Benefits of Stretching as We Age

As we age, we can have our muscles and joints stiffen up. I am 56 and I can feel it happening to me, I have one hip that is stiffening up. I have added stretching before my workouts, I am starting to feel things loosing up. I did some reading on stretching and found this article on Yoga, 3 Reasons to Practice Yoga in Your 50s. I have not done Yoga before, but because of this article I may give it a try. The article hits three key benefits, Minimize Hypertension, strengthen bones and Keeping weight off.

I think some other key benefits that are great to mention. Stretching will keep our muscles and tendons strong and flexible. This helps us create more mobility as we age. If we work out, a good stretch helps our muscle not get as stiff after exercising.

In a Healthline article it states, “A study published in the Journal of Gerontology looked at the 12-month results of a stretch and flex program for older adults. The participants demonstrated positive changes in areas like physical fitness, self-efficacy, perceived functioning, and well-being. They also experienced a decrease in pain.” Benefits of Stretching. This article goes on to explain how to stretch.

Find a good plan that will help you stretch, if it is Yoga great, before you exercise or even 5 minutes as we get out of bed. The benefits are worth a few minutes a day of stretching.