I think flexibility is way over-rated. Especially in us oldsters.
Our youth-obsessed culture tells us the long-legged, supple body is ideal. Yoga classes seem to be over-populated with young women who are lean and bendy. It’s hard to walk into a studio if you have an ordinary aging body.
But – here’s the reality: super flexible folks often have serious problems with joint health when they age. The soft tissue that’s supposed to help stabilize the joints has been loosened to the point where it isn’t supportive in the way it should be. Those super-flexible folks may need to stretch less and build strength more if they want to move securely when they’re older.
Besides, what does flexibility, practically speaking, offer us? Do we need to be able to do the splits or a full-wheel backbend? Why? Or do we just figure that something that feels good like a nice long passive stretch must be good for us.
Well….maybe….
What we do need is the ability to move with confidence and ease. We need joint mobility and overall agility, which is really responsiveness, more than we need straight-up muscular flexibility.
Here’s what I want: to be able to bend, lift and reach. I want to be able to weed my garden and plant things. I Iike to dance. I want to be able to walk, snowshoe and ski in the wintertime and swim and paddle in the summertime. I hope to be able to play with my grandchildren. So I need strength, mobility and agility, right?
Time to shift our thinking. Let’s find practices and exercises that help us with the stuff that counts and forget the rest.
Here’s a fun article that helps explain the difference between flexibility and mobility:
https://www.healthline.com/health/exercise-fitness/why-you-dont-need-to-be-gumby-mobility-vs-flexibility#Benefits-of-mobility
