Physios, PTs And Yoga Instructors Reveal How To Stay Flexible In Later Life

Greater flexibility has been linked to improved longevity, so it’s certainly worth prioritising – especially as you age. But, according to a new survey from Voltarol, two in five people aged 45 and over can’t touch their toes while standing up.

Healthy ageing author Jane Thurnell-Read admits she was one of these people. 

Throughout her childhood, and for most of her early adult years, she couldn’t reach her toes. But after she started weight-lifting in her 60s, she slowly noticed improvements in flexibility and mobility. 

“I think general strength training benefitted me, but particularly calf raises and squats,” she tells HuffPost UK.

Jane is now 78 and can touch her toes while standing. 

Is not being able to touch your toes a bad sign?

Physiotherapist and coach Kim Johnson, who is co-founder of Move Well gym in London and biomechanics advisor for women-first running shoes QLVR, notes that if you can’t touch your toes while standing, it “doesn’t automatically mean you’re unhealthy or ageing badly”.

The ability to do this depends on a combination of hamstring length, calf flexibility, spinal mobility, hip joint movement and even neural tension, she explains. Genetics and limb proportions also play a role.

However, a noticeable decline in flexibility can be a sign that someone is moving less, sitting more or not regularly taking joints through their full range of motion, she noted, and over time, this reduced movement can contribute to stiffness, aches and increased injury risk.

“Touching your toes isn’t a test of youth,” she says. “It is a reflection of how regularly you move your body through its available range, and the good news is that mobility responds remarkably well to consistent, intelligent training at 45, 65, and beyond.”

The benefits of being flexible in middle age and later life

Hannah Furness, physiotherapist at StrongerThan Physiotherapy, says flexibility is important as we age, because it supports joint mobility, muscle strength, balance and reduces risk of injury.

“Through the hormonal and biological changes that occur naturally as we age, we see a reduction in muscle and tendon elasticity, loss of joint lubrication, reduction in muscle mass and circulatory changes,” she tells HuffPost UK.

“Maintaining our independence and reducing the risk of injury is paramount as we age, to keep us living safely and with a high quality of life. Introducing regular flexibility and balance exercises as part of your routine will help to prevent injury, minimise pain, reduce risk of falls and maintain independence.”

Making this an area of focus can also help improve: walking and gait mechanics, the ability to get up and down from the floor, and dressing, notes Johnson.

How to improve flexibility as you age

Most experts agree that the key to being flexible is to keep moving. Yet many of us are living sedentary lifestyles. Around 34% of men and 42% of women are not active enough for good health. Not only this, but as we age we tend to move even less. 

“The key to improving flexibility in your middle and later years is a varied diet of movement – too much sitting is the enemy of mobility,” Claire Mace, a yoga teacher at Inspiratrix Yoga, tells HuffPost UK.

She advises attending a gentle yoga class once a week to improve mobility – her top three suggested movements are tree pose, for balance; cat-cow pose, for spinal flexibility; and warrior 1 pose, to strengthen legs.

Furness recommends downward facing dog and cat-cow to help stretch the spine, hamstrings and calves, as well as a seated hamstring stretch or a lying hamstring stretch (if the seated version is uncomfortable). Pigeon pose can also help improve hip external rotation and posterior pelvic tilt, she noted.

Pilates teacher and author, Beverley Densham, tells HuffPost UK stretching has been shown to increase flexibility, improve range of motion and reduce the risk of injury. She recommends standing roll downs, hip flexor stretches and hamstring stretches with a band.

Importantly, flexibility work should feel like mild to moderate tension, not sharp pain, notes Johnson. People with osteoporosis, disc injuries or acute back pain, hip arthritis or sciatic symptoms should speak to a medical professional before trying any new movements. 

Her favourite exercises for improved flexibility include: hip hinge drills, to improve hip mobility and teach proper forward-fold mechanics; hamstring stretches with a strap; and calf stretches (using a wall or step).

Gentle movement can also be beneficial

As well as stretching and yoga, Mace advises adding in swimming, walking (ideally 20 minutes a day) or gentle dance to boost movement.

“All the older folks I know in their 90s with any quality of life take a walk daily,” she said. 

“Even a little bit, like walking once a day or getting to an exercise class a couple of times a week, will help a lot,” she continues. “Working your body helps stave off osteoporosis, which is when your bones are at risk of breaking.

“Being able to walk and keep your balance is vital for reducing the risk of hip fractures. If you break your hips, your quality of life and lifespan will drop.  Nobody wants that!”