Stretching: The Most Necessary and Underutilized Component of Physical Fitness
What is the first thing a cat does after waking up from one of its many naps? Right, she stretches his body. You should take lessons from her because he is still flexible and flexible even though he is getting older.
Keep your ankles flexible and strong and your balance will improve. Keep your pelvis flexible and strong and your back pain will decrease. Flexibility plays an important role in staying active as you age. By staying more flexible, you’ll look younger and be able to do more of the same things you did when you were younger.
The old saying that if you don’t use it you will lose it is very important when it comes to aging. As you age, you naturally get stiffer for many reasons; disuse is the main one, arthritis is another common complaint and tense muscles due to inactivity. There is a decrease in flexibility as you age, especially if you are inactive, due to changes in the connective tissue in the muscles, ligaments, joint capsules, and tendons.
Because you walk less, you become stiffer, and being stiff makes you move less. It is a vicious circle. You should incorporate full body stretches into your daily routine. You’ll be amazed at how quickly you’ll become more flexible and agile.
Flexibility is one of the five components of being physically fit. Muscular strength and endurance (muscular fitness), cardiorespiratory fitness, flexibility, and proper body composition (fat/lean ratio) are all components of being fit. De-stressing is another factor that is sometimes added.
Flexibility work will help you maintain range of motion in your joints. Be sure to circle your wrist and ankle to help with mobility.
If you are still driving, it is very important to keep your neck movable. If you can’t look over your shoulder to see where you’re going when you’re backing up, you’re in big trouble.
Aging is associated with changes in the elasticity of connective tissue and these changes result in a significant decrease in flexibility and range of motion. Although decreases in flexibility and active range of motion are seen in most older people, there is definite evidence to suggest that declines in these areas are primarily due to disuse, and that not all older people lose flexibility at the same rate .
Stretching exercises that emphasize range of motion and flexibility have been shown to increase flexibility in the ankles, knees, and lower back.
Examples of flexibility exercises for the ankles would be ankle circles together with the toes pointing away from the body and then pointing towards the ceiling. While most people prefer to do these exercises while sitting down, I challenge you to do them standing up and challenge your balance as well. If these exercises are not practiced, you will lose the ability to lift your feet when walking and will tend to trip over them, causing you to stumble and eventually fall.
To keep your knees flexible and strong, try sitting down in a chair and then standing up. Do this at least ten times and then rest. Do another series if you can. This exercise not only strengthens your knees and keeps them flexible, but also strengthens your quads (front of thigh). By keeping your quads strong, you will be able to take care of yourself and remain independent.
Using an exercise ball is the best way to keep your pelvis flexible and strong. Sitting on the ball is a challenge for most people and doing that is very good for you. As you get more comfortable on the ball, begin to move your hips in circles trying not to move your knees. Imagine you are in a box and make sure the ball hits each wall of the box. Be sure to change the direction of the circles and make equal amounts in each direction. You will probably prefer one direction over the other, that’s normal. By keeping your pelvis flexible and strong, you will decrease your chances of back pain.
Pets have the luxury of stretching out after their nap because they know they are going to be fed and cared for. However, she was seeing a young moose this morning and when she got up she went to eat. I think survival is the first thing that comes to mind in wild animals. Since you are housebroken, you should take the time to stretch and relax. Yoga and Tai Chi are just a couple of class suggestions that will help with flexibility, balance, and strength.
A good rule of thumb is to stretch the muscles you work. When you stretch after exercising, you will relieve the possibility of blood pooling in your extremities to prevent muscle cramps later in the day.
Nothing improves your mood more than exercise. Your body craves movement and when you give it what it wants it will reward you for years and years!