Stretching feels nice, and it’s an easy habit to get into. It’s also super good for you.
Why is stretching so important?
The thing is, once we get past the age of 40 or so and become less active our muscles and tendons start to shrink and get stiff. Muscles and tendons support and balance our knees and hips, so if they are not in good shape our joints can suffer. If we already have knee pain and don’t do any stretching, the pain could be increased because of that.
Muscles and tendons really benefit from stretching and activity every day. There are so many easy ways to stretch and it really does not take long. It’s worth looking at these video’s from YouTube and choosing some activities that suit you and that you can do at home.
Pull on some comfortable stretchy clothes and get into a daily stretchy habit by following these inspiring examples!
Here is a great video from Dr Vernette talking about the importance of stretching and showing some great stretches you can easily do at home.
Dr Siobhan France has a great video on knee exercises you can do in bed before you get up, a great way to start the day and build strong knees.
youtube.com/watch?v=wTL4zUg...
Dr Siobhan also a good hip stretching routine which will also benefit your knees.
youtube.com/watch?v=MJox7pL...
Of course, if you really love stretching and how it makes you feel then it makes sense to think about yoga practice. This is an activity that covers both stretching and physical activity so its a great way to increase your Healthy Activity Score. Shelly Nicole from Sovereign Hands Yoga gives a very nice introductory class in this YouTube video:
youtube.com/watch?v=i6eKyjA...
And finally, some helpful reading for you from our friends at Silver Sneakers. This is a great program covering all aspects of physical activity for seniors. If you are eligible to join as part of your current insurance its well worth the time attending classes, and there is lots of good information for non-members on their website. Here is their guide to stretching:
