No doubt most of us slow down as we get older. Getting out of a chair may take more effort and dashing out the door may not come as easily if you’re running late. In fact, research shows that after age 70, flexibility declines significantly, which may explain the challenge you face in getting up off the floor or bending over to tie your shoes. In fact, flexibility- “the ability of the muscles and tendons to lengthen and stretch in response to movement and allow a joint to move through its range of motion”- is an essential component of getting through your daily activities. Nothing helps you maintain and improve your flexibility like a good daily stretching routine. As we previously described in agebuzz, a dedicated stretching regimen can be key to maintaining physical activity in your later years. 

For older adults, specific areas of the body need particular stretching attention. As your muscles lose strength and tone, and your ligaments and tendons get tighter, you’re likely to lose flexibility most in your shoulders, hips, spine, and knees. To counter the tightness and rigidity, experts recommend a daily routine that requires only a short period of time, using no more than just a few simple movements that put up a little resistance but are never painful or uncomfortable. The Harvard Men’s Health Watch has some recommendations here, and the National Institute on Aging’s Go4Life program has a useful video of “senior” stretches here. Healthline also provides a series of essential stretches to improve mobility in older adults. One word of caution? Always consult with your primary care physician before embarking on an extensive stretching regimen, to make sure you’re going about it in a safe and individually appropriate manner.

One additional benefit beyond increasing your ease of movement? A new study out of the University of Saskatchewan found that stretching can be an effective alternative to walking when it comes to lowering your blood pressure. While walking may help with other aspects of health such as weight control, stretching has a surprisingly beneficial effect on blood pressure and it’s something you can undertake while doing other activities such as watching television. As researcher and USask kinesiology professor Dr. Phil Chilibeck made clear, “Everyone thinks that stretching is just about stretching your muscles…But when you stretch your muscles, you’re also stretching all the blood vessels that feed into the muscle, including all the arteries.”

Unlike some other exercise activities, there are just a few products that are essential to undertaking a good stretching routine in a comfortable way. First, you’ll need a good, cushioned mat (or floor) underneath you. For that, consider the Gaiam Thick Yoga Essentials Mat (you’ll be happy with the extra cushion when you’re down on the floor). In fact, you’ll find a theme here that much of a good stretching routine can also be found in a yoga practice. In that regard, you may also find a cotton yoga strap with loops ideal to help you attain a better and deeper stretch as you progress. Consider the inexpensive FitLifestyleCo Yoga Strap Best for Stretching, which comes in 6 Colors and has an accompanying Instructional Video as a great starter strap.

To warm up those muscles and get your blood flowing prior to your stretching, you may also want to invest in a foam roller. Watch some samples of simple foam rolling motions here and check out this basic beginner’s medium density foam roller from Yes4All here. And to cushion and lift your hands and allow you to extend while doing a body stretch on the floor, you’ll find it useful to have on hand this set of 2 basic foam yoga blocks from Gaiam. Finally, if you’re looking for a good calf or foot stretch (especially those of you who suffer from plantar fasciitis), consider purchasing a foot rocker, such as the Pro Stretch Original Calf Stretcher. No matter what, just commit yourself to some basic daily stretches: You’ll reap the rewards of happier limbs and more flexible movements throughout your day.