The benefits of stretching as we age
Ten reasons to put aside ten minutes each day to stretch
Are you finding it harder to reach and bend and lean over for things? Are your muscles a little tighter than they used to be? Do you wake up feeling stiff? And feel tired at the end of the day?
Stretching can help!
Stretching is an important part of your exercise program, and it’s even more critical as we age because it’s a great way to counteract the natural effects of ageing on the body. As we age, we tend to experience a decrease in muscle mass, flexibility, and joint mobility throughout the whole body. Regular stretching exercises can be a great way to maintain our physical function, which in turn enhances our overall health.
Here are a few more reasons why you should put aside time to stretch each day:
1. Improve your flexibility and range of motion
Stretching helps to lengthen and loosen tendons and muscles which in turn means your overall flexibility will improve. This increased range of motion makes daily activities like reaching, bending, and leaning, a lot easier.
2. Enhance your balance and overall stability
Stretching muscles that support your body’s core helps those muscles to engage when you need them to stay upright. Longer, looser muscles also means they can react and respond quicker when they need to.
3. Reduce muscle stiffness
If we’re not keeping active during the day our muscles can become stiff. Stretching helps to relax and release those tight muscles to reduce discomfort and relax the whole body.
Stretching can help!
Stretching is an important part of your exercise program, and it’s even more critical as we age because it’s a great way to counteract the natural effects of ageing on the body. As we age, we tend to experience a decrease in muscle mass, flexibility, and joint mobility throughout the whole body. Regular stretching exercises can be a great way to maintain our physical function, which in turn enhances our overall health.
Here are a few more reasons why you should put aside time to stretch each day:
1. Improve your flexibility and range of motion
Stretching helps to lengthen and loosen tendons and muscles which in turn means your overall flexibility will improve. This increased range of motion makes daily activities like reaching, bending, and leaning, a lot easier.
2. Enhance your balance and overall stability
Stretching muscles that support your body’s core helps those muscles to engage when you need them to stay upright. Longer, looser muscles also means they can react and respond quicker when they need to.
3. Reduce muscle stiffness
If we’re not keeping active during the day our muscles can become stiff. Stretching helps to relax and release those tight muscles to reduce discomfort and relax the whole body.
Trudi's TEN: 10 afternoon stretches
Not sure what to stretch? Try ten of Trudi's favourite stretches to do at the end of the day.
4. Promote joint health
Are you at risk of arthritis and other joint-related conditions? Stretching will help by reducing tension and improving blood flow around joints to promote happy and healthy joints.
5. Increase blood circulation
Stretching out tight muscles encourages blood flow to those muscles, and in turn promotes better blood flow throughout the whole body. This means more oxygen and nutrients being delivered to your muscles and joints, improving overall mobility.
6. Aid pain management
A good stretch can provide relief from chronic conditions such as lower back pain, bursitis, and osteoarthritis. Gentle stretching exercises can help alleviate discomfort and improve mobility by keeping the body moving and supple.
7. Stress Reduction
Taking time out to stretch encourages a mind-body connection that helps to reduce stress and anxiety. Focusing on your body, moving slowly and breathing deeply, all have a calming effect that helps to alleviate stress and promote positive mental health.
Are you at risk of arthritis and other joint-related conditions? Stretching will help by reducing tension and improving blood flow around joints to promote happy and healthy joints.
5. Increase blood circulation
Stretching out tight muscles encourages blood flow to those muscles, and in turn promotes better blood flow throughout the whole body. This means more oxygen and nutrients being delivered to your muscles and joints, improving overall mobility.
6. Aid pain management
A good stretch can provide relief from chronic conditions such as lower back pain, bursitis, and osteoarthritis. Gentle stretching exercises can help alleviate discomfort and improve mobility by keeping the body moving and supple.
7. Stress Reduction
Taking time out to stretch encourages a mind-body connection that helps to reduce stress and anxiety. Focusing on your body, moving slowly and breathing deeply, all have a calming effect that helps to alleviate stress and promote positive mental health.
Carol's Five in 5: Morning Stretches
Start the day right with stretches before you even get out of bed! Carol takes you through five favourite stretches she does in the morning before she tackles the day.
8. Improve posture
If you spend too long curled up reading a book or staring at a computer, your chest, core, shoulder and back muscles will start to disengage. This leads to sinking through the chest, curling the shoulders forward, and compressing the spine. Stretching out these muscles helps to re-engage them, elongate them, and remind them of their role in maintaining good posture.
9. Increase independence
Staying loose, improving mobility, and maintaining your flexibility and range of motion, all helps you to perform everyday tasks independently. The more we can stay independent, the more we reduce our risk factors, the more we can maintain a better quality of life.
10. Improve your sleep
A relaxed body often correlates to a good night's sleep. When the muscles and joints aren't aching or stiff you’ll find it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep. And you'll wake up feeling better too.
Whether you’ve been for a walk, or completed one of our workouts, or just arrived home from golf, try to add on ten minutes of stretching and work through the upper and lower body. Make sure not to overexert yourself though and avoid pushing beyond what feels comfortable. Ease into each stretch slowly and gently and avoid bouncing - this can tear the muscle and leave you feeling even tighter. Try to hold each position for 15-20 seconds and make sure to keep breathing through the stretch - don’t hold your breath.
If you’re not sure where to start with your stretches, check out our articles above or consider taking out an online membership to access a huge range of workouts and stretches that you can do every day. Membership is just $24.99 a month, or get two months for free when you take out an annual membership. Sign up now for a FREE SEVEN DAY TRIAL!
If you spend too long curled up reading a book or staring at a computer, your chest, core, shoulder and back muscles will start to disengage. This leads to sinking through the chest, curling the shoulders forward, and compressing the spine. Stretching out these muscles helps to re-engage them, elongate them, and remind them of their role in maintaining good posture.
9. Increase independence
Staying loose, improving mobility, and maintaining your flexibility and range of motion, all helps you to perform everyday tasks independently. The more we can stay independent, the more we reduce our risk factors, the more we can maintain a better quality of life.
10. Improve your sleep
A relaxed body often correlates to a good night's sleep. When the muscles and joints aren't aching or stiff you’ll find it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep. And you'll wake up feeling better too.
Whether you’ve been for a walk, or completed one of our workouts, or just arrived home from golf, try to add on ten minutes of stretching and work through the upper and lower body. Make sure not to overexert yourself though and avoid pushing beyond what feels comfortable. Ease into each stretch slowly and gently and avoid bouncing - this can tear the muscle and leave you feeling even tighter. Try to hold each position for 15-20 seconds and make sure to keep breathing through the stretch - don’t hold your breath.
If you’re not sure where to start with your stretches, check out our articles above or consider taking out an online membership to access a huge range of workouts and stretches that you can do every day. Membership is just $24.99 a month, or get two months for free when you take out an annual membership. Sign up now for a FREE SEVEN DAY TRIAL!
Agility Virtual Membership with unlimited workouts
Access a huge range of workouts that you can do anywhere, anytime, to build your fitness, strength, balance, and stamina. And to help you stretch! No contracts, cancel anytime, and a free 7-day trial!Where to next?
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