Stretching Benefits for Women over 40 should know
Women over 40 do weight training and cardio workouts to keep their bones strong and their hearts healthy. There is one pillar of fitness that’s often neglected, though: a regular stretching routine done separately from warmups and cooldowns. There is a myriad of stretching benefits for middle-aged women over the age of 40, including managing stress levels, injury prevention, and faster recovery.
Read on to discover how a few minutes spent in daily stretching improves your body in 9 different ways:
Stretching Benefits for Women Over 40:
Stretching can reduce stress
Not only can stretching help with your stress levels, but it can also improve mood and just generally makes you feel better, says Jacque Crockford, with the American Council on Exercise (ACE). Many women over 40 face demanding careers, and the challenges of caring for children and aging parents. Stress reduction gained from a stretch session is relaxing and energizing and costs nothing.
Stretching opens up the body’s muscles and increases blood flow
“When you stretch, you elongate your muscles around the joints which helps to increase the range of motion and in turn helps to avoid injury,” says fitness trainer Joel Harper. Increasing blood flow also brings nutrients into the muscle cells to aid in recovery.
Stretched muscles become your new normal
When you consistently move your body through a certain range of motion, your body will reinforce and protect it. It becomes the new normal.” People experience a total increase in flexibility and fewer overuse injuries when they stretch on a regular basis,” says Sage Rountree, triathlete and yoga teacher. “Getting into a daily stretching routine can help you to regain some of the flexibility lost through the again process.”
A general stretching routine can elevate your performance
“While it’s definitely worth your time to restore your muscle length with a stretch after your workout, you should also consider a general stretching routine as its own workout, to be done separately. The benefits you’ll reap from cultivating flexibility are numerous: You can elevate your overall fitness, improve performance and possibly reduce your risk of injury,” says Michael Boyle, strength-training and conditioning coach.
Stretching reduces overuse injuries
General static stretching programs performed regularly as stand-alone exercises (as opposed to before or after any specific fitness activity), do appear to help prevent injuries. Sage Rountree, a triathlete and yoga teacher based in North Carolina says. “People experience a total increase in flexibility and fewer overuse injuries when they stretch on a regular basis.”
Stretching out both sides of the body equally helps to remedy muscular imbalances that occur when one side of the body gets worked more than the other.
All parts of your body benefit
“Internally, a flexibility workout routine can help promote blood circulation, to the brain, heart, limbs, and practically all parts of your body. Because it’s not only about the movements of the body parts you see outside when you work out. Your systems inside are moving too!
“Your lymphatic system works better due to your physical movements. As a result, your body gets the chance to have better fluid drainage.” – My Menopause Journey
Fight back against age-related stiffness
“There is a certain degree of joint stiffness to be expected with age, but that’s where flexibility and mobility training come in handy. This type of training will ensure that your body can move easily and without pain. For those with a family history of arthritis or other joint problems, it’s vital to engage in this type of training.” – Karen Reed, managing editor at Positive Health Wellness.
Sticking with it improves your flexibility
“Find a way to incorporate stretching into your life. Maybe it’s fifteen minutes every morning when you get up or it’s half an hour after your workout. Maybe it’s three one-hour sessions a week. Set it, and stick to it.
“Get an accountability buddy. Fall in love with stretching. Keep doing it; you will get more flexible.” – Fit and Bendy
Consistency is key when it comes to improving the way you move
“A few minutes a day is all it takes to see massive improvements over time,” Grayson Wickham, PT, DPT, CSCS, reminds us. “We are weakest in these end-ranges of motions. Activating the muscles in this way helps increase flexibility, prime the nervous system, and strengthen the joint.”
An easy stretching routine started in your 40s helps maintain your mobility into your 50s, 60s, 70s, and beyond. Stretching exercises for women over 40 don’t have to be complicated, and can easily be worked into your daily routine. Start with a 5-10 minute stretching session a few times a week, and see if you can increase your physical activity level to about 30 minutes every day.
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Keeping your mobility intact helps you do those everyday tasks that get harder with age, like tying your shoes and lifting your laundry basket up from the floor. Regular stretching will also help you to be able to keep up with your kids and grandchildren!
Gaining flexibility over 40 will help you build fundamental strength and build muscle mass, which also will improve your overall balance. Maintaining flexibility just requires a few minutes of stretching every day, so start stretching now to stay active well into the future.
Are you ready to start a new stretching routine? Download WeStretch today to move like your younger self!
Updated March 15, 2023