Aging, Flexibility, and Yoga.

When I was in my early 30's ,  I pulled a muscle in my lower back that basically kept me in bed for a week.    I had neglected basic flexibility and I sure paid for it.  It was the only time I ever experienced back spasms, and the pain was the worst I had ever felt.  It is not something I want to repeat.  I was able to learn from this experience and understood how easy it is to hurt yourself from simple activities if your muscles or joints are tight and inflexible.   Even though I diligently kept up a back flexibility exercise routine of the next few years,  I eventually fell back into a pattern of not focusing on stretching. 


Muscle and joint flexibility has been demonstrated to decrease both from aging and disuse.   A person cannot stop the aging process but disuse is under our control.    If one chooses to live a sedentary lifestyle,  then your flexibility will decrease quicker than a person who actively exercises. The benefit of exercise on your flexibility cannot be over emphasized.  Flexibility will decrease your chances of injury from simple activities and will increase the enjoyment of your life due to an increase range of motion.   According to the Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons "Many of the changes in our musculoskeletal system result more from disuse than from simple aging."  So,  there is a  choice.

Since starting practicing Yoga,  my fear of back injury from a sudden strain from bending over to pick up something or any other daily activity has been reduced.   The range of motion in my back,  hips,  hamstrings and shoulders is at a point where I can do things like touch my toes even first thing in the morning.    I am not tightness free as my SI Joint is always tight and I need to constantly work on getting it "unstuck",  but overall I able to do things I never thought was possible even 20 years ago.

Yoga can be many things,  but at its basic level, it is design to increase flexibility and strengthen your "core"  (back and abdomen muscles).    Depending on how you practice,  you can also increase flexibility in your hips,  shoulders,  upper back and other joint and muscle areas.    And for those who currently suffer from back pain,   there is clinical proof that Yoga can help alleviate that pain.   A study done by Boston University Medical Center concluded that even after 12 weeks of practice,  a significant reduction in pain was noted.

 "As part of the trial, the researchers asked participants to report their average pain intensity for the previous week, how their function is limited due to back pain, and how much pain medication they are taking. The yoga group participated in 12 weekly 75-minute classes that included postures, breathing techniques, and meditation. Classes were taught by a team of registered yoga teachers and were limited to eight participants. Home practice for 30 minutes daily was strongly encouraged. Participants were provided with an audio CD of the class, a handbook describing and depicting the exercises, a yoga mat, strap, and block.

Pain scores for the yoga participants decreased by one-third compared to the control group, which decreased by only 5 percent. Whereas pain medication use in the control group did not change, yoga participants' use of pain medicines decreased by 80 percent. Improvement in function was also greater for yoga participants but was not statistically significant."

Study Link

Yoga is a long term journey.   Over the past 3 years,  it has done great things to improve my health and flexibility (along with my outlook on life) .    I know I cannot stop aging, but I can make my older existence a lot better with it.

My posting on May 14, 2014 (Yin Yoga Asana Sequence) is a great way to stretch your hips, back and hamstrings.

Namaste.