“Move it or lose it” is an essential mantra here at agebuzz. We are passionate about the need to stay physically active and keep moving, and about the strength you need to properly fuel that movement. Furthermore, to stay active and out and about, and to carry on your essential activities of daily living, you need both flexibility and mobility: Flexibility means your soft tissues (muscles, tendons, ligaments) can stretch without assistance while mobility means your joints (the place where bones connect) can follow through on a full range of motion. Without flexibility or mobility, you’ll be limited in your capacity to stay physically active. So how do you sustain these key elements of everyday physical activity? One vital ingredient may be to commit to a regular stretching routine. To read previous agebuzz posts on the value of stretching as you get older, reach your arms up and click here.

As was recently made clear in Consumer Reports, “As we start to get older, we lose fluid and flexibility in our joints and in our muscles.” Stretching becomes a valuable response to counteract these aspects of aging. In fact, while the American College of Sports Medicine recommends you go through a range of stretches for 15-30 seconds each, 2-3 reps at a time, experts suggest you tweak that recommendation as you get older, and consider holding a stretch for closer to 60 seconds and work stretching into your routine more often than just the recommended 2-3 days per week. Assuming your goal in stretching is to allow more fluid movement throughout your day, rather than in preparation for some athletic endeavor (for which the value of stretching is debatable), stretching can loosen tight muscles, ease joint and muscle pain and even help with balance. But caution is needed among those of us who are older: A tight muscle may be indicative of a real injury or weakness, so best to check with your primary care physician before you set out with a regular stretching routine.

Can you do stretching on your own or is it wise to seek out help? There are now studios devoted to just stretching, but they are probably of limited value. A yoga studio, tai chi, or pilates class may offer more and give you a valuable stretch session as well. Some of us fret because we feel we can’t get down on the floor to stretch or can’t extend our limbs to hold a stretch. If that’s a source of distress for you, there are ways to address that. For example, you can engage in a passive stretch, where another person or a prop (such as a towel) can assist in stretching your muscles rather than leaving you to struggle on your own. For a video of how to use a towel to aid in your stretch click here. If getting down on the floor poses a problem, you can try using your bed as the surface, or instead, watch this National Institute of Aging video with tricks for getting yourself onto the floor and then up again.

Stretching isn’t a panacea for all that aches you (and it doesn’t substitute for regular physical activity), but it can provide significant physical and even mental health benefits that will help your body and mind ease into older age with fluidity and comfort. And to maintain a comfortable level of flexibility as you age, it appears stretching regularly is one more valuable tool to grab onto in your day-to-day routine. To watch what happens to your muscles when you stretch, grab that hand towel and click here.