It is easy to believe that gymnasts use every muscle in the body. They leap, spring, bound, flip and handstand. They not only use every muscle, but also use them in every way a muscle can be used. You can examine the main muscles used in the...
Superficial skeletal muscles are the layer of muscles just under the skin. These are the muscles that become most defined with exercise, and they are easy to locate and palpate. Deeper muscles are smaller and harder to find by palpation. They...
Your body depends on a large network of muscle tissue to allow you to walk, jump, lift objects and move in general. Although each muscle has its own unique purpose, certain muscle groups provide a more integral role in the overall workings of the...
The 20 muscles in your feet work with the joints to help you move in a variety of ways. They include dorsiflexion, moving the foot upward, and plantar flexion, pointing the foot downward; abduction, turning the toes out, and adduction, turning the...
Pain is a common side effect of exercising. While stretching can sometimes help you avoid the pain by making your muscles more pliable, it can also be a source of pain when you've overstretched a muscle or aggravated a nerve. Luckily most pain...
The human hand is a picture of complexity and balance. The muscles that control the hand allow it to be strong and refined. Muscles that influence hand movement either originate on bones outside or inside the hand. Muscles that originate outside...
With 26 bones, 33 joints and 112 ligaments located in your feet, these appendages are important in balance, support and propulsion as you run. As a result of the large role your feet play while running, it is very possible that runners may...
Tendons are tough bands of inelastic fibrous tissue that connect muscle to bone. Every movement in the body depends on the ability of tendons to stretch and retract on demand. Tendons create motion. Tendons are not to be confused with ligaments,...
Tai chi is a low-intensity, flowing internal martial art that emphasizes slow movements, breathing and mental focus. Its movements require your tendons to engage and stretch, making it beneficial for those with a decreased range of motion or stiff...
Foot drop occurs when the muscles that flex your feet are damaged or weakened. This means you have trouble lifting your toes off the ground, which causes you to drag your foot along the ground. For this reason, playing certain sports may be...
When a doctor tests your reflexes, she looks not only for movement of the stimulated muscle but also for speed and briskness of reaction. Slow or diminished reflexes can indicate a localized problem or a remote disease affecting neural function,...
When you dorsiflex your ankle, you reduce the angle between your shin and foot. The muscles that accomplish this action -- the extensor digitorum longus, extensor hallux longus, peroneus tertius and tibialis anterior -- are located on the front of...
Wrist circles are a good bodybuilding exercise, but they can also be helpful in rehabilitating your lower arm or wrist from an injury. Complete wrist circles as a part of your workout or include them in your warmup or cool-down activities. Never...
A sport where you climb natural or artificial rock walls, rock climbing is a physically demanding activity that works your balance, strength, agility and endurance. Recognized as a sport by the International Olympic Committee and governed by the...
You may see it in the gym: people performing odd, seemingly pointless exercises. Nonconventional exercises, if performed with safety techniques in mind, can actually benefit the exerciser more than common moves by engaging muscle fibers that are...
Squeezing a tennis ball helps develop grip strength in your hand and arm, specifically the forearm. Moving your forearm and hand involves 35 muscles. The wrist and hand work together to produce grip strength, which is the ability to grip an...
Damage to the structure of the hand is caused by a diverse range of medical problems. These causes include violent injuries such as fractures, dislocations and sprains or degenerative conditions such as arthritis. Because of the diversity of...
Many of the muscles in your body that are involved in body movements act through the levers of the musculoskeletal systems. A lever is a rigid or semirigid body that when subjected to force is moved along, but does not pass, the fulcrum or the...
Foot tendinitis is a common overuse injury in athletes as well as in individuals who are on their feet frequently. Foot tendinitis is a painful condition that can interfere with your ability to participate in your usual activities. One treatment...
Your forearm muscles move your wrists in four different directions, therefore to strengthen the wrists, you must do exercises that utilize all these movements, not just one or two. Free weights that include barbells, dumbbells and exercise tubing...
Performing weightlifting exercises that target your forearms on a regular basis strengthens the involved bones and connective tissues and increases the endurance, power and strength of your forearm muscles. Achieving these benefits can help you...
Plates are free weights used for strength training, including programs for forearm development. Forearm exercises increase the size and strength of your wrists, hands and lower arms. The curl motion refers to bending at the wrist or elbow, like...
There are dozens of muscles in the lower body, most of which combine with other muscles to create the many movements of the human leg. For this reason, it is easiest to talk about muscles in terms of groups, rather than individually. In addition...
Extensor or extension muscles contract to straighten a limb, formally called an antagonist, which is the opposite of flexion which bends a limb. There are two extensor muscles from the forearm to the thumb. They assist with wrist extension. The...
Trigger thumb is a condition that can result in your thumb being bent inwards, toward your palm, or straightened with a snapping movement. According to Orthopod.com, rheumatoid arthritis, partial tendon lacerations, repeated trauma from...
Tendinitis can affect just about every area of your foot. It most commonly affects your Achilles tendon as well as those that pass across the top of your foot -- the extensor hallucis longus and the extensor digitorum longus. Tendinitis is...
Tightness in your shins can make walking and running difficult or painful. Though tight shin muscles are not considered "shin splints," they can eventually lead to this condition. Beginner runners and those with weak leg muscles are at greater...
When knee problems start to inhibit your jogging, stretching the muscles that surround the knee may bring you relief. Most knee pain can be prevented or mitigated by making sure the tendons that support the joint are limber. Flexibility helps...
Good posture can give you a more confident appearance, make you look taller, leaner and your clothes to fit neater. When you have good posture, you may experience less back pain and problems. Strong stomach muscles are required to support your...
