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Stretching has a positive impact on both your lifespan and your healthspan. Your lifespan is how long you live. Healthspan is how long you live disease and disability free.
Not only can it help you to live longer by improving your mobility (which helps you to move more), but your quality of life will also be significantly improved by stretching on a regular basis.
Today we compiled 6 must-do stretches for people over 50. By doing these stretches on a regular basis you will be able to overcome a lot of the obstacles that arise for the person over 50.
Our top 6 stretches to improve mobility
Here are some of our favourite stretches that have helped our clients achieve success and get the results they were looking for! This routine should take approximately 10-12 minutes and will help relieve muscle tension across all of the major muscle groups.
1. Glute stretch wave
Get the most out of this stretch by:
✅ Exhaling while bringing the chest down to the knee to get a deeper stretch in the glute.
✅ ‘Walk’ the upper body away from the legs to get a stretch in the hip flexor of the opposite leg.
✅ Drop down to the elbow and reach over top of your head with the opposite arm to stretch the fascia through the back, hip and into the leg.
Why this is so good :
This stretch (known by some of our clients as the Evertrain special, originally came from the book Stretch to Win) targets multiple muscle groups including; the glute complex, hip flexors and the side of the back (latissimus dorsi).
2. Upper back rotation
Get the most out of this stretch by:
✅ Exhaling as the arm is lowering towards the ground and the chest is fully open.
✅ Keep the top leg as straight out as you can (as a counter weight) to allow maximum rotation during the stretch.
✅ Allow the head to rotate with the body.
Why this is so good:
This is a great stretch for the upper body. Not only are you relieving tension in the upper back but you may feel different degrees of relief in the bicep, shoulder, chest and abdominals.
3. “Shoulder Backpack” stretch
Get the most out of this stretch by:
✅ Allowing the shoulder to relax and letting the band to pull it back.
✅ Look in the direction opposing the band and scan the area by moving the head in different directions.
✅ Tucking the chin inwards will move the stretch more towards the upper trap (between the neck and shoulder).
Why this is so good:
A common place we experience excess muscle tension is in the neck and upper trapezius. We often hold onto a lot of stress in this area causing the muscles to tense up. The backpack stretch will help you relieve this tension and then some!
4. Kneeling hip flexor stretch
Get the most out of this stretch by:
✅ Keeping the shoulders back and focus on driving the hips forward.
✅ Keep tension in your abdominal and engage your glute for an intensified stretch.
✅ With the same side arm, reach up and over the head to the opposite wall to get a stretch down the side of the back and hip.
Why this is so good:
When we sit for long periods of time, the front of the hips (hip flexors) become shortened and tight. This stretch will help you relieve that excess tension and help to reduce lower back and knee pain.
5. Classic Calf stretch with a twist
Get the most out of this stretch by:
✅ Ensuring the feet are pointed straight forward, directly at the wall.
✅ Drive the hips forward to get a deeper stretch in the calf.
✅ Shifting the hips side to side in order to target different areas of the calf.
Why this is so good:
The calves tend to build up tension without us even noticing. Stretching the calves on a regular basis can help prevent knee and foot pain from arising by promoting dorsi-flexion of the ankle.
6. Overhead band stretch
Get the most out of this stretch by:
✅ Taking a big step back and bringing the chest down towards the ground while allowing the shoulder and arm to relax.
✅ Rotating the torso towards either side to target different muscles that surround the shoulder.
✅ Gently rocking forward and backward to get a slightly deeper stretch.
Why this is so good:
This stretch helps to relieve tension in the shoulders, chest and upper back as well as helps to ‘traction’ the shoulder joint to target the joint capsule.
The proper (stretching) band
We feel the investment on mobility tools is well worth it. But you want to make sure you’re getting the right stuff!
We recommend a band that is on the thicker side for stretching. The thinner bands used for resistance training won’t do the trick. We recommend the black band on the Rogue Canada website. But you can also pick up an equivalent band at your local fitness equipment store.
Stretching tips
Holding a stretch is okay, but you get more out of it when you move while stretching. Even if the movement is slow and subtle.
Exhale on the stretch, inhale when not stretching. This will help your tissues to relax and get a better outcome (don’t hold your breath).
Stretch in the morning to help wake yourself up and start your day on the right foot.
Stretch before going to bed to help relieve stress and improve your quality of sleep!
Do you want help implementing an effective “after 50"-curated stretch routine into your life? If you’re looking for extra support and accountability to get rid of those aches and pain and start living life on your terms, book a FREE consultation today to speak with one of our coaches. 👇
Happy Stretching! 😀
-Brandon