Geriatric Wellness — Basic Stretching Routine to Keep You Going

As you age, your body starts getting slow and it becomes difficult for you to indulge in physical exercises. From daily activities to your body posture everything gets affected as you start getting old. One of the reasons for this might be less flexibility and low muscle strength. A basic stretching routine can help you in maintaining flexibility while improving your posture and relieving any pains in the body. All you have to do is just incorporate some basic stretches in your lifestyle and it will go a long way with you. Stretching helps in strengthen your neck, arms, back, hips, legs and joints and keep them happy and healthy.

Here are some basic stretches that you should definitely swear by at an older age!   

• Neck stretch: Neck stretch is quite beneficial in relaxing the tensed muscles while easing out the pains and discomforts in the neck. It aids in reducing the stiffness while making the neck and surrounded areas more flexible and supple. There are various neck exercises like side to side cycle stretch, front and back tilt and up and down stretch that you can incorporate in your schedule to bid adieu to uneasiness in the neck and its surrounding region.
• Ankle rotation: Ankles can help in maintaining your balance and hence weak or painful ankles can break your balance and can hamper your day-to-day activities. Ankle rotations are one of the well-known stretches that help in lowering down the stiffness in the ankles and surrounded region while saving you from falls and stumbles and other injuries. All you have to do is extend out your leg straight and rotate your ankles clockwise and anti-clockwise for about 10-20 times.
• Shoulder stretch: Mobile and happy shoulders are one of the vital things that should be focussed as you age. Healthy shoulders help in performing the day-to-day activities like getting dressed, getting yourself things from a high shelf and many others. Shoulder stretches not only keeps the pains at bay but also provides you flexibility while strengthening your neck and shoulders. You can do rolling shoulder stretch to reduce stiffness and to make your shoulders moveable.
• Tricep stretch: Tricep stretch provides plenty of advantages to your back, shoulders and neck and keeps them mobile, supple and elastic. It supports the crucial joints in the upper portion of the back while relieving the pain and discomfort if any. Not only this, but it also helps in enhancing the circulation of blood in the body and hence it can easily relax your tensed muscles.

Footnote

Do include a basic stretching routine with these stretches to make your muscles flexible and to keep yourself away from various pains and discomforts.