The dissertation develops, theoretically substantiates and practically tests the effectiveness of the methodology of developing the flexibility in girls of high school age through stretching, aimed at enhancing general indicators of body flexibility, restoring the symmetry of movements and eliminating the asymmetry of movements.
The proposed methodology of developing flexibility by stretching exercises is characterized by a cluster approach in analyzing the most significant factors affecting the flexibility indicators of high school students as well as, building a differentiated program for developing flexibility using stretching exercises. The methodology of developing flexibility in girls of high school age as a pedagogical process is based on interrelated structural components: target, theoretical and methodological, content-technological and outcome-evaluation.
The results obtained regarding the relationship between indicators of physical fitness of high school students at the beginning of the experiment indicate that there is a weak correlation between flexibility and endurance, strength and coordination, strength and endurance; the relationship of average strength can be traced between flexibility and speed, flexibility and coordination, strength and speed, coordination and endurance; the correlation of significant strength is manifested between indicators of flexibility and strength, coordination and speed. At the end of the study, a direct relationship was revealed between the studied indicators of endurance, speed, strength, coordination and flexibility. In particular, the development of flexibility through stretching affects the change in indicators of endurance and speed with an average strength of correlation, indicators of coordination with a significant strength of a relationship. A strong correlation between indicators of flexibility and strength were found.
The positive influence of the methodology of developing flexibility by stretching on the dynamics of all the studied indicators of physical fitness and physical development of high school students is noted. At the end of the study, there were no girls with low and below – average levels of physical fitness; 42.8% of high school students had an average level of physical fitness; 34.3% of girls had a higher-than-average level of physical fitness; 22.9% of high school students have a high level of physical fitness (at the beginning of the study, these were not recorded). At the end of the study, 77.1% of high school students had a good body type, and 22.9% – average. At the end of the study, there were no girls with weak and very weak body types (at the beginning of the study, there were 20.0 and 2.9%, respectively).
The cluster analysis method identified the most significant factors affecting the flexibility indicators of girls and according to these factors, we formed three groups of study participants who were involved in testing the methodology of developing flexibility by stretching. The first group included girls (n=35) who had asymmetry in the movements of the trunk and large joints of the limbs, low or medium indicators of flexibility reserve. In the flexibility development program for this group of high school students, appropriate stretching exercises were offered to restore the symmetry of movements in the joints and develop overall indicators of body flexibility. The second group included high school students (n=15), whose asymmetry of movements was recorded only in one of the locomotor links of the musculoskeletal system, average indicators of flexibility reserve. Students of the third group (n=20) were characterized by symmetrical movements in all the studied anatomical planes, medium or high indicators of flexibility reserve.
The results of the study confirmed the effectiveness of the methodology of developing flexibility for girls of high school age through stretching, which is based on a differentiated approach to the development of lagging indicators of flexibility and mobility. The introduction of this methodology will help to increase the indicators of physical fitness and physical development of high school students, symmetrically increase the amplitude of movements in the joints, eliminate the existing asymmetry of movements and increase the overall flexibility of the body.
The main results of the dissertation work are implemented in the practical activities of educational institutions and recommended for further application in the process of organizing regular and extracurricular forms of physical education in secondary education institutions. Certain aspects of the research can be applied in the educational process of students of the Faculty of Physical Culture when teaching the disciplines "Theory and Methodology of Physical Education", " Methodology of Teaching Gymnastics ".
