As you age, you may find that your body doesn’t work the same way it once did. You may realize you need to spend more time exercising and participating in physical activity. Finding the motivation and setting aside time to exercise can be challenging. However, once you get into a routine, the easier it gets. Staying active can help keep you supple in your golden years.
You can sign up for classes at a facility, exercise with a partner, or do things independently. You will want to find what works best for you. Here are six ways you can stay flexible as you age.
Join a yoga class
Yoga can be very beneficial for your health as it improves your balance, coordination, and flexibility. Over time the flexibility in your joints can improve as well, which can help prevent arthritis. Yoga can relax the mind while strengthening the body.
The various poses can force you into positions that your body may not be used to. The more you perform these poses, the more flexible your body becomes. Each day you do yoga, you can push yourself just a little further and let your muscles stretch.
You may find several kinds of yoga classes available in your area, but if not, you can always look up poses to try or follow an instructor online.
Practice Pilates
Pilates classes provide you with the necessary equipment needed to perform the exercises. These particular exercises help with muscle strengthening and toning. A primary focus in Pilates is posture and controlling your back and limbs. The different movements during a Pilates exercise can create low-impact exercises that improve flexibility.
Cycle
Cycling is a great way to stimulate your joints, whether you prefer to cycle outside by yourself, with others, or in a gym class. You can manage arthritis, decrease stress, improve bone density, and increase flexibility by cycling consistently. You put less strain on your joints when you cycle and the continuous leg movement can help keep you flexible.
Stretch
According to a Harvard Health study, adults should stretch the major muscle-tendon groups about two to three times per week. Stretching a few times each week can increase your ability to move around. You may start to notice you don’t struggle as much as you once did when you get in and out of cars or when you stand up from sitting down too long. Your back muscles can become more flexible and allow you to bend down to pick things up without a struggle.
Stretching can be critical as you enter your golden years. You can improve your range of motion, balance, and posture. As you stretch, you may feel tightness in your muscles, but as you hold that specific pose, your muscles and tendons will start to adjust. You want to be careful not to push too far.
Sign up for dance classes
A dance class may be something to look forward to each week. Not only will you improve your dance moves, but you can increase your endurance, motor skills and enhance your agility and flexibility. You may not even realize how much you work your body during a dance class. Retirement can be stressful and following the instructor can take your mind off everything else. You will start to realize how much easier you can move around over time.
Weightlifting
You may not think that weightlifting can increase your flexibility, but it can. Many people associate weightlifting with bulkiness and muscle mass, and although that is correct, several health benefits can also stem from it. You can lower inflammation, improve posture, and enhance bone density. Weightlifting techniques can force you to use your entire range of motion, which improves each time you perform that technique, ultimately increasing your flexibility.
Conclusion
It is essential to keep supple in your golden years as it affects your balance and mobility. As you perform flexibility-increasing exercises more frequently, you will start to see a difference in your daily activities.