Participants were more likely to be widowed and less likely to be married, more likely to have had a white-collar job, and had some postsecondary education. Flexibility measurements were obtained from a total of community-dwelling individuals men, mean age Subject characteristics are presented in Table 1.
Based on self-reported physical activity levels, the calculated total energy expenditure in leisure time physical activity would indicate that the present sample was, on average, very active, but encompassed a wide range of activity levels.
The mean range of motion of shoulder flexibility was degrees in our sample, with no difference between men and women. Shoulder abduction showed a significant decline across age, averaging 5 degrees per decade in men and 6 degrees per decade in women. From piecewise linear regression, an accelerated decline of 0. Piecewise linear regression s-segment model shows breaking at the age of 71 years. Piecewise linear regression s-segment model shows breaking at the age of 63 years.
Rate of change prior to age 63 is 0. The women had significantly higher hip flexion of degrees versus the men, with degrees. However, both showed a similarly significant age-related decline in hip flexion men: 6 degrees per decade; women: 7 degrees per decade. In women, the decrease across the age span of the sample was a single linear decline of 0. Piecewise linear regression s-segment model shows breaking at the age of 86 years.
Both upper and lower body flexibility measures were normally distributed. BMI: body mass index; self-reported arthritis data available for subjects.
For upper body flexibility, age, BMI, plantar flexor strength, and handgrip strength were entered into the stepwise linear regression Table 3 a.
Regression analysis yielded a model including age, BMI, and plantar flexion strength that resulted in Age, sex, BMI, and hand grip strength were entered into a regression model for lower body flexibility, accounting for Step length was associated with upper body flexibility but not when adjustment was made for age. Lower body flexibility was associated with all walking speeds; however, none of the associations were maintained when adjustment was made for age.
This study provides descriptive data on the age-related differences across the age range of 55—85 years in flexibility in a large cross-sectional sample of male and female community-dwelling older adults. It also provides an examination of the role of physical activity in the changes to upper and lower body flexibility with aging and a determination of the relationship of flexibility with functional outcomes in older adults.
Our sample demonstrated a mean upper body flexibility of degrees and a mean lower body flexibility of degrees. Bassey et al. These values are lower than those reported for the present study's sample; however, it should be noted that the shoulder abduction measure was slightly different, and a large proportion of the sample in Bassey's study reported having a functional disability.
With respect to sex differences, the majority of the literature indicates that women have greater flexibility at all ages [ 4 , 13 — 18 ]. Our results were in agreement for lower body flexibility, although there was no significant difference based on sex for upper body flexibility. This is in contrast to Bassey et al. Doriot and Wang [ 19 ] did not find consistent sex differences among their 26 measures of joint range of motion.
Similarly, Walker et al. These varying results are likely due to different population samples, joints studied, and customary use of the joints. The rate of decline in flexibility with age will vary depending on the body part measured, the training status of the sample, and population being studied. In our sample of relatively healthy community-dwelling older adults, the rate of decline in our measure of upper body flexibility shoulder abduction was 0. Declines in hip flexion of 0.
Comparative rates of decline are not readily available in the literature, but rates of 1. Whereas differences in flexibility by sex may occur, the rate of change with age has been reported to be similar in both men and women [ 22 , 23 ], and our results concur.
In contrast, McCulloch [ 14 ] showed little decline in sit-and-reach scores in women versus men, who showed a dramatic decline in age groups of 65 to 75 years, citing differences in the decline in work activity of men over the older adult age range. This study provides a description of potential critical periods of decline in flexibility across the older adult age range. At the age of 71 years, it appears that both upper and lower body flexibility show an accelerated decline in males, whereas in females, only upper body flexibility shows a change in the rate of decline, with lower body showing a steady rate of change.
James and Parker [ 22 ] reported decreases in active and passive motion in lower limb joints during the period of 70 to 92 years, with the decline becoming more pronounced during the ninth decade. While not significant, Charkravarty and Webley [ 15 ] reported a greater decline in range of motion in a group over the age of 75 years versus a group of 65—74 years, adding support to the trend for an accelerated decline in flexibility in the oldest old. The present sample had an age range including up to 86 years, and the piecewise linear regression did suggest that an accelerated decline would occur in the oldest women.
Whereas age may be associated with a decline in flexibility, older adults still maintain the ability to improve flexibility with general exercise training programs [ 24 — 27 ] and with flexibility-specific training, as reviewed by Stathokostas et al. In addition, the difference in rate of change in flexibility across joints has been attributed to chronic use of those joints, for example, those used in activities of daily living.
As such, one purpose of the present study was to determine if age-related losses in flexibility were associated with in physical activity levels. Our results showed no relationship between self-reported physical activity levels and upper or lower body flexibility. Walker et al. Also, similar results were found by Miotto et al.
This finding may suggest that a more closely-matched flexibility and activity-specific measurement is more reflective of the role of physical activity in the change in flexibility with age. Nevertheless, in a smaller sample of 30 older women, Rikli and Busch [ 29 ] found a significant difference for trunk and shoulder flexibility in active versus inactive women, where active was considered as vigorous activity for at least 30 minutes, three days per week.
This study reported a significant age-by-activity interaction for shoulder flexibility, but not for trunk flexion. Voorrips et al. A five-year longitudinal study by Lan et al. Further, while both groups showed an age-related decline over the five years, the control group had a larger decline in flexibility, supporting a positive role of physical activity in attenuating the decline in flexibility with age. Thus, our results suggest that the age-related declines in flexibility of disability-free independently living older adults are not influenced by their overall level of daily physical activity although specific stretching exercises can still alter the flexibility levels of older adults.
Normal step length and normal, fast, and very fast walking speeds were associated with shoulder abduction; however, only for very fast walking speed was the association consistently maintained when adjustments were made for age. Our results did not provide evidence that the change in lower body flexibility hip flexion impacted functioning with age. Normal, fast, and very fast walking speeds were associated with hip flexion, but as with shoulder abduction, the relationship was not sustained when adjustment for age was made.
There was no association with self-reported difficulty in walking. Keeping up on overall hydration will keep your connective tissues healthier over time. Do your best to avoid dehydration! When you bear weight on a joint, this increases the pressure inside, and pushes that synovial joint fluid into the cartilage to 'feed' it. Think of the compression of muscles and joints on connective tissues like the contraction of the heart to deliver blood around the body — instead the muscles and your body weight push fluid in and out of the connective tissues.
A person can exercise all the time yet be very stiff. Fit, yet stiff! And by focused I mean holding stretches for a minute or longer. In fact, rapid fire, short little stretches like those might even tighten your muscles. When a muscle is stretched initially, it wants to react by shortening. This is how your reflexes work — when the doctor taps your patellar tendon on your knee with the little hammer, it ever so slightly stretches your quadriceps muscles.
In turn, your body reflexively extends your hamstrings to shorten the quads and you kick your lower leg out to do this. Holding stretches for a minute or so sends a different signal to the brain — think of it as a more permanent message to extend the muscles. But more importantly, stretching those connective tissues squeezes them and encourages the movement of fluid in and out like we just talked about.
By holding stretches longer, and doing it repeatedly at least 3 times a week , you can condition your connective tissues to be more flexible. Would you?? For instance, are you finding it more difficult to reach the upper shelves in your cupboard where once you could just reach up easily?
This then further reduces the activities you can do and increases the strain on joints as your body can no longer move freely. Shortened muscles also increase your risk for falling and make it harder to do activities that require flexibility, such as climbing stairs. Not only do you look and feel old your body is actually aging prematurely!
Can you see now why maintaining your flexibility can slow down aging…or at least make you look and feel younger. Even if you are already on it, you can take easy action to begin reversing this trend. In other words, you can slow your rate of aging by staying flexible and strong — or you can grow old faster by allowing your body to become stiff, weak and frail. Blackburn, Carol W.
Greider, Jack W. Stretching can be a good place for them to start on a path to wellness. When you stretch a muscle, you extend the tissue to its full length. This Vida children's mask has five layers of protection, and it's even recyclable. Adele is already being praised for normalizing the emotional turmoil that comes with a divorce after releasing her single "Easy on Me.
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