When we think of the word “flexible,” we might think of a yogi who squirms into a pretzel knot, or a friend who can easily fall into splits thanks to past gymnastics experience. . But flexibility isn’t something that only a special group of people have or can only achieve when they’re young. It’s something we all need to continuously strive for in our daily lives, especially as we grow older.
“As we age, many people lose muscle, which also causes the connective tissue in and around joints and along fascia to become stiffer,” says Meredith Warner, an orthopedic surgeon based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. he told Yahoo Life. “This results in frailty and an inability to perform basic functions compatible with a happy life, such as playing with grandchildren, standing up from sitting on the floor or a low chair, and reaching overhead to grab a plate or cup. activities are becoming increasingly difficult.”
But how can you stay flexible as you get older? Here are some tips experts want you to know.
keep moving
We may think that we need to stretch endlessly to become flexible. But Warner says the first step to staying flexible is to stay active overall, especially if you have a sedentary job.
“We’ve all sat at our desks for hours on end and noticed that when we get up from a chair, the front of our hips gets really stiff,” says Warner. “A similar phenomenon occurs after a long car ride. This is a simple example of how movement maintains flexibility. The hip flexor muscles at the front of the hip joint contract when they are no longer used. Simply setting a timer to get up and walk around for five minutes every hour can help prevent loss of flexibility.
Let’s warm up
Kyle Krupa, a physical therapist and certified strength and conditioning specialist, tells Yahoo Life that while stretching is important for maintaining flexibility, it helps to prepare your body for stretching first. Told. Krupa recommends starting a stretching routine with “five to 10 minutes on the bike or treadmill to increase the temperature of your body’s tissues.”
“Think of your body like clay,” he says. “Once it warms up, it’s easier to shape and stretch.”
Warming up your muscles with exercise before you start stretching is one way, but Warner adds that you can also take time in a sauna to warm up your connective tissues, which will ultimately improve your flexibility. “Stretching in the sauna is very beneficial,” she says.
Try foam rolling
Krupa also recommends foam rolling. This is a type of self-massage that uses a foam cylinder to apply pressure to tight or sore muscles, relieving tension and stiffness and improving blood flow. Foam rolling calms your body’s reflexes that cause your muscles to tense up, allowing you to relax more easily.
Stretch at the door
Melinda Suganga, a physical therapist and franchise support consultant for FYZICAL Therapy & Balance Center, tells Yahoo Life that she recommends stretching twice a day. One of her favorites is a doorway stretch that requires no other fixtures, just a door frame. Here’s how you can try it:
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First, let’s stand in front of the entrance.
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Bend your arms at 90 degrees at the elbows, keeping your upper arms parallel to the ground.
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Place your palms/forearms on either side of the doorway and step one foot into the doorway.
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Slowly begin to shift your weight forward. You should feel a stretch in your shoulders and chest.
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Hold for 30 seconds, then return to starting position.
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Repeat as necessary.
take a pilates class
Juanita Franke, a nationally certified Pilates instructor who teaches at Club Pilates in Charlottesville, Virginia, tells Yahoo Life that Pilates allows you to “move all the ranges of motion in every joint,” improving your flexibility. He said it can improve your sexuality.
Pilates is effective because the movements “focus on increasing strength not only during the concentric phase of muscle contraction, when muscle fibers shorten, but also during the eccentric phase, when muscle fibers lengthen,” she says. To tell. By building muscle length and strength, most clients see increased flexibility relatively quickly. ”
Pilates classes can be expensive, especially smaller classes that use reformer machines to advance the exercises. However, you can find free Pilates classes online that don’t require a reformer. These classes are usually called “mat Pilates” and consist of exercises such as lower back and spine stretches to help you bend.
Try Tai Chi
According to Shirley Chock, owner and executive director of Aiping Tai Chi, “Tai Chi training has been developed thousands of years ago to help with hip flexibility, which is important for mobility and overall flexibility. ” (Learn more about the benefits of this practice.)
Chok says that the two most important areas in Chinese anatomy that “need to be strong and flexible to support the body’s mobility” are the hexagram and the weir. The “kua” is the pelvic region that includes the lower back, groin, buttocks, upper thighs, and lower abdominal muscles, and is considered the command center of the body. On the other hand, the “Yao” is the torso area directly above the “Yao” that includes the waist. Kua. ”
“Modern sedentary lifestyles weaken and stiffen these two areas,” notes Chock. “In Tai Chi, you focus your stretching program on these areas before stretching other areas.”
Chock recommends practicing these simple movements to improve your flexibility.
“Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Imagine your legs are attached to your hips with a long screwdriver,” she says. “Observe the direction your knees and toes are aiming. Visualize screwing in the screwdriver until your knees and toes are pointing in the same direction. You should feel your lower back and groin activate and feel a deep internal stretch. This ability to strengthen and stretch the Kua to support proper knee tracking alignment is the first step to achieving higher levels of leg flexibility.
Continue simple stretches
“For most people, the best tips for stretching as you age are simple and consistent. Simply developing a positive daily habit of stretching, even if it’s only a few times in very short periods of time, Even just a movement can have an effect,” says Warner.
Warner recommends focusing on areas of need. For most people, these areas are the shoulders and front of the chest, the heel cord (also known as the Achilles tendon), and the hip flexors. “Stretching these areas a few times each day can help you feel better overall and help prevent future pain,” she says.
She says the doorway stretch mentioned above is great for the front chest and can be practiced every day. For her hip flexors, she recommends a move known as yoga’s “flower.” “Just kneel down, push your pelvis forward and slowly lean back,” she says. “I feel like the front part of my lower back is being pulled.”
When it comes to heel laces, she recommends stretching twice a day.
“Stand in front of a wall and place the balls of your feet against the wall,” she says. “Then just push your knees toward the wall and hold. Then, keeping your knees straight, push your whole leg toward the wall. The first movement stretches one calf muscle, and the second stretches different muscles. Each of these attaches to the Achilles tendon and helps reduce contractures. [a shortening that affects joint mobility] There. “
