Evaluation of Flexkor as a flexibility aid for elite athletes

The objective of this research project is to determine if athletes who use the Flexkor device to facilitate stretching after their workouts will result in comparable gains in hamstring flexibility and strength as would be obtained by athletes who use a trained therapist. Many elite athletes in a team environment rely heavily on therapists to conduct stretching after practicing, as part of their cool-down period. If the Flexkor can provide athletes from a large team with the same benefits of stretching that they get from a therapist, significant time savings could be realized by the athletes and therapists. Therapists could be freed up to spend more time with the athletes that need additional attention (e.g. for rehabilitation). It is also hoped that this research will further educate athletes and coaches on the importance of stretching for injury prevention. The results of the research will also help with the development, design and marketing of the Flexkor device.

Faculty Supervisor:

Dr. David Andrews

Student:

Amanda Kanters

Partner:

Manufacturing Solutions Ltd.

Discipline:

Kinesiology

Sector:

Manufacturing

University:

University of Windsor