Stretching for seniors is important, right? But when was the last time you stretched? If you’re like me, stretching is something done half-heartedly at the end of (some of) my workouts.

Sure, I’ve heard of the benefits of holding a stretch for at least 30 seconds to help reduce muscle soreness, but sometimes it feels like stretching is too time-consuming. Especially after I put in a workout.

Through researching for this article, however, I became a stretching convert! It’s benefits extend (pun intended) beyond helping with muscle soreness- especially for seniors!

As we age, and our bodies change, we need to take even greater care to help ensure we’re able to function and feel our best! This article discusses the importance of stretching for seniors and provides practical tips for adding or improving your stretching routine.

How Does The Body Change with Age?

As you likely know (and maybe feel), the body experiences natural changes as a result of age.

When it comes to muscles and joints, there’s an increase in stiffness, decrease in elasticity of the muscles, and overall decreased range of motion.1,5

These have been shown to lead to a decline in movement and balance, which can result in a higher risk of falling.1

This makes sense, right? If you’re feeling tight or stiff, do you really want to do a bunch of moving around? For most of us, the answer is no. However, this lack of movement can contribute to that higher risk of falling. Those who are more sedentary risk losing the strength and mobility necessary to be able to get up when needed. So when they do really need to move, they often can’t, and fall.

Just because decreased range of motion and stiffness are a “natural” part of aging, doesn’t mean there’s nothing that can be done about it!

Yes, those changes will occur, but we can combat the negative side effects of those changes through our practices and behaviors.

What Does Stretching Do for Seniors?

As I eluded to in the introduction, I don’t stretch enough. Prior to writing this article, I felt accomplished if I did at least some stretching after a workout.

Through my research, however, I found that that’s not really enough.

According to coach and stretch expert, Brad Walker, “…Stretching as a warmup prepares your muscles to be worked out, and stretching as part of a cool-down helps (muscles) to return to their pre-exercise state.”2

Walker also states, “Improving flexibility will not occur from just stretching before or after a workout.”2

Yikes! Right? This whole time I thought I was working on my flexibility after my workout.

Turns out that in order to increase flexibility, stretching must be done outside of our normal workout routine.

While increasing flexibility is a benefit of stretching, that’s really just the tip of the stretching iceberg.

The benefits of stretching for seniors include: better posture, increased range of motion, and even decreased back pain! Not to mention having more flexibility decreases the risk of injury and falls!2

How Much Should You Stretch?

I wish I could provide you with a very definitive answer for this question, but it seems that the jury is still out on this one.

There’s quite a bit of variation when it comes to how much stretching seniors should do throughout the week.

According to the American Heart Association, stretching doesn’t need to be done daily. However, other researchers disagree.3,4

At least 3-5 times per week seems to be the general consensus.4

What I recommend is committing to five minutes a day. Once you start doing something for five minutes, you may realize you have more time to dedicate to it. Or, you may realize five minutes is enough (and it’s a whole lot better than nothing!).

A great way to start a stretching routine is through stretching apps! There are many of them out there (Click here to see a list of apps).

My favorite is called Stretching Exercises at Home-Flexibility Training. It’s free to download, but to have access to all of their stretching routines, you pay $19.99 for the whole year. What I love is that it provides me with a variety of stretching routines, from wake up stretches to stretches for neck pain, and it tells me how long it will take to complete each routine. It also provides video demonstrations and times you so you don’t have to worry about watching the clock.

How Long Should You Hold a Stretch?

This is another debated topic in the world of stretching.

There’s research out there that concludes holding a stretch for 30 seconds leads to increased mobility. Most of that research is focused on younger adults, however.5

Seniors stretching, research has found, should hold their stretch a little longer. Seniors gain more range of motion and flexibility through a 60 second hold. While some gains can still be made holding for 30 seconds, the 60-second hold provides more optimal results.5

As a clinician, I encourage my seniors to hold a stretch for 60 seconds, not just because of the changes that occur in the musculoskeletal system with age, but due to the nervous system.

The job of the nervous system is to protect us. It sends us signals in the form of pain, or tingling or burning when we’re moving in a position that’s too far.

The nervous system is also what tells us when we’re in danger (i.e. our fight or flight response).

When we move into a stretching position that’s outside our norm, or our comfort zone, our nervous system perks up.

It says, “Hey now. Let’s not move too far here, we don’t want to hurt later!”

What’s good about that is it prevents us from overstretching. Too many people think they need to feel some pain in order to really stretch, when in fact the opposite is true.

If you’re feeling pain when you stretch you won’t improve your flexibility because the nervous system is going to make sure you don’t move any further, in order to protect you.

Instead of aiming for pain, you want to get in a “comfy” stretch position. That means you feel the stretch, but there’s no pain.

Then you hold the stretch for 60 seconds, as that allows the nervous system adequate time to realize you’re just in a new position, but you’re not actually in danger. Getting your nervous system to relax will allow you to increase your flexibility and experience the benefits of greater mobility.

How Many Sets Should You Do?

If you’ve worked with a PT bfore, you likely did three sets of each stretch, holding for 15-30 seconds.

This is one way to achieve a longer stretch time if you can’t hold for a full 60 seconds.

However, studies on stretching have shown that most of the lengthening comes from the first stretch.5

So, if you can hold for 60 seconds, you may only need to do one set of each stretch (depending on what your PT says, of course).

7 Stretching Exercises for Seniors

Ideally, you want your stretch routine to include the whole body. You don’t have to do all of them daily. Stretching all major muscle groups throughout the week is the goal.

For each of the stretches below, the instructions are written to start on the left side for clarity. You can choose to start on whatever side you want. Or, if your PT advises you to only do one side, adjust accordingly.

(Click Here for a stretching workout with Dr. Katie)

1. Hip Flexor Stretch

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. We spend way too much time sitting!

Due to our more sedentary lifestyles, our hip flexors (muscles in the front of the hip) get very tight.

Stretching these will help with our standing posture, walking, and possibly decrease low back pain (Click here to read about decreasing back pain).

  1. Stand with your right leg next to a chair or stable surface you can hold on to.
  2. Place a pillow on the floor or use a cushy mat.
  3. Take a long step back with your left leg, so you’re in a split stance.
  4. Lower your left knee to the pillow or mat.
  5. Keeping your back straight, shift your weight forward, so it’s in your right foot.
  6. You should feel the stretch on the front thigh of the left leg.
  7. Hold for 60 seconds, breathing.
  8. Repeat on the right leg.

2. Glute Stretch

Many of my clients have pain in their buttocks that may even radiate into their legs. Sometimes, that can be caused by tightness in the muscles of the hip.

This stretch may help alleviate pain and increase hip mobility.

  1. Sit towards the edge of your chair, with both feet flat on the floor, and back straight.
  2. Bring your left ankle to rest on the top of your right knee.
  3. You should feel a stretch in the back of your hip/buttocks on the left side. If you don’t, tip forward at the hip, keeping your back straight.
  4. Hold for 60 seconds, breathing.
  5. Repeat on the right leg.

3. Calf Stretch

Motion at the ankle is very important for walking and balance.

Stretching the calves can help increase the mobility and decrease pain.

  1. Stand facing a wall, with toes of both feet pointing towards the wall.
  2. Place both hands on the wall.
  3. Take a large step back with your left leg, so you’re in a split stance.
  4. Keep the left leg straight, make sure that heel is touching the floor.
  5. Bend the right leg. If your knee is coming over your toes, take a larger step back with the left leg.
  6. You should feel a stretch in the calf of the left leg.
  7. Hold for 60 seconds, breathing.
  8. Repeat on the right leg.

4. Cat Stretch

With all that sitting we do, most of us get in the habit of sitting in posture with our backs rounded. The spine, however, feels best when it is aligned.

This stretch helps to get mobility in the spine, improve posture, and decrease pain.

  1. Use a mat/couch/bed to pad your knees.
  2. Get on to all fours. Hands underneath your shoulders, knees underneath your hips.
  3. Start with your back flat.
  4. Drop your belly towards the floor, which will allow your back to arch. Take 3 breaths.
  5. Bring your belly back up, your back should be flat again.
  6. Repeat steps 4-5 10 times.

5. IT Band Stretch

This one is kind of a misnomer, because we really can’t lenghten our IT band, which is a really thick band of tissue.

What we can do is stretch the muscles on the side of the leg, which can help decrease hip and knee pain (Click here for how to decrease hip bursitis pain).

  1. Stand with left leg closest to wall or chair.
  2. Cross right leg in front.
  3. Bend right leg slightly.
  4. Shift hips towards the wall.
  5. You should feel the stretch down the side of the left leg.
  6. Hold for 60 seconds.
  7. Repeat on right side.

6. Upper Trap Stretch

This is an area we tend to hold stress and tightness. Many of us know the feeling of “knots” in our traps.

This stretch can help decrease neck and shoulder pain.

  1. Sit towards the front of a chair with back straight and feet flat on the floor.
  2. Grab the bottom of the chair with your left hand.
  3. Lean your head towards your right shoulder (make sure you don’t bring your right shoulder up. Let the head come to the shoulder, not the other way around).
  4. You should feel a stretch in your upper shoulder/neck on the left side.
  5. Hold for 60 seconds, breathing.
  6. Repeat on right side.

7. Pec Stretch

Having a rounded posture while we’re on the computer or using our phones can result in tightness in the front of our shoulders. This tightness causes an even more rounded posture, as the tight pecs pull our shoulders down and in.

This stretch will help improve posture and shoulder mobility.

  1. Stand facing an open doorway.
  2. Bring your left arm out to the side, so your shoulder and elbow are at 90 degrees.
  3. Place your left forearm and elbow on the doorframe.
  4. Turn your body away from the left arm, slightly.
  5. You should feel a stretch in your chest on the left side.
  6. Hold for 60 seconds, breathing.
  7. Repeat on the right side.

What to Avoid When Stretching

  1. Bouncing. You want to get into your “comfy” stretch position and hold it. Don’t bounce as that may cause injury.
  2. Painful stretch positions. This is not a “no pain, no gain” situation. In fact, it’s a “pain, no gain” situation. If you’re feeling pain, ease up on the stretch. I promise you’ll get more out of it and it’ll feel better too!
  3. Stretching cold. Make sure you get a warm-up in before you stretch. Stretching without a warm-up is like putting a rubber band in the freezer and then pulling it. It will likely break. Doing a warm-up is like putting a rubber band in the microwave and then stretching it. When it’s nice and warm, it will be more flexible.

Have the Strength the Live Life to the Fullest!

Sources:

  1. Nakamura M, Sato S, Kiyono R et al. Comparison of the Acute Effects of Hold-Relax and Static Stretching among Older Adults. Biology (Basel). 2021;10(2):126. doi:10.3390/biology10020126
  2. Heath E. Why you should stretch more often than before and after exercise — especially nowadays. Washingtonpost.com. https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/wellness/stretching-pandemic-stress-aches-flexibility-/2020/09/08/64ad3682-ee28-11ea-ab4e-581edb849379_story.html. Published 2020. Accessed June 10, 2021.
  3. The importance of stretching – Harvard Health. Harvard Health. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/the-importance-of-stretching#:~:text=Stretching%20keeps%20the%20muscles%20flexible,to%20extend%20all%20the%20way. Published 2021. Accessed June 10, 2021.

4.Flexibility Exercise (Stretching). www.heart.org. https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/fitness/fitness-basics/flexibility-exercise-stretching. Published 2021. Accessed June 10, 2021.

  1. How Long to Stretch? 10, 30, or 60 seconds? Lets look at the research. (2021). Retrieved 11 June 2021, from https://www.stretching-exercises-guide.com/how-long-to-stretch.html
  2. Photos from Canva.com and Google Images Creative and Common Licenses

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