- Stretching helps to maintain flexibility. We often overlook that in youth when our muscles are healthier but with age it leads to a loss of flexibility in the muscles and tendons.
- Usually with age muscles shorten and don't function properly. That increases the risk for muscle cramps and pain, muscle damage, strains, joint pain, and falling, and it also makes it tough to get through daily activities, such as bending down to tie our shoes.
- Likewise, stretching the muscles routinely makes them longer and more flexible, which increases your range of motion and reduces pain and the risk for injury.
- People need to aim for a program of stretching every day or at least three to four times per week.
- HOW?
Warm up the muscles first, with a few minutes of dynamic stretches then repetitive motion such as marching in place or arm circles. That gets blood and oxygen to muscles, and makes them amenable to change. - Then perform static stretches (holding a stretch position for up to 60 seconds) for the calves, the hamstrings, hip flexors, quadriceps, and the muscles of the shoulders, neck, and lower back.
- This will keep any individual fit and flexible at the same time.
4. Balance exercises
- Improving our balance makes us feel steadier on our feet and helps to prevent falls. It's especially important as we get older, when the systems that help us maintain balance our vision, our inner ear, and our leg muscles and joints tend to break down.
- Many senior centers and gyms offer balance-focused exercise classes, such as tai chi or yoga. It's never too early to start this type of exercise, even if we feel that we don't have balance problems.
- You can also go to a physical therapist, who can determine our current balance abilities and prescribe specific exercises to target our areas of weakness.
- Typical balance exercises include standing on one foot or walking heel to toe, with our eyes open or closed. The physical therapist may also ask us to focus on joint flexibility, walking on uneven surfaces, and strengthening leg muscles with exercises such as squats and leg lifts.
- To all the audience reading this, it's a suggestion to get the proper training before attempting any of these exercises at home.

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