How (and Why) To Increase Flexibility at Any Age

A popular birthday card pictures an 80+ woman doing the splits with the caption, “Meeting all the stretch goals for your birthday?” While we might laugh at this obvious exaggeration, the truth is that one of the common changes the body undergoes with age is a decline in flexibility.

Flexibility is the ability of muscles and joints to move comfortably through their normal range of motion. Maintaining that range becomes increasingly important with age because muscles, tendons, and connective tissues tend to become stiffer, particularly when we are inactive. However, there are steps we can take to improve flexibility, which will help enhance quality of life and preserve independence.

The Importance of Increasing Flexibility

Flexibility plays a vital role in how the body moves. Being able to easily perform simple movements like bending, reaching, and twisting allows us to more easily go about our daily activities such as:

• Getting in and out of a car or chair.
• Reaching overhead or into a cupboard.
• Bending down to tie shoes or pick something up.
• Turning the head and torso while driving.
• Putting on socks, shoes, coats, and other clothing.
• Gardening, golf, swimming, dancing, or other recreational activities.
• Walking with a comfortable stride.
• Avoiding a fall by quickly recovering stability after stumbling or making an awkward movement.

Maintaining adequate range of motion makes these everyday tasks easier and may help people remain self-sufficient longer.

Simple Ways to Improve Flexibility

To improve flexibility, it’s helpful to be active. Avoid a sedentary lifestyle by getting up and moving frequently during the day. To further enhance flexibility, activities such as yoga, Tai Chi, and daily stretches can be beneficial.

Yoga

There are many options for yoga at any age, and some forms can be completed almost anywhere. Yoga contributes to flexibility by gently stretching muscles and joints. The various poses cover all areas of the body where improved flexibility is important. For example, the “downward dog” pose forms an inverted “v” body shape, hinging at the hips, which stretches the hamstrings and calves. At the same time, it strengthens the upper body and core while lengthening the spine.

If traditional floor poses like the downward dog seem too intense, Chair Yoga is an easy and safe way for aging bodies to keep moving and improve flexibility. This technique targets joints and muscles without adding pressure from standing, since seated poses reduce pressure on the body while delivering the necessary stretching.

There are several ways to get into yoga, including yoga studios, local community education classes, and instructors who will travel to any location and do a small class or individual session. There is also the option of DVDs or online videos. No matter how you embark on your yoga journey, it is important to move slowly through each pose and focus on proper form to avoid injury.

Tai Chi

Tai Chi is another gentle way to maintain flexibility and mobility. Sometimes described as "meditation in motion," Tai Chi involves a series of slow, controlled movements accompanied by deliberate breathing and concentration. The body gradually shifts from one position to another, requiring the ankles, knees, hips, spine, shoulders, and arms to move through comfortable ranges of motion.

Unlike conventional stretching, Tai Chi combines flexibility with movement, balance, coordination, and some muscle strengthening. The frequent shifting of body weight from one leg to the other is particularly useful for developing balance and lower-body control. Because movements can be modified and performed slowly, Tai Chi can also be accessible to people who find more strenuous forms of exercise difficult. Like yoga, Tai Chi classes are often offered by community education programs or through other learning options, such as DVDs or streaming video.

Stretches

If yoga or Tai Chi seem like too much of a commitment, completing a set of simple stretches each morning will improve flexibility and maintain movement and circulation. Some examples include:

• Quad Stretch: Stand straight while holding a chair or the wall for balance. Grasp your instep and pull your heel toward your buttocks.
• Hamstring Stretch: Sit on the floor, with your legs apart in a “V” shape. Starting on the right side, grasp your right foot and pull yourself toward the foot, feeling tension in the back of the thigh.
• Lunge: Standing, step forward with one leg, bending your knee and keeping the back leg straight, feeling the stretch in the back of the thigh.
• Standing Calf Stretch – Holding a chair or a wall, position one leg back with your knee straight and your heel flat on the floor. Bend the other knee and move your hips forward until you feel a stretch in the calf.
• Knee Lift - Lie on your back on the floor with both legs extended. Move the left knee up to the chest using both hands to pull the knee closer to the chest.
• Internal Hip Rotator Stretch - Sit against the back of a chair. Lift the right leg and place the right ankle on the left thigh with the right knee pointing out to the side. Lean forward at the hips to feel the tension.
• Rotational Stretch - Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet flat, and shoulders firmly on the floor. Slowly roll your bent knees to one side and hold for 5-10 seconds.
• Lower Back Lift - Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Tighten your abdominal muscles so your lower back lifts off the floor, and hold for 5 seconds before relaxing.
• Wall Climb - Stand up straight, facing a wall. Extend your arm and place your hand on the wall at shoulder height. Slowly crawl your fingers upward, stepping toward the wall as your hand climbs higher until you feel mild tension in the shoulder.
• Shoulder Stretch - Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Place your left hand on your right shoulder. Hold your left elbow with your right hand. Roll your shoulders down and back as you gently pull your left elbow across your chest.

The birthday-card splits can remain a joke. A better stretch goal is moving through the day without stiffness deciding what you can do. Regular practice can help preserve that freedom, even if touching your toes remains out of reach.

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