Middle-age flexibility
Do you ever consider your flexibility? One of the items on my Kettle List is to ‘Become Flexible’.
I have specifically used the word ‘become’ for this task, as I am under no illusions that I currently have anywhere near the amount of mobility I could have if I put some effort in.
The fact remains, however, that I would like to be able to flex a lot more than I can at the moment.
So, in this post, let’s have a look at mid-life bendiness; What will I need to do to achieve it, and is it even realistic at my age?
Flexibility; putting my back into it…or out. Probably putting my back out, let’s be honest.
The List contains a few health-based goals. A number of them are ones I will be working on this year. Mainly losing weight and taking up dance lessons.
#8 on the list is the rather unspecific and ambiguous: “Get Flexible”.
When I initially added this task to the list – back in 2016 – I had the lofty ambition of being able to do the splits. Apparently, Youtube reckons it is possible in 30 days, but I think they are assuming a certain level of flexibility to start with.
They are probably also assuming that their target audience is not a middle-aged lady with delusions of athleticism.
But if it is possible in one month, and I then give myself a generous 12 months, perhaps it is doable?
Before I even consider it though, I will need to look up the safety aspects. Would this be dangerous? Could I do myself a serious injury?
Starting out
Even searches with keywords like ‘beginner’ or ‘inflexible’ seemed to offer exercises that were a bit beyond my reach. I have found a few videos that offer these daily stretches, which are proving to be harder than they look.
There is something a little galling about having a very fit and bendy person tell you how easy it is…I might need to be a lot more specific in my search terms.
The older bendy wannabe
What does the internet offer the more mature wannabe bendy person?
I realised I was going to have to bite the bullet and ask the internet in a language it would understand :
“flexibility exercises for middle-aged women”
“Can you regain flexibility after 40? “, and the all-important question
“Can you be too old to learn the splits? “
According to this article in the Irish Times, even the unlimber among us can aspire to the flexibility required to be able to do the splits.
A Japanese yoga teacher based in Osaka claims that a bit of daily yoga can get me where I want to be. Which is ironic really, because where I want to be is actually Osaka (Why does everything I do end up being about Japan!)
All of the other articles I have found seem to optimistically suggest that all is NOT lost.
That it is possible to ‘regain’ flexibility, although this gives the impression that you should have had some to start with.
Making a start
So these are the tips I have compiled for getting flexible – if I eventually achieve the splits it will be a bonus, but this is what I intend doing to make a start.
Gentle and slow
As always, the internet is your friend. There are plenty of videos and tips out there. Stretching should not hurt, we are taking things slowly after all. Be sure to find ones appropriate to your ability.
Aiming for better all-round fitness is not a sprint, but a marathon. Your only competition is you, so this will take as long as it takes.
Carve out some time for yourself, either when you wake up or in the early evening. Wear loose clothes, and make sure you have plenty of room. A mat is useful, but not totally necessary.
Check out this 10-minute body stretch routine from Healthy U TV. If time is an issue this video below will only take you 5 minutes:
Consistency
The most important part of any regime, after ‘just do it already!’ is to be consistent.
There is no point going all out for a few days, tiring yourself out, and then taking a few weeks off.
If you an only commit to 5 minutes a day, then do just that.
It would be better to do ‘little and often’ than none at all. Burnout won’t help you either, so be careful not to overdo it.
So let’s get started – Over to you
The important thing is to get started. So from today, I am going to get five minutes of stretching in, and when I find a willing volunteer, I will update with a photo of how far I can currently bend. My first job is to touch my toes. How is your fitness journey going? Any tips or hacks you can share? How has staying fit benefited you? Let us know in the comments.