Stretching Exercises - Exercise for Baby Boomers and Seniors

Four types of exercise are important for staying healthy and independent: strength exercises, balance exercises, stretching exercises, and endurance exercises.

Stretching exercises are thought to give you more freedom of movement to do the things you need and like to do. Stretching exercises alone will not improve your endurance or strength.

Safety Tips

• Always warm up before stretching exercises by doing them after endurance or strength exercises or by doing some easy walking or arm-pumping first.
• Stretching should never cause pain, especially joint pain.
• Mild discomfort or a mild pulling sensation is normal.
• Never bounce into a stretch -- make slow steady movements instead.

Tricep stretches lengthen muscles in the back of the upper arm.

1. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Hold one end of a towel in your left hand.
3. Raise and bend your left arm to drape the towel down your back. Keep your left arm in this position and continue holding onto the towel.
4. Reach behind your lower back and grasp the bottom end of the towel with your right hand.
5. To stretch your left shoulder, pull the towel down with your right hand. Stop when you feel a stretch or slight discomfort in your left shoulder.
6. Repeat at least 3 to 5 times.
7. Reverse positions, and repeat at least 3 to 5 times.

Double Hip Rotation stretches the outer muscles of hips and thighs. Don't do this exercise if you have had a hip replacement, unless your surgeon approves.

1. Lie on floor on your back, knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
2. Keep shoulders on floor at all times.
3. Keep knees bent together and gently lower legs to one side as far as possible without forcing them.
4. Hold position for 10 to 30 seconds.
5. Return legs to upright position.
6. Repeat toward other side.
7. Repeat 3 to 5 times on each side.

How much, how often?

Stretch after you do your regularly scheduled strength and endurance exercises. If you can't do endurance or strength exercises for some reason and stretching exercises are the only kind you are able to do, do them at least 3 times a week, for at least 20 minutes each session. Note that stretching exercises, by themselves, don't improve endurance or strength.

Do each stretching exercise 3 to 5 times at each session. Slowly stretch into the desired position, as far as possible without pain, and hold the stretch for 10 to 30 seconds. Relax, then repeat, trying to stretch farther.

Source: National Institute on Aging