The older you get the less flexible you will feel. While this might put you off the idea of stretching, just spending as little as two five-minute sessions of stretching a day can vastly improve things like your flexibility and balance which will reduce the risk of falls.
Taking things like the best supplements for joints on a daily basis helps to reduce feelings of pain and discomfort for many adults. But light physical activity like stretching out on one of the best yoga mats can really help older people with poor balance.
A research paper published in the International Journal of Health Sciences revealed why seniors can actually benefit from regular stretching and it won't eat up your time.
A group of seniors aged 58 years or more was tasked with completing five-minute sessions of stretching, twice daily, for ten weeks. After completing the stretching program, the study results showed that stretching all major muscle groups of the legs clearly improved the participants' balance. They concluded that this is an effective way to reduce falls among the elderly population.
The study paper highlighted that the elderly are most vulnerable to experiencing increased stiffness in the joints and this threatens their reliability on balance. The study authors wrote, "The maintenance of good balance requires adequate muscle flexibility."
This is why health professionals often promote exercise in the form of Pilates, yoga, or tai chi to the older population. And there is even scientific evidence to back this up as well. This study published in the BMC Geriatrics journal found that adults aged 65 or over, improved functional balance and strength in major lower-limb muscle groups after completing a tai chi training program.
If you are regularly exercising and stretching out your muscles, older adults should always ensure they are eating enough protein. Muscle mass gradually decreases as you age and getting plenty of dietary protein will help to grow and maintain your muscle mass.
Also, as you stretch your muscles they can tear due to the muscles lengthening and contracting under tension so it will help to use one of the best protein powders for women included in our guide or another guide of ours will help you find a best protein powder for weight loss to help protect your muscles.
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