Regular Stretching combats Ageing If you are wondering if it's possible to become flexible as we age, the answer is YES! More importantly regular stretching can actively slow the aging process.
Stretching benefits include the development and maintenance of strength, improving flexibility, and increased circulation and blood flow, all of which will provide a greater quality of life and healthy aging.
Stretching also helps you to look younger as your muscles become more supple and elastic.
Aging adults can often find relief from chronic pain, back issues, and arthritis with a regular stretching routine. Additionally, good flexibility is essential because it decreases the risk of falling. Make sure you are proactive about maintaining flexibility in the hamstrings, hip joints, and quadriceps.
You'll have improved posture, improved balance and also decrease your chances of picking up a future injury. Not only this, we all know how good we feel after we stretch out our body.
Regular stretching helps increase your range of motion in the joints, improves blood circulation and posture and alleviates muscular tension throughout the body, he tells. In addition, it enhances your athletic performance and may reduce the risk of injury, notes the fitness expert.
Your ligaments become too loose if you overstretch, which will lead to looser joints. The ligaments that secure major joints like your hips and knees will not bounce back in shape after they've been overstretched. As a result, your muscles and skin will appear thin and stretchy rather than toned.
“It is well known that aerobic fitness is strongly related to survival, but our study also shows that maintaining high levels of body flexibility, muscle strength, power-to-body weight ratio and co-ordination are not only good for performing daily activities, but have a favorable influence on life expectancy,” Araújo . ...
Not only is it okay to stretch every day, it's actually recommended. The American College of Sports Medicine suggests stretching at least two to three times per week, and that daily stretching is most effective.
Without it, the muscles shorten and become tight. Then, when you call on the muscles for activity, they are weak and unable to extend all the way. That puts you at risk for joint pain, strains, and muscle damage.
Research corelating youthfulness and exercise
A study published in 2009 showed that sustained physical training in young and middle-aged athletes was associated with higher telomerase activity, increased expression of telomere-stabilising proteins and therefore longer telomeres, compared to sedentary people (4).
For wrinkle reduction
Unlike bone, skin is elastic and provides little resistance. As a result, working out facial muscles pulls on the skin and will stretch it out, not tighten it. “The truth is that many of our facial wrinkles come from excess muscle activity,” Spiegel says.
Goldenberg says you might see temporary results from facial workouts if your muscles hypertrophy (i.e. they get bigger, stretching out your skin), but he points out that the results won't last. “This effect is temporary and will only produce more wrinkles and make wrinkles you already have worse,” he says.
“Even those of us who are blessed with being naturally limber can improve our flexibility through stretching, especially as we get older,” he says. “Flexibility is often overlooked and always underestimated when it comes to overall health!”
Limit your high-intensity workouts.
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is a great workout. However, if you only do high-intensity workouts and do them too often, you can injure yourself. HIIT workouts put more wear on your body and may cause your body to wear down faster without proper rest in between.
At What Age Does Flexibility Peak? While everybody is different, 25 is typically the peak age for flexibility. From there, it stays the same for most of your 30s. After, it begins to decline if not properly maintained.
Between 10 seconds to 3 minutes
It's fine to ease your way into it. According to Joely Franklin, a Level 3 personal trainer and sports therapist, “If you can bear it, even though it may be a bit uncomfortable, go ahead and hold the stretch for 45 seconds to a minute.”
Stretching first thing in the morning can relieve any tension or pain from sleeping the night before. It also helps increase your blood flow and prepares your body for the day ahead. Stretching before bed relaxes your muscles and helps prevent you from waking up with more pain.
“Stretching is no different to any other form of exercise," says Ramsey. "If you want to get stronger, you need to do strength work at least two to three times a week. If you want to improve your cardiovascular fitness, then you need to do aerobic exercise at least two to three times a week.
However, research has shown that stretching can help improve flexibility, and, as a result, the range of motion of your joints. Better flexibility may: Improve your performance in physical activities. Decrease your risk of injuries.
Loose limbs and injuries
By repeatedly pushing past "normal" range, you're getting micro traumas, which can lead to more serious injury, such as joint dislocation, ligament strains and tears, or tendon inflammation. We asked if you had struggled with joint pain due to being "too flexible".
Healthy adults should do flexibility exercises (stretches, yoga, or tai chi) for all major muscle-tendon groups—neck, shoulders, chest, trunk, lower back, hips, legs, and ankles—at least two to three times a week. For optimal results, you should spend a total of 60 seconds on each stretching exercise.
When you stretch, you increase the flow of blood and oxygen throughout the body. This can help move toxins out of the body which in turn can help the skin. You may notice clearer skin or even a slightly more youthful appearance.
Overstretching can result in an injury, such as a strain or a sprain. To avoid overstretching or pushing your range of motion beyond your capability for flexibility take steps, such as: warming up properly before working out. using correct form during workouts and when stretching.