John Reiner knows better than most how staying flexible as you get older can have positive effects on your body and mind.
A yoga and meditation instructor at a local YMCA, Reiner said 60 is the average age of participants in his yoga classes.
He’s been teaching since 2007 and said he has seen firsthand how maintaining flexibility can be a powerful tool as one ages.
“As people get older and they keep moving and staying flexible, they tend to have less issues with joint pain, lower back pain and a they tend to not feel as lonely and depressed,” he said. “Staying active and flexible, especially with something like yoga, can help you keep that energy and balance in your body and it helps you have a calm mind.”
Joyce Shelton, a Canton resident, is a retired nurse who said she never even considered her flexibility until she started experiencing back pain when she was in her early 50s. Her doctor recommended stretching regularly and perhaps taking up physical activities to help her muscles stay strong.
“At the time he recommended walking, riding a bike or yoga,” Shelton said. “He told me I could do other things as well that were low impact but that would keep my muscles moving regularly. He seemed to think that inactivity was a factor in my back muscles tightening.”
So Shelton began walking around her neighborhood each morning. Her dog made sure she went on those walks even when she didn’t feel like it. And as her walks increased in distance and frequency, her son got her a bike so she could ride on days she didn’t feel like walking.
Shelton is 61 now and said the walks and rides turned into light jogging and the occasional spin class.
“I feel so much better now than I did in my early 50s,” she said. “It’s because at that time I wouldn’t do anything like exercise. I guess I was lazy or always found an excuse not to do it. But when my back started hurting less and less I realized that the activity was keeping my muscles flexible and was actually strengthening them.”
Reiner said some of the best ways people can maintain their flexibility as they age can be as simple as fresh air and exercise.
“Walk. “It sounds simple but walking can be a great way to get you off the couch and to keep your muscles active.”
Watching what you eat is another way to help your body stay strong and healthy, he said.
“Balanced exercise is key. Don’t overdo it. You want to keep your body active and you want to strengthen those muscles because as the body ages, those muscles tend to get weaker and that can lead to other problems,” he said. “So we want to keep our muscles strong for as long as we can. Balanced exercise is the best way to do that.”
Of course, being a yoga instructor, Reiner said yoga is one of the best ways to ease into a more flexible and healthy lifestyle.
“As with any other activity you want to make sure you go at your own pace and not just do what you see other people doing,” he said. “Try to be relaxed. The stretches should be comfortable.”
A good instructor, he said, will tailor the stretches to your body’s needs.
For those very new to yoga or those higher up in age, Reiner said chair yoga can be a wonderful way to participate.
“It’s yoga that uses a chair to help you balance and gives you a stronger, more stable base,” he said. “It’s a nice introduction to yoga because the stretches are easier and it requires a smaller range of motion.”
Yoga and stretching are some of the best and easiest ways to maintain flexibility, he said, because these activities can be easily modified to each person’s fitness level and health requirements.
“It’s hard not to compare yourself to others. But find stretches that work best for you. These can even be something you see online or on television.”
And he knows firsthand the benefits of yoga and maintaining his flexibility.
“I’ve had three knee replacements and yoga has definitely helped me to keep the rest of my body healthy and strong and flexible,” Reiner said. “If I wasn’t doing yoga I’d be in trouble.”
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