This week, we thought we would focus on our health and wellness. Specifically, our physical wellness.
As we age, one of the aspects of our health that we contend with (or not) is our flexibility. It’s one of the single most important aspects of physical health we can impact to stay mobile.
Flexibility is an important component of physical fitness and has many positive effects on the body. For instance, it improves mobility, posture, muscle coordination, reduces the risk of injuries and muscle soreness. It even leads to a better overall “shape”.
We have all seen, and live in horror of becoming, the old person with the hunched back, or the one that can’t get out of a chair without sound effects.
If we wait until such signs begin to appear, it is really hard to make a significant impact or improvement. The best time in our lives to work on these impending issues is now.
No matter if you are in your 30’s, 40’s, 50’s +++, flexibility is one of the easiest things we can build. The types of exercise best for this are simple stretching routines or low impact yoga and pilates.
Something you may not know... While cardio exercise and/or strength training are valuable, done without a robust stretching routine, they can actually be harmful. Flexibility and resilience of muscle tone is what makes those exercise routines safer, especially as we age. This is why we recommend that you try yoga and pilates type practices, as they both build strength AND flexibility.
In this week's practice, we offer several easy access resources you can use to build some stretching and flexibility into your daily routine.
This Week's Practice
Stretch Out
This week stretch yourself and add stretching to your day!
Below is a list of a few good Apps you can use to try some simple flexibility or stretch routines. Try at least one.
- STRETCHIT - Focuses on stretching routines in 10 min. increments. Lots of customization for your level and goals. 7 day free trial that then moves to various paid plans.
- Yoga Studio - Nice amount of free routines to try before any purchasing required. Try their 14-Day Beginner practices.
- Class Pass - This app allows you to try out several different types of exercises as well as spa services in your local area. You pay a fee to the app and you get access to all kinds of local classes without having to join one specific type. You get 1 month free.
There are many other great resources out there, tap into what works best for you. The primary point here is to seek to add more (or any) flexibility practices to your exercise and life routines.
