7 – Be Flexible

Whether you’re flexible or stiff, a daily practice of stretching is essential maintenance for healthy living. Build a stronger connection to your body and reduce the likelihood of injury by being flexible.

When you stretch, you’re increasing joint mobility and reducing your risk of injury. 

Taking time to work on your flexibility is one of the BEST THINGS you can do for self-care. In addition, flexibility sets the stage for improving balance, coordination, joint range of motion, and posture.

6 ways flexibility contributes to health

Flexibility helps you:

1. Build a stronger connection to your body
2. Reduce the likelihood of injury
3. Reduce aches and pain from tight muscles
4. Perform better in movement activities (like sports, workouts) and in your daily life
5. Keep you moving pain-free as you get older
6. Improve and maintain your posture

When is the best time to stretch?

Stretching can be done first thing in the morning to loosen stiff joints, increase blood flow to muscles, and move toxins from our tissues. Range of motion exercise stimulates the lubricating fluid that nourishes your joints.

Depending on your regular work environment, stretching intermittently throughout the day loosens tension and helps reduce joint compression from repetitive activities. Incorporate periodic stretch breaks in addition to a more focused stretch routine.

An evening routine that includes range of motion exercises and gentle stretches can improve your sleep. Take 10 minutes before bedtime to unwind tensions in your body and finish up with self-massage of your hands and feet.

These activities contribute to increased awareness of your body and subtle changes in your flexibility. These changes add up over time, leading to improved mobility, balance, and prevention of injury.

Be flexible and improve body awareness

Have you noticed changes in your flexibility as you’ve gotten older? Is it more difficult squatting down or, more likely, getting up? Tip: practice getting up off the floor a few times a week, whether it's hard or easy to do!

Much of the activity we do during the day is counter to flexibility - for example, sitting, typing, or being on the phone, driving, and so on. While we’re busy, we aren’t paying attention to the tension build-up in our body. These changes accumulate over time and largely go unnoticed.

Prevention is the best medicine and a daily flexibility session can help.

Take action to avoid stiffening up

You may have noticed the tightness or aches and pains when you stand up after sitting for an extended time. Or perhaps you’ve observed your shoulders up around your ears after a few hours of work. Pay attention to your body, change positions frequently, and take a stretch break.

Roll your shoulders, reach your arms up, and rotate your wrists and ankles. Do what feels good and release the tension in your body. Bonus tip: set a timer, get up, move your body, and stretch every 30 minutes.

Make time every day for a focused flexibility routine

Take time every day to do 5-10 minutes of gentle stretching and repeat as often as needed. You don’t need special equipment or to do contortions to benefit from stretching. 

There are many helpful videos online, so check them out. 

Or, try a gentle yoga or Tai Chi class and see what you think.

Keep flexible to age well. It's never too early to start!

Reward your body for its hard work for you every day with some TLC to ensure you stay mobile throughout your life.

A simple routine to get started

Not sure where to start? This routine integrates a warm-up to loosen your joints and increase blood flow to your muscles to help avoid injury. It’s gentle and does not involve twisting yourself into uncomfortable positions.

This sequence is perfect for just starting with stretching or as a routine to add first thing in the morning, before your morning walk, or at the end of the day.

Try this:

• Stand with legs hip-distance apart and gently sway back/forth, leading into a hip rotation in both directions, if you're flexible enough to do so.
• While in this position, add arm swings naturally and gently.
• Stop swaying and raise your arms to shoulder height, placing your fingertips on your shoulders. Begin with small circles with your elbows, doing a few in each direction.
• From here, you can move gently into side reaches, alternating one arm overhead.
• Clasp your hands and gently stretch your arms overhead for your shoulders.
• Grab a chair or go to the wall for a supported forward fold. Start standing or seated to bend forward, knees slightly bent, with your hands toward the floor. Use the wall behind you for more support, if needed. Alternatively, use the seat of a sturdy, straight-backed chair to support your upper body for a partial forward fold. If none of these options are safe for you, start seated, then lean forward, reaching toward your toes.
• Next, facing the wall or chair back for support and balance, stretch the back of your legs (hamstring and calf stretches). Begin by moving one foot back and gently pressing the heel to the floor. Repeat to the other side. Hold each side for 20-30 seconds. Repeat a few times.
• Finish with ankle rotations. Stand with your hand on the chair or wall for support and rotate each ankle in both directions.
• When you're done, gently shake it all out! Put on some music if desired. You might find yourself energized and ready for a walk or a workout.
• If you’re doing a stretch session before bed, cue the relaxing music and end with a relaxing self-foot rub.

Integrate small habits for big results

This routine is simple and accessible to almost anyone. Stretching and joint mobility takes just a few minutes and it makes such a difference, but you won’t know until you try it!

Be super gentle with stretching if you're just starting to avoid getting sore or causing an over-stretch injury. Add other stretches that you know or new ones you find. You may find your body guides you to stretches that feel good for you.

Notice how you feel during and after stretching. This positive feedback will motivate you to continue daily practice.

Your effort will be rewarded by better posture and balance. Long term benefits include less pain and healthy aging.