protractor was used for this research, and data collection and measurement were conducted at the Faculty of Health Studies in Rijeka. Testing was performed in a sitting position with hip flexion at 90 °, knee joint 0 ° and dorsal flexion 90 ° and sitting position with hip joint flexion at 90 °, knee joint 0 ° and plantar flexion 50 °. Research has shown that with the help of these two methods of testing flexibility, it is not possible to determine with certainty whether the female examinees are more flexible than the male examinees, however it has been proven that in the flexibility test position hip joint flexion with plantar flexion, the female subjects proved to be more flexible. According to the results of this study, it was shown that further research is needed to prove greater flexibility of the female sex