Stretching: the most necessary and least used component of physical fitness
What’s the first thing a cat does after waking up from one of its many naps? Well, stretch your body. You should learn from her because she is still flexible and agile even though she 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 will appear younger and will be able to do more of the same things you did when you were younger.
The old adage that if you don’t use it you will lose it is very important when it comes to getting old. As you get older, it naturally becomes 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 of the muscles, ligaments, joint capsules, and tendons.
Because you walk less, you become stiffer, and being stiff causes you to move less. It is a vicious circle. You should incorporate full body stretching into your daily routine. You will be amazed how quickly it will become more flexible and flexible.
Flexibility is one of the five components of being in good physical shape. Muscle strength and endurance (muscular fitness), cardiorespiratory fitness, flexibility, and proper body composition (fat / lean ratio) are all components of fitness. De-stressing is another factor that is sometimes added.
Flexibility work will help you maintain range of motion in your joints. Be sure to do wrist and ankle circles to help with mobility.
If you are still driving, it is very important to keep your neck moving. If you can’t look over your shoulder to see where you’re going when 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 definitive evidence to suggest that the decline in these areas is 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 ankle, knee, and lower back.
Examples of flexibility exercises for the ankles would be ankle circles along with pointing the toes away from the body and then pointing them towards the ceiling. While most people prefer to do these exercises while sitting, I challenge you to do them while standing, and it also challenges your balance. If you do not practice these exercises, you will lose the ability to lift your feet when walking and will tend to trip over them, leading to stumbling and ultimately falling.
To keep your knees flexible and strong, try sitting in a chair and then getting up. Do this at least ten times and then rest. Do another set if you can. This exercise not only strengthens the knees and keeps them flexible, it also strengthens the quadriceps (front of the thigh). By keeping your quads strong, you can take care of yourself and remain independent.
Using an exercise ball is the best way to keep your pelvis flexible and strong. Simply sitting on the ball is a challenge for most people and doing so is very good for you. As you become more comfortable with the ball, begin moving your hips in a circle trying not to move your knees. Imagine that you are in a box and make sure the ball fits into each wall of the box. Make sure to change the direction of the circles and make equal amounts in each direction. You probably prefer one direction over the other, that’s normal. Keeping your pelvis flexible and strong will decrease your chances of back pain.
Pets have the luxury of stretching after naps because they know they will be fed and cared for. However, he was seeing a juvenile moose this morning and when he got up he went straight to eat. I think survival is the first thing that comes to mind for wild animals. Since he is domesticated, he must take the time to stretch and relax. Yoga and Tai Chi are just a couple of suggestions for the class 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, it will alleviate 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!
