Aging Athletes: Stretching Strategies

I recently got the opportunity to work with older athletes and seniors, and it was very eye opening. Not just because of the immense age gap between me and them, and not because of how we communicate, but rather their view about stretching and how they tackle it. It seems that before your 50's or even 60's, stretching is rarely on someone's radar until they get injured, then they care to stretch. But after that ligament or muscle heals people go right back to not needing it. Something clicks though when you reach your 60's and beyond. An "aging athlete" views it different. I like calling anyone in my Silver Sneakers classes or my chair yoga classes an "aging athlete" because these people put in the time and effort to focus on their bodies and work very hard while they are in class. They have more of an athlete mindset than most people I see in their thirties trying to work out, so I give them the respect they are due.

The only strategy for me when you are an "aging athlete" is to SHOW UP. Make the time to go to classes at the gym or at the senior living facility to move your body. The little things start to add up as you age. When you are younger, I see (and people come up to me to volunteer their workout routine or yoga/stretching routine) and they do the craziest stretches and stretching routines I've ever seen. They take 10-20 minutes out of their hour-long workout just to work on crazy hard stretches they saw on the internet. And call it a stretching routine. Stuff like that won't help in the long run and it certainly will cause damage in the short term. "Aging athletes" doesn't mean spending MORE time stretching just because you are older, it just means that when you do stretch, put in the work and the mindset as if it was younger you in there.

It's amazing to me when I see my Silver Sneakers members come in and for the whole hour, they are locked into what we are doing and don't want to stop and take breaks. They are some of the most determined and hardworking, physically and mentally, people I've had the chance to work with and help them stretch. It may not be the 80's anymore and hell it may not be the 70's anymore since you or some people you know have started working out, but your mind never changed during the years either. Remember that. Stretching is stretching no matter how old you are, and the strategy stayed the same. Show up for yourself, stretch your body and give it the love it deserves no matter what your age, and it will reward you back. Everyone is an athlete.