Chapter List

• Introduction to Age Erasers for Women
• Stop the Clock
• Age Spots
• Allergies
• Anger
• Arrhythmias
• Arthritis
• Back Pain
• Binge Eating
• Bladder Problems
• Burnout
• Bursitis and Tendinitis
• Cellulite
• Depression
• Dieting
• Double Chin
• Drinking Problems
• Drug Dependency
• Eating Disorders
• Endometriosis
• Fatigue
• Fibroids
• Foot Problems
• Hair Loss
• Heart Attack
• Heart Disease
• Hemochromatosis
• High Blood Pressure
• Hysterectomy
• Infertility
• Midlife Crisis
• The Pill
• Respiratory Diseases
• Sex Problems and Stds
• Smoking
• Snoring and Sleep Apnea
• Stress
• Stroke
• Television
• Thyroid Disorders
• Type A Personality
• Unwanted Hair
• Varicose Veins
• Vision Changes
• Worry
• Wrinkles
• Adventure
• Aerobics
• Affirmations
• Alcoholic Beverages
• Altruism
• Antioxidants
• Aspirin
• Breakfast
• Breast Care
• Calcium
• Career Change
• Change and Adaptability
• Confidence and Self-Esteem
• Cosmetic Dentistry
• Cosmetic Surgery
• Creativity
• Fiber
• Fluids
• Forgiveness
• Friendships
• Goals
• Honesty
• Hormone Replacement Therapy
• Humor
• Immunity
• Learning
• Leisure Time
• Low-Fat Foods
• A Litany of Low-Fat Foods
• Makeup
• Marriage
• Massage
• Medical Checkups
• Optimism
• Relaxation
• Religion and Spirituality
• Resistance Training
• Sex
• Skin Care
• Sleep
• Stretching
• Vegetarianism
• Vitamins and Minerals
• Yoga
• Credits
• Gray Hair Rethinking Your True Colors
• Biological Clock
• Body Image
• Caffeine
• Cancer
• Cholesterol
• Dental Problems
• Diabetes
• Digestive Problems
• Hearing Loss
• Injuries and Accidents
• Memory
• Menopausal Changes
• Metabolism Changes
• Migraines
• Osteoporosis
• Overweight
• Premenstrual Syndrome
• Reaction Time
• Skin Cancer
• Ulcers

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Stretching

Get Loose, Feel Good

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Every once in a while, you find the time to stretch. When you do, you love the way it makes you feel--loose, limber, relaxed. But those days are few and far between.

Usually you spend your time in overdrive, running from one activity to the next, with barely the time to sit and catch your breath, let alone stretch. You manage to squeeze in some walking or an aerobics class about three times a week, but that's about all you can usually manage. And stretching isn't really all that important anyway, right?

Wrong.

A general warm-up followed by regular stretching raises the temperature within our muscles and enables us to move smoothly and with a full range of motion--like we did when we were younger. In addition to relieving stress and tension, it improves flexibility, enhances performance and helps prevent injuries.

Oh, Those Aging Muscles

As we get older, our muscles and joints tend to become tighter, says John Skowron, physical therapist at Raleigh Community Sports Medicine and Physical Therapy in North Carolina. That's because as we age, connective muscle tissues shorten. That makes it harder to do the activities we're used to, whether on the playing field or around the house, because our muscles just aren't ready.

Here's what happens: Anytime you do an activity, whether it's reaching up to paint a wall, carrying something downstairs or going for a run, your muscles move. Certain muscles contract, or shorten, with movement, while the opposing muscles relax, or lengthen. When the muscles and surrounding elastic tissue that need to lengthen are too tight, they can't move the way we want them to and we lose what health experts call our full range of motion; that is, our movement becomes restricted.

This can cause all kinds of trouble. Sometimes it prohibits us from participating in activities at all. Other times we can participate, but our performance is compromised. Then there are the times when it leads to injury. When our body realizes it can't use a certain muscle group fully, it often tries to compensate by asking another muscle group to work harder than usual, a demand that can sometimes cause that part of the body to break down. And sometimes the muscles themselves are damaged--their tissues can tear, which is what happens when someone "pulls" a muscle.

Part of the reason we get tighter after age 30 has to do with our lifestyles, says Michael Kaplan, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Rehabilitation Team, a sports medicine and physical therapy clinic in Catonsville, Maryland. "Before they're 30, people tend not to have as many responsibilities. They often don't have the job that they have to do plus the house that they have to support, the kids they have to do things for," he says. Eventually, any of these responsibilities takes up most of their time; folks become less active and, as a result, less mobile and less flexible.

"There's no reason why people in their thirties and forties and even older can't have just as much flexibility as when they were younger--or even more flexibility," says Dr. Kaplan. "A 60-year-old can have more flexibility than a 20-year-old," if she works at it and stretches, he says.

Advanced-Placement Stretching If you're a beginner, the type of stretching described in this chapter--static stretching--is probably the best way to get started. But if you're already into static stretching and are looking for other possibly more effective methods, here are some suggestions. Passive stretching. Passive stretching is similar to static stretching, only a gentle force is applied by a partner to increase flexibility. For example, to stretch the hamstrings in your right leg, lie on your back with your left leg bent and the sole of your left foot flat on the floor. Raise your right leg, slightly bent, upward until you feel a stretch. Then have a partner apply a gentle force to push the stretch a little farther. PNF Stretching. Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation, or PNF, stretching is a technique that stimulates certain reflex centers and nerves. It generally requires a partner, who provides resistance so that the muscle being stretched can be contracted against resistance before the stretch is continued. For example, begin the right hamstring stretch. While in the same position described above, have a partner raise your right leg until you feel a stretch. Then, as a partner provides resistance against your push (she can do this by placing a shoulder against the back of your thigh), contract, or tighten, your hamstring without moving it and hold the contraction for 3 to 6 seconds. Then relax, have your partner move you into the stretch farther and hold it for another 20 to 30 seconds. AI Stretching. AI stretching is a completely different approach advocated and practiced by Aaron Mattes, Ph.D., a kinesiologist in southern Florida and author of Flexibility: Active and Assisted Stretching. Through his work with both professional athletes and the elderly, Dr. Mattes says he has observed some remarkable results from what he calls AI stretching, or active isolated stretching. In contrast to static stretching, AI stretching involves performing each stretch for 11/2 to 2 seconds, relaxing, then stretching again. It also involves contracting the muscle opposite the one you are stretching and using a rope or towel to move the limb to the point where the stretch is felt. For example, to stretch your right hamstring, lie on your back with your left leg bent and foot flat on the floor. Then, with a rope or towel wrapped around your right foot and your right leg extended, lift your right leg up, contracting your right quadriceps while you gently use the rope to assist the leg into the stretch. Hold the stretch for 11/2 to 2 seconds, return your leg to the starting position, relax and repeat.

Improving Flexibility

Here's how it works. When you stretch a muscle, say the hamstring muscle at the back of your leg, you place tension on it and the muscle begins to lengthen. Initially, a stretch reflex inside the muscle tries to protect it from lengthening and asks the muscle to contract. But if the stretch is held long enough, then a structure located where tendons adjoin to muscles, called the Golgi tendon organ, sends a message that triggers the muscle to relax farther and lengthening continues.

That's what happens when you do the type of slow and steady stretching--called static stretching--that has generally been accepted as the right way to stretch these days. The idea is to move into the stretch slowly and gradually, hold it for 20 to 30 seconds, relax and repeat. Research conducted at the Institute for Sports Medicine at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City showed that the majority of muscle relaxation occurs within 20 seconds of stretching.

How It Can Help

In addition to improving performance and helping to prevent injuries, stretching can help improve strength, says Mark Taranta, a physical therapist and director of the Physical Therapy Practice in Philadelphia. "People have to realize that strength will increase as flexibility increases," he says. "If you're flexible, you're able to generate more force," because the muscle is in a lengthened position.

And if you're feeling stressed out, stretching can provide some relief. "Stretching reduces tension," says William L. Cornelius, Ph.D., associate professor of physical education in the Department of Kinesiology, Health Promotion and Recreation at the University of North Texas in Denton. One way researchers have assessed this is by measuring the electrical activity elicited by muscles with a technique called electromyography, or EMG. Studies have shown that stretching helps reduce the amount of electrical activity passing through muscles, a sign that tension has been reduced, says Dr. Cornelius.

How to Do It Right

You too can reap the benefits of stretching if you pay attention to your stretching technique. Here's what to keep in mind.

Warm up first. "You should warm up the muscle before you stretch it," says Lucille Smith, Ph.D., assistant professor at the Human Performance Laboratory at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina. The general guideline is to warm up until you break a sweat. For activities involving the entire body, warm up with a brisk walk or light jog. If you're going to be exercising only one area of your body, concentrate on that area. Warming up raises the temperature of the muscle and makes it less susceptible to injury. "When the muscle is heated up, it's more pliable," says Taranta.

Go slow and steady. When you stretch, make it a slow and steady one, says Dr. Cornelius. Don't bounce. Move into each stretch gradually until you feel tension in the muscle and connective tissue, he says. Hold that position for 20 to 30 seconds, relax and do it again.

Be sure to breathe. "You really have to concentrate on your breathing," says Taranta. If you hold your breath, that can contribute to tensing of your muscles, whereas breathing helps relax them, he says.

Know every little bit helps. You don't have to have 20 to 30 minutes to devote to stretching, says Dr. Kaplan. If you stretch your neck, shoulders, back, hips and legs for 2 minutes each at 30-second intervals, that makes for a 10-minute stretching workout.

Get into a routine. It's important to be consistent about stretching, says Taranta. If you don't stretch regularly, it won't have much effect, he says. Aim to stretch three times a week to start. Once you're in the habit, aim for every day.

Pay attention to the temperature. When it's cold out, you may need to spend a little extra time stretching to get your muscles warm; when it's hot, a little less, says Taranta.

Do more in the morning. If you exercise in the morning, or have to do physical labor first thing, take the time to warm up and stretch a little longer than usual. "Core temperature and body temperature probably would be lower, and you'd probably be stiffer first thing in the morning versus later in the day, when you've already been moving around," says Dr. Smith.

Get in a group. Join or form a group of people interested in stretching together, says Dr. Kaplan. Yoga classes are one option. Or, if you are part of a softball or volleyball team, make stretching together part of your practices and games, he says. "By yourself, you may lose incentive."

Go for the Basics

There are lots of stretching options. Here are a few basic stretches for each body area to get you started.

If your neck is feeling sore or tight, stretching can do wonders. While standing or sitting, hold your left arm behind your back. Then tilt your head as if you were trying to touch your right ear to your right shoulder. Use your right hand to pull gently on your head if you need more of a stretch. Hold the stretch for 10 to 20 seconds, relax and repeat. Try this three or four times for the left side of your neck, then reverse and do the same for the right side.

Here's another stretch to keep your neck from tightening up. Sit on a chair and cross your right arm across your body so that your right wrist rests on your left hip. Grasp your right wrist with your left hand. Tilt your head as if you were trying to touch your left ear to your left shoulder. At the same time, pull gently on your right arm with your left hand. You'll feel the stretch on the right side of your neck. Reverse the directions to do the same exercise for the left side of your neck.

Standing in a doorway, let your right arm hang down by your side. Bend your left arm to 90 degrees and place the palm of your left hand against the door frame. Slowly turn your body to the right until you feel a gentle stretch in your left shoulder. Hold it for 20 to 30 seconds, relax and repeat. Reverse the instructions to stretch your right shoulder.

The shoulders are another area where stress and tension can take their toll. While standing with feet hip-width apart, grasp a towel in your right hand. Flip the towel up and over your head, as shown. Reach behind your back with your left hand and grasp the end of the towel. Stretch your left shoulder by pulling upward on the towel with your right hand. Hold the stretch for 20 to 30 seconds, relax and repeat several times. Reverse the instructions to stretch your right shoulder.

Standing with your feet hip-width apart, clasp your hands together in front of your body, keeping your arms straight. Raise your arms a couple of inches away from your body. Bend your head forward and gently pull your shoulder blades apart. Hold the stretch for 20 to 30 seconds, relax and repeat several times.

Sit on a chair with your knees apart. Bend forward and try to touch your hands to the floor. You should feel a gentle stretch in your lower back. Hold the stretch for 20 to 30 seconds, relax and repeat.

And then there's that achy-breaky back. To get some relief, try this stretch. Stand up straight with your feet hip-width apart. Place both hands on your hips and arch gently backward. Hold the stretch for 20 to 30 seconds, relax and repeat.

Lie on your stomach on the floor and place the palms of your hands on the floor by your chest. Press your upper body upward, keeping your hips on the floor. Remember to keep your lower back and buttocks relaxed. Hold the stretch for 20 to 30 seconds, relax and repeat several times.

Lying on your back, bend both knees while keeping your feet flat on the floor. Then pull your right knee toward your chest and, grasping the back of your thigh, pull your knee toward your chest until you feel a gentle stretch in your lower back. Repeat with the opposite knee. You can also perform this stretch by pulling both knees toward your chest simultaneously.

Sit on the floor with both legs extended straight in front of you. Bend your right leg and cross it over your left leg so that the sole of your right foot is flat on the floor. Slowly twist your upper body to the right and place your left elbow over the outside of your right knee. Gently push on the bent knee with your elbow until you feel a stretch in your right buttock. Hold the stretch for 20 to 30 seconds, relax and repeat several times. Do the same for the opposite side.

To stretch your quadriceps, or thigh muscles, stand on your right leg, bend your left leg up behind you and grasp your left foot in your left hand. Pull your left heel toward your buttocks until you feel a stretch in the front of your thigh. Hold for 20 to 30 seconds, relax and repeat several times. Do the same for your right leg.

Here's a stretch for your hamstrings, the muscles at the back of your thigh. Lie on your back and bend both knees so that the soles of your feet are flat on the floor. Grasp the back of your left thigh with both hands. Holding your left thigh, slowly straighten your left leg until a gradual stretch is felt in your hamstrings. Hold the stretch for 20 to 30 seconds, relax and repeat several times. Repeat the stretch for your right leg.