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eLearning Series:
I'm an Active Senior
Who Wants To Stay Healthy
( 50 aticles in this series )
A
Guide to Stretching For Seniors
Few things reward the body as much as stretching.
At the same time, almost nothing could be simpler or take less
time. Unfortunately, most Americans, including seniors, overlook
stretching as part of an every day fitness program.
Stretching
increases muscle flexibility. This can result in
a decreased likelihood of injury, better muscle performance,
and a feeling of well-being that follows for hours after you’ve
finished.
Ideally, you should stretch several times each day. Stretching
in the morning will get your body ready for the activities
ahead. It also provides your mind with a focused, quiet activity
that results, for many people, in a sense of peace and lessening
of anxiety. In the evening, stretching will help work out the
kinks of a day’s wear and tear. Stretching and relaxing muscles
before going to bed will reduce soreness after a hard day and
will have you waking up feeling great.
Before any strenuous physical activity, stretching
is an absolute must. Warming up the body beforehand will prevent injury and
reduce post-activity soreness. In addition, stretching can
be performed at a stoplight, during a lunch break, or any other
time.
10-15
minutes is plenty of time for the morning, evening,
or pre-activity stretch. The following stretches provide just
an example of what a “flex schedule” might look like. Plenty
of books and online resources are available that cover this
topic in detail.
The
most basic stretches can be performed while seated. Start
with your neck. Look down at your stomach. Then slowly roll
your head to the left, then back (so you’re looking at the
ceiling), to the right, and back down. You should feel the
muscles in your neck stretching. A similar motion can be performed
with the wrists. While seated, simply move your closed hand
in a circle using your wrist. Then lift each leg, and draw
the same circle with the feet around the ankle. Make 3-5 such
circles in the clock-wise direction and then the counter-clockwise
direction with your neck, both wrists and both ankles.
Next, let’s move to the calf
muscle. Find a wall, chair, stability
ball, or something that you can safely lean on. While leaning
comfortably against the object, move your right foot two feet
back. Slowly bend your left knee so that your right ankle flexes.
You should feel the muscle in the back of your lower right
leg being stretched. Hold the stretch for 30 seconds and release.
Repeat the exercise with your left calf.
The best way to stretch the front of the upper
leg (the quadriceps) is to lie down on a flat surface (floor, bed, mat, et cetera).
While lying on your left side, with your left elbow on the
surface, and your left hand supporting your head, pull your
right foot up behind you, so that the knee is bent as far as
possible. Reach back with your right hand and grab onto your
right foot. Pull you foot towards your back until you feel
the muscle stretching. Hold this stretch for 30 seconds. Perform
the same stretch for your right leg.
Stay on the ground for the next stretch, which will be the
complimentary muscle in the back of the leg (the hamstring).
Lie on your back and lift your right leg into the air with
the knee slightly bent. Reach up and hold the back of the right
calf, pulling it toward you until you feel the muscle in the
back of the leg stretching. Hold this stretch for 30 seconds.
Perform the same stretch for you left leg.
Next stand up with your feet shoulder-width apart. Put your
hands on your hips, and move your pelvis in a circle: forward,
left, back, then right. Perform this circle 3-5 times clockwise
and 3-5 counter-clockwise.
Keeping your feet in place and your left hand on your left
hip, you will then reach up toward the ceiling with your right
hand. Slowly bend your upper body to the left, reaching with
your right arm over your head and toward the wall to your left.
You should feel a muscle on the right side of your stomach
stretching. Hold this stretch for 30 seconds. Perform the same
stretch to your left.
For a basic shoulder
stretch, clasp your hands behind your
back and slowly lift them upwards. You’ll feel the muscles
in your shoulder stretching. Hold this stretch for 30 seconds.
Now you’re stretched from head to toe. Countless other stretches
exist, but this schedule gives you a basic routine. Consult
with your doctor and, if possible, a physical trainer to fine
tune a “flex schedule” that’s right for you. # # # # #
SolveYourProblem.com
: 2006
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