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Stretching FAQ 2.2.2 - How Aging Affects FlexibilityStretching FAQ 2.2.2 - How Aging Affects Flexibility
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Subject: 2.2.2 - How Aging Affects Flexibility
With appropriate training, flexibility can, and should, be developed at all ages. This does not imply, however, that flexibility can be developed at the same rate by everyone. In general, the older you are, the longer it will take to develop the desired level of flexibility. Hopefully, you'll be more patient if you're older.
According to M. Alter, the main reason we become less flexible as we get older is a result of certain changes that take place in our connective tissues:
The primary factor responsible for the decline of flexibility with age
is certain changes that occur in the connective tissues of the body.
Interestingly, it has been suggested that exercise can delay the loss
of flexibility due to the aging process of dehydration. This is based
on the notion that stretching stimulates the production or retention of
lubricants between the connective tissue fibers, thus preventing the
formation of adhesions.
M. Alter further states that some of the physical changes attributed to aging are the following:
* An increased amount of calcium deposits, adhesions, and cross-links in
the body
* An increase in the level of fragmentation and dehydration
* Changes in the chemical structure of the tissues.
* Loss of "suppleness" due to the replacement of muscle fibers with
fatty, collagenous fibers.
This does *not* mean that you should give up trying to achieve flexibility if you are old or inflexible. It just means that you need to work harder, and more carefully, for a longer period of time when attempting to increase flexibility. Increases in the ability of muscle tissues and connective tissues to elongate (stretch) can be achieved at any age.
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