Although a natural process, aging is often seen as an unpleasant reality of life, primarily because it imposes a host of physical and mental limitations on a person. Out of all the constraints, one has to face as one grows older, losing flexibility can be the most dispiriting because there is no medicinal cure to better it. For most age-related medical maladies, allopathic medications or equipment somewhat restore an affected function in the body, such as using a hearing aid to continue hearing despite the loss. But when it comes to losing agility, no implementation can restore a person’s flexibility, even temporarily. Therefore, most elders dread becoming stiff and susceptible to all sorts of pains and soreness.
While a person cannot bring back their supple muscles once atrophied, they can delay the loss by stretching daily and staying active. Whenever a machine is left unused for a minute, it gets rusty. Similarly, when the human body is left to be, it becomes impaired because it’s nothing but many mechanisms strung together like in a machine. If you want to keep your limbs agile and your body in tip-top shape, you need to put in some effort.
Here’s what you can do to stay limber
Stretch Daily
Most people believe that stretching is only needed to cool down after a strenuous workout session. But that’s not true. Yes, stretching after exercising is essential for recovery, but if you don’t work up a sweat, you can still straighten out your body. Stretching is a great way of improving flexibility and preventing soreness in the body. Plus, it keeps you in shape if done right.
So, don’t forget to do some stretching exercises daily to keep your body lean and limber.
Don’t Forget to Breathe.
One of the most common mistakes people make while stretching is not breathing right, which brings down the efficacy of the exercise significantly. Our top tip for you would be to focus on your breathing when straightening out your body.
Hold Your Stretches for a Bit
For maximizing the effectiveness of a stretch, you need to hold your position for at least 10-30 seconds. Doing all stretching exercises one after the other without maintaining a posture for some time will not get you good results. Your muscles need time to activate and feel the ‘burn’ therefore, you must let them have it by staying put for a few long seconds.
Don’t Overdo It
Many people become victims of the mindset that pushes forth the idea that ‘more is better when straightening out the body and end up doing more damage than good by overexerting their bodies. Stretching for long hours may seem an instant fix to staying limber, but it’s not effective because it wears out the body. The key to successful stretching is listening to the body and not overdoing it to get results faster. Let your body set the pace and tell you what it wants.
Don’t downplay the benefits of stretching because you will miss out on a much healthier life. Stay limber by reaping the many advantages of doing stretching exercises right.
