Something we've noticed that many of our fellow seniors do, is get all excited about getting fit, flexible and fully mobile again, put in the work, and then suddenly stop because they’ve reached a goal or they’re feeling great. The problem with this is that your newfound fitness and health will steadily decline, and suddenly you’ll be back at square one again. Let’s face it; square one is not somewhere you want to end up when you’re heading past the 60 year goal post. Believe it or not, stretching and other forms of exercise will not always be hard.
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The Secrets to Sticking With It
The more you do it, the easier it will get. But there’s a danger that comes with that, and the danger is called complacency. We cannot put enough emphasis on just how important it is to make your stretching part of your daily routine. You should be stretching to give your muscles a workout and stretching to maintain the progress you’ve already made. It may sound like a lot of stretching, but it’s really not. Once you make it part of your life, it will become a natural thing to do – and trust us; your body will thank you for it. Make it a healthy habit.
Stretch Every Day
Here’s the secret to staying flexible, mobile, and strong forever: stretch every day. Simple, right? We think so! You probably don’t want to embark on a 30-minute workout session if you’re having a down day or running around after the grandkids without a minute to spare. If you can’t do your regular fitness routine in scenarios where you should at least spend some time doing simple stretches for maintenance, and you can even do these with the grandkids, they might even find them fun and want to join in!
Become Addicted
Stretching helps prime the muscles for movement, make you less prone to fall accidents and the associated injuries, and ensure that you manage to hang onto your independence. You know what they say, right? It can take you around three weeks to form a habit or break it, so just by dedicating yourself to doing some stretching every day for 21 days, you can make it become part of your life. You might just become addicted! Without much further ado, let’s go over a few simple daily stretches that will go a long way towards maintaining your strength, flexibility, and mobility.
The Daily 6-Minute Stretch Routine
Yup, you read right! The Daily 6-Minute Stretch Routine. You only need to free up a few minutes to get in some stretches each day. Of course, six-minute routines aren’t going to be particularly action-packed or demanding, but they’re certainly effective. These are maintenance stretches rather than gearing up for a particular activity. However, we still advise you to use the full stretching routines in the book Stretching For Seniors when doing a cardio or sports activity. We encourage you to try out each of the following stretches as you read through them, just to get a feel for them. Here we go!
#1 BACK LEG RAISES
This stretch strengthens the lower back, making it less prone to injuries. Stand up straight behind a chair. With a slow movement, lift your left leg straight back without bending your knees or pointing your toes. Keep your leg straight back for three seconds and then return to the start position. Repeat this stretch ten times and then switch to the right leg.
#2 OVERHEAD STRETCH
Reach your arms upward and extend them over your head with your palms together. Hold the overhead stretch for 10 to 15 seconds, and then bring your arms down. Inhale as you stretch up and exhale when you bring your arms down. Repeat 4 times.
#3 SIDE STRETCH
Raise your arms above your head with arms shoulder-width apart and arms facing each other. Bend your elbows so that each palm now touches the elbow of the opposite arm. Tighten your abdominal muscles, and then with a straight back and holding firmly onto your elbows, bend slightly to the left side. Feel the muscle stretch on the opposite side and in your shoulders. Hold this stretch for 5 to 10 seconds. Do at least 2 stretches on each side.
#4 HAMSTRING STRETCH
Stand up with your back straight and with your feet shoulder-width apart. Slowly bend your torso forward at the hips while keeping your knees bent slightly. Relax your arm and neck as you bend forward until the point when you feel slight stretching in the backs of your legs. Hold for 10 seconds. Repeat 4 times.
#5 QUAD STRETCH
Place your left hand flat onto the wall in front of you and stand on your right foot - bend your left leg at the knee. Grip your left foot with your right hand and gently stretch and hold for 5 – 10 seconds. Repeat with the other leg. Complete 2 stretches on each leg.
#6 BUTTERFLY STRETCH
Sit on the floor with your feet facing each other. Your legs should not be crossed but should have knees bent and pulled as close to you as you can manage. Hold onto your toes and gently push down on your legs with your arms for 5 seconds and then relax. Repeat twice.
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