Flexibility
Body stiffness and soreness due to decreased flexibility are often thought to be an excuse for decreasing or ceasing exercise. Big mistake.
Moving your body through the maximum range for your joints and muscles is highly recommended for ongoing health.
Joint movement distributes a substance in your joints throughout the joint, both lubricating the joint surfaces as well as feeding the joint cartilage with healthy nutrients.
Arthritis is what happens when joint cartilage is damaged or destroyed.
Joint movement helps joint cartilage maintenance and helps to repair cartilage damage.
Move it or lose it
All movement is good, even if painful initially. (search our GeriTraK article on pain)
You can begin by walking and swinging your arms.
There are many informal and formal ways to move your joints and stretch. In fact, any movement where a tightening feel is placed on the soft tissue is a stretch. It is good to hold the tight feeling in a stretch for at least fifteen seconds, and up to thirty seconds.
Some people like giving a small bounce into the stretch, however, this is not advisable for beginners. Try repeating the stretch three times for each muscle area.
Hint: A stretch sensation is usually improved when one or more joints are held straight.
Stretching is also better after undertaking a light warm-up such as walking or moving the area to be stretched for a few minutes in a way to feel improved circulation to the area.
Alternatively, stretching can be undertaken as a warm-down such as after a more vigorous exercise session.
Unless at a high competition fitness level for sprinting type sports, stretching before exercise will not reduce your performance level.
See the Hints below
– Yoga
– Tai Chi
– Gentle stretches,
– Play different sports
– Exercise roller
Further articles in this series are to follow. Please keep a lookout.
GeriTraK. Good To Know