Benefits of stretching after 40!

As an athlete I thought I was fairly flexible and limber for most of my activities, I’ve done a great deal of martial arts training, and even on my 30’s went the extra mile to become an avid runner; without a great deal of flexibility. The wake up call started when I hit 40 years of age. Since I  decided to take up on Brazilian Jiujitsu and Judo. What a surprise it was!. Because, after each practice, My joints were totally tight, ligaments weren’t going back to their regular shape, and my muscle tissue was not getting repair as fast as when I was on my 30’s. Although not everyone, is into martial arts, I can tell you that each activity outside Judo and Brazilian Jiujitsu, became a challenge. The issue:  my body was becoming older and less elastic. If you are someone over 40 years of age, you understad what I am trying to convey here. Low back issues, tight hamstrings, hips locking, you name it.  I started stretching every day for the last 100 days and the magic happened. Althought I am going to the extreme with this a bit, you should consider a stretching program of 3 to 4 days a week following these guidelines:

Morning

You should never stretch right away after getting up, since your back spends a great deal of time flat on your bed, the American Journal Of Orthopedic surgeons call this the Diurnal effect,  if you try to extend your back after lying down for hours on cold joints, you are doing more damage than helping your back. Start with a mild warm up, leg kicks, squats, some lunges, etc. Then try to do some passive stretching; in which to stay in one position for a set time, you are able to relax your body, while a partner, accessory, or prop intensifies the stretch, by putting external pressure on the body,  you can also use the floor or wall. I think doing this 3 to 4 times a week help tremendously, not only to become few inches more flexible, but also to relief pressure of your joints in general.

Timing

I reccomend you stay 30 seconds to a minute on each stretch, harvard health university highlghted last year, on its journal, that for optimal results, you should spend a total of 60 seconds on each stretching exercise, so if you can hold a particular stretch for 15 seconds, repeating it 3 more times, would be ideal. If you can hold it for 20 seconds, 3 more repetitions would do the trick. I found that the frequency is more important than the timing, therefore even you hold it for less than a minute, try to add days instead of looking at your watch, since  holding the stretch longer would naturally occur when you doing it more frequent!.

Consider Dynamic stretching too

If you are someone like me (over 40 years of age); who likes to be active, or like to stay competitive. This form of stretching is for you, because it will improve your agility, speed, and mobility!. It involves the active tightening of your muscles, and moving your joints through full range of motion, these functional and sports specific movements help increase muscle temperature, and decrease muscle stiffness. I do this everyday of 5 days a week and have seen a big difference try it out!

Before or after my work out?

I feel that when you are 40 years of age doing dynamic stretching after your workout is absolutely beneficial, because you are not only upgrading your body with the lengthening status of your joints, but are also warming up your body for the work out. Thereafter,  according to web MD can apply passive or active stretching to prevent injuries and relax your muscle joints.

Does frequency matters?

I recommend at least 3 times a week to work till you become proficient at stretching, I find it boring at times, but the benefits of it outweights the waiting time after each transition, so make it a habit. Even start at two days per week. It is better than nothing, frequency does matter as you need those joints to stay loose, primarily if you are someone after 40 years of age who loves to be active. I find that even sedentary individuals can benefit a great deal from stretching every day, even if that’s the only thing they do as a form of activity. Get to it and try it out!

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