If you are like most people you hate doing stretching exercises. Stretching seems
like something that can only be done by kids. You are convinced that stretching is just another
thing that you cant do as well as you grow older. Or you feel you never could do stretch very well before so why should you be able to do any better now ?
The truth is you can be as limber as you were as a child by learning good stretching technique. Even if you were not particularily flexible in your youth you can still improve your ability to stretch through good stretching technique.
This webpage will give you a number of methods and stretching techniques to get you started and stay motivated.
Stretching is good for you. While exercises like push ups and running can make you strong and improve your endurance, stretching builds your resistance to injury and relieves stress. Of course, just as doing push ups can be hard, so is stretching. Stretching can make you sweat, it also requires determination to do well, because stretching does hurt to some degree even when done with good technique.
Stretching is unlike regular exercise because you cannot do five repetitions of stretches one week and then ten the next and fifteen the next week and so on. It does not work that way. The way you feel, the temperature and humidity and your physical condition all make a difference in how well you can stretch.
This can be very frustrating for the beginner, who finds they cant stretch as much as they did the week before. Dont get depressed. This aspect of flexibility is normal. If you consistently try to stretch further you will, just accept the fact that soem days you wont do as well as the day before. The keyword is consistency. Keep stretching on a regular basis and you will get more flexible.
Doing a lower back stretch safely
One of the difficulties in doing a good lower back stretch is that the lower back is involved in when you do stretches for the hamstrings and other parts of the leg. Any time you bend over to touch your toes or sit with your legs extended and do leg stretching you need to realize you are at the same time doing a lower back stretch. Often your lower back will be stretched more than the hamstring or other muscle group that you think you are stretching. A good practice is to relieve the pressure on the lower back periodically when you are doing other stretches.
Take for example this simple seated leg stretch. Sitting on the floor with both your legs extended and 45 degrees apart you lean forward reaching with your fingertips trying to push your chest to the floor. While this stretch is good for your legs it is also putting a powerful stretch on your lower back. Pushing too hard will likely cause pain in the lower back days after you have done the exercise even though you may not feel the exercise was particularily hard on your legs.
Instead treat this exercise as a lower back stretch and after stretching the left leg, release, sit up and twist your body around to the right to release the pressure on your lower back. Then stretch your right leg, holding the stretch, releaseing it and sit up and turn to the left to relieve the pressure on the lower back. Doing this will give you the benefit of the leg stretch while also stretching and protecting your lower back.
There are some aids to stretching. Stretching machines enable you to have soemthing to grab on to to assist in developing a controlled stretch. They also allow you measure your progress in flexibility gain because the machine can be adjusted to allow a deeper stretch as your flexibility improves. Click on the picture below if you need more information about stretching machines
Maintaining elderly flexibility
One of the neat things about stretching is that elderly flexibility can be maintained even though an older person may lose some of the strength of their younger years. Maintaining elderly flexibility helps to prevent injury by keeping the older individual mobile. The elderly person to be able to still do most of the things they did when they were young without fear of injury.
There are many ways stretching can be integrated into an older persons life . Taking Yoga and Tai Chi Chuan are two methods that come to mind.
Stretching Machines and Stretching Aids
Here are examples of other types of stretching aids and equipment that can be useful in developing your ability to stretch. While some of this equipment is great for those those who want to maximize their flexibility, it is also useful if you need mechanical aids to control the stretching. Having a handle or bar in an easy to reach position to grab gives you more security and control over your stretching exercises.