Does age affect flexibility potential?
Written by
Natalie Hamilton
Reviewed by
Prof. William Dalton, Ph.D.Age impacts potential flexibility due to the accumulation of natural 'wear', but not the ability to attain flexibility, which is also entirely possible throughout life. Our sliding collagen fibers become stiffer and less elastic, becoming less available. Joint secretions diminish. This means you need to set different demands for yourself, not lower expectations. Your motivation and drive can transcend biological imposition.
Longer warm-ups become necessary as you age and your circulation slows. Plan on spending 10 to 15 minutes getting your circulatory flow pumping through your tissues before the stretching begins. You are significantly increasing the pliability and temperature of tissues, and cold stretching can lead to injury even when performed with utmost care. Take the time to prepare your body properly, and you will see the wisdom of your patience.
Warm-Up Protocol
- Minimum 10 minutes light cardio
- Include joint rotations
- Target stiffest areas first
Functional Focus
- Prioritize dressing/reaching motions
- Maintain safe driving rotation
- Preserve stair climbing range
Strength Integration
- Build muscle around joints
- Support elongated positions
- Prevent instability injuries
Functional ranges trump extremes for the over 60s. Using an extreme range that you don't regularly use may be a waste of time. Suppose you want to live independently in your old age. In that case, training moves like shoulder rotation for pulling shrugs and hip mobility to climb stairs are more useful than bothering to split. What is important to you will be dependent on what you need to do daily.
Gradual progression protects you from injury if your tissues are slow to adapt. Older adults, for example, only require an increase in the intensity of stretching of 3-5% a week as opposed to 10% in younger people. Look for the tiny improvements: happier sock application. Celebrate functional gain and not dramatic displays of flexibility!
Strength training promotes flexibility by strengthening the joints and muscles that support them. An age-related decrease in muscle mass further diminishes flexibility. Exercises like chair squats and resistance band rows can help to strengthen the surrounding muscles. When stronger muscles support your increased flexibility, your joints are better protected during deeper stretches, and the gains to your flexibility become more permanent.
Read the full article: How to Improve Flexibility: 7 Effective Ways
