Increasing flexibility and range of motion

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alteredsteve175
alteredsteve175 Posts: 2,716 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm a 63 year old male. Lifting two or three times a week. Also do a couple of boot camp/circuit training sessions each week. Some walking and/or hiking when possible.

I have never been very flexible, and I seem to be losing flexibility as I age. Looking for pointers on maintaining/increasing my range of motion and flexibility. Thanks.

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  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,483 Member
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    Yoga and aqua fit are awesome.

    My SO, a swimmer and runner, decided to join me in these classes once a week and can't believe how his flexibility, and balance have improved. At 57 he can now touch his toes for the first time since his teens :)

    Cheers, h.
  • alicebhsia
    alicebhsia Posts: 179 Member
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    stretch! stretch everyday, stretch in the morning or before bed.. hold for at least thirty seconds. if you stretch everyday (with decent effort) you will see improvement. my favorite is just legs together straight out hands to feet sitting or legs apart sitting stretching toward each foot and the middle.. yoga is great too if you can take a class or follow a book or video. a nice easy yoga move for hip flexibility- lay on back with legs together and extended, pull one knee up to your chest if you can and hold with both hands letting your hip joint relax into the pose for three slow breaths or 30 seconds, ease gently out of the pose. do other leg.
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
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    I am 62 with very bad OA for years. For 20 yrs I've been swimming, along with acqua-gym and lots of stretching. I started yogaflex 2 years ago and it's fantastic. So, I agree with the above posters. Alot of my family and friends have had hip replacements--I'm still truckin'. Try a few things and see what you think. By the way, my husband started yogaflex and loves it. We now go to class together.
  • alteredsteve175
    alteredsteve175 Posts: 2,716 Member
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    Thanks, everyone. I will look for a local yoga class. We sometimes do a few yoga moves as a cooldown after circuit training. I have been surprised at my difficulty in holding a pose. Looks easy - but it's NOT!
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,483 Member
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    alteredstates175 wrote: »
    Thanks, everyone. I will look for a local yoga class. We sometimes do a few yoga moves as a cooldown after circuit training. I have been surprised at my difficulty in holding a pose. Looks easy - but it's NOT!

    That last statement is so true. My SO came out of class dripping in sweat. He always thought the aqua fit, Pilates, and yoga classes I took were easy. He never realized that I had been doing them for a few years so it just looked like there was less effort than swimming and running.

    Cheers, h.

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