Stretching for 50+: A Customized Program for Increasing Flexibility, Avoiding Injury and Enjoying an Active Lifestyle

PART ONE

Getting Started

Introduction

The secret to successful aging is to stay flexible in both your mind and body.

This book is designed for people who know that health and fitness are not achieved by luck but by staying active and doing as many good things for themselves as they can. The decisions we make daily, such as choosing to eat well and engage in regular physical activity, are the foundation of successful living. A simple rule of thumb for healthy aging is the 80-20 rule: Do healthy, positive things at least 80% of the time.

Most of us 50-plus folks were taught a number of outdated rules that could cause us more harm than good, including the old paradigm of more is better, which leads many of us to overdo it. The intent of this book is to assist you to train smart, not hard.

In the ’70s, fitness was all about aerobics; in the ’90s, many of us started lifting weights. All this time, unfortunately, we neglected an important aspect of fitness: flexibility. Even now, we often fail to see how important flexibility is until we get hurt overdoing something, or our chiropractor or therapist tells us we have muscle imbalances (from poor posture, for example) that are manifesting themselves in chronic neck and lower back pain. To maintain a fit lifestyle, aim for 30 minutes of aerobic exercise five days a week, engage in strength training two to three times a week, and stretch daily.

I often see students who fail to see the importance of flexibility work until it is too late. They find themselves with hunched-over posture and a head that juts forward, which makes them feel and look older than their years. I find it interesting that folks will opt for plastic surgery, yet have poor posture that makes them look like Grandma Moses. Most poor postures can be improved with regular and sensible exercise done early on. I like the saying that most of the things that get worse with age can be positively influenced with proper exercise.

This book does not have hard and fast rules. The only rule in this book is to learn to listen to your body and heed what it says. The aim of this book is to teach you to turn inward and feel what is best for you. Throughout this book, you’ll also find answers to the FAQs of stretching. No one knows your body better than you do! You are the captain of your ship, and everyone else is a member of your fitness crew. Never let anyone should on you!

A good relationship between your brain and muscular systems allows you to move with ease and comfort. Overly tight muscles can restrict a full range of motion, which can limit everything from your tennis serve to normal activities of daily living. Engaging in a systematic flexibility program can assist in undoing tight muscles that contribute to chronic pain and foster better functional posture. A daily dose of flexibility exercises will help you move with fluidity and grace.

According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS), a stretching program can result in the following benefits:

•Decreased back pain

•Better circulation

•Improved joint mobility

•Efficient muscular function

•Enhanced posture

To get the most of these benefits, please keep the following concepts in mind as you navigate through the changes of the ages:

•Stretch what is tight and strengthen what is lax.

•Do unto your front as you do unto your back.

•Do unto the left as you do unto the right.

Remember that you hold the key to your wellness. Create the life you want. It is never too late to feel great! Too often as we age we think we are too old or too disabled to be active. Both are wrong! The key to happy aging is to change what you can and accept what you cannot. Try to remodel yourself daily; what you do today determines your tomorrows. With this mindset, you can grow well, not old!

Flexibility and Aging

The three S’s that contribute to create an atmosphere for positive aging are strength, suppleness, and a sense of humor.

Have you ever woken up stiff and sore, or found that your shoelaces are a little farther away than they used to be, or that you need help getting your dress zipper pulled up? These are the little signs that your flexibility is decreasing.

Grab the skin on the back of your hand and hold it for a moment. Does it spring right back like it once did? As we age, we lose elasticity in our skin and connective tissue.

The reason for decreased flexibility is the result of many factors, such as muscle imbalances between agonist and antagonist muscles. A properly functioning neuromuscular system relies on the interdependence of muscles, tendons, as well bone alignment. An injury, misuse, or abuse of a muscle can disturb this delicate balance, setting up the cycle of inflammation, muscle spasms, and adhesions that cause adaptive shortening of muscles. Chronic malalignments, such as using one set of muscles while not balancing out the opposing muscle group, can lead to poor posture and chronic pain. One example would be a person who lifts weights and does chest exercises but does not balance that out by doing upper back exercises and chest stretches; this behavior would lead to a rounded shoulder appearance.

The key to aging well is to keep the proper balance of strength and flexibility in each joint region. The problem is that, too often, tight muscles get tighter and weak muscles get weaker due to sports or activities of daily living. This is why a daily dose of flexibility work is so critical. A good rule to follow is stretch what is tight and strengthen what is lax.

Aging results in increasing variability in terms of physiologic function. While no two people age in the exact same manner, most people can expect to lose elasticity in their skin and connective tissue with each passing decade. By the age of 60 or 70, we can expect to lose up to 50 percent of normal range of motion if we don’t engage in a prudent flexibility routine.

Fit Tip: Most of the things that get worse with age can be positively influenced with proper exercise and stretching.

Benefits of Stretching

The most common flexibility limitations seen in the vintage body are osteoarthritis, effects from past injuries, and aftereffects of cancer treatments. If you have any of these, the good news is that poor flexibility can be restored! While it is best to engage in a prudent flexibility program before limited mobility becomes a chronic problem, it’s never too late to begin.

A comprehensive stretching program will help you release muscle tension and soreness, as well as reduce the risk of injury. Just stretching a few minutes a day will assist in preventing soft tissue trauma such as muscle strains and ligament injuries.

Enhanced flexibility also fosters greater body awareness and a youthful posture, which leads to an improved connection between the mind and the body. A good relationship between your mind and your muscles allows you a better