Functional fitness: A good stretching routine benefits people of all ages

Muscle tightness and painful joints may get worse with age, but they also can sideline young athletes who overuse their bodies, new parents snatching naps in chairs, and travelers on long airplane flights.

And, sometimes, you may experience pain in part of your body that’s caused by stiffness in another area. The classic example is tight hamstrings, which if left unmanaged can lead to a tight lower back and reduced motion through the spine.

So at all ages and activity levels, a good stretching program is essential to functional fitness. Check out the benefits:

This routine relies on a simple yoga strap or stretching strap, which assists with proper positioning and helps you attain a greater range of motion without the assistance of anyone else.

Points to remember:

Here are three exercises to try every day or every other day. You’ll want to increase the time that you take to perform your stretching routines at times when you are doing more sitting or more aggressive activity than usual.

With all stretches, remember that consistency promotes progress. So don’t give up.

These moves release tight quadriceps at the front of the thigh and tight hip flexors, small muscles used to raise your leg as you walk.

Beginners

Lie on your right side on your bed, with knees bent. Place the strap on your left foot. Use your left hand to pull the strap over your shoulder as you rest your head on your right arm. Adjust the grip and pull until your left knee is in line with your left shoulder or until you can feel a stretch in the front of your left thigh. Hold for a count of 10, then release the tension by tucking the knee forward in line with your right knee. Repeat three times, each time increasing your count by five. Switch sides and repeat sequence.

Advanced

Lie facedown on a mat on the floor, hips pressed down and face resting on a towel. Loop the strap around your left foot and use both hands to pull hand over hand, like climbing up a rope, until your knee is slightly elevated off the floor. Hold and count to 10, then lower the knee and relax your arms. Repeat three times, each time increasing your count by five. Switch sides and repeat sequence.

These stretches release tension in hamstrings, as well as the attached muscles and joints, and so can help relieve soreness in the hips, lower back, calves and buttocks. Along with the quadriceps stretches, these can improve your gait and posture.

Beginners

Sit in a sturdy, spacious chair. Loop the strap around your right foot. Slide your bottom forward about 3-5 inches and lean back in the chair. Use your arms to help extend and raise your leg up as high as you can while you count to 10. Your left knee is bent and foot firmly on the floor. Hold for 2-3 breaths, then lower the leg back to resting position. Repeat three times, then switch sides.

Advanced

Lie on your back, on your mat. Place the strap around the ball of your right foot. Extend the left leg on the floor, keeping it relaxed. With your right leg straight, pull it up, forming a 90-degree angle with your body, and even closer toward your chest, depending on how flexible you are. Move your hands up the strap, until you feel the stretch in the hamstrings. Count to 10, then pull 1 inch closer, count to 10 again, then lower leg. Repeat, then switch sides.

These stretches will increase your range of motion, chiefly in the shoulders but also in the biceps, chest and upper back.

Beginners

Sit upright on a sturdy armless chair with an ample seat and supportive back. Make sure there’s open space behind you. Hold the strap with the ends in each hand. Extend both arms wider than shoulder width up above the head, elbows slightly bent, and move hands in until the strap is taut. Lower arms behind you, then bring them overhead to the front of the body. Repeat three times, counting loudly to 10 and moving slowly. Don’t be discouraged if you can’t move your arms very far behind your body — stick to the routine and you’ll get there in time.

Advanced

Standing upright, hold the strap with ends in each hand. Extend both arms wider than shoulder width up above the head, strap taut. With elbows slightly bent, lower arms behind the body, sticking your chest out, then swing the strap over the head to the front of the body. Exaggerate the movement by rounding your shoulders forward to get an additional stretch. Repeat three times, counting to 10 and moving slowly.

Yvonne Ferguson Hardin (Fergie) is the owner of Fergie’s Instructional Training FIT in Germantown, and specializes in helping older adults maintain and improve wellness.