Can you touch your toes?

Or stand on one foot for 30 seconds?

If you can’t, you’re not alone. But balance and flexibility are among the key facets of physical fitness. And just like cardiovascular endurance and strength, they diminish with age unless we work on them.

Working on balance and flexibility helps prevent falls, which can be disastrous later in life.

And just like it’s never too late to start working on them, it’s also never too soon. Anyone engaged in fitness should include stretching in his or her routine, whether beginning or experienced.

There’s a reason people have always talked about being “strong enough to bend,” you know.

Plus, stretching feels good. It lowers stress, and improves posture and circulation. It helps us perform everyday activities, like bending over and turning our heads. You can work on it everyday around the house and at work.

Talk to us if you have any questions, and check our offerings to see what might be right for you. Yoga is just one of the popular options that are safe, low impact and require mindfulness, in the best sense.

Millions of people around the world enjoy yoga’s health benefits.

It’s been around for centuries, and it’s effective for everyone, regardless of age or current ability. In fact, about one-fifth of participants are in their 50s, and another one-fifth are over 60.

Yoga is great for balance, strength and bone density. It helps with back pain, blood pressure and anxiety. The focus on breathing is simple and profoundly beneficial for the mind, body and spirit. You don’t need any special equipment, and you can do it anywhere, although we recommend a few classes, at least, to start with.

And, super-important for people who are starting out or have a physical limitation: Yoga is highly adaptable to everyone’s physical needs. Let me know about any aches, arthritis, surgeries, etc. – and I will guide you to a modification.

I’d love to learn more about your fitness levels and needs to make sure we get the right stretching exercises for you, whether it’s yoga or one of the other popular, effective options benefiting so many people.

You can reply to me here, I look forward to hearing from you!

General tips for stretching

Did you know that 1 in 3 adults falls each year? Falls are the leading cause of death from injury for people over 65. Thousands of people die, and millions are hurt.

Whether with me or at home with a book or video, please stretch – at least 15 minutes a day, three times a week. For a nice introduction to some basic movements, check out this from the National Institute on Aging.

Remember, also:

• Before any stretching, take a 5-minute walk to warm up.
• Keep breathing while you stretch.
• Give time to your calves, front and back thighs, hips, lower and upper back, chest, shoulders and neck. If you’ve had surgery, talk to your doctor first.