Cause it just feels so good…
Q: Hi, I am a 64 year male with good health but not in great shape. I was hoping you could recommend a video on stretching to improve my flexibility. Something I could follow along with in the mornings. Thanks. -Patrick
A: Congrats on working on your flexibility- it is sorely overlooked for something that can have such a huge impact on your everyday life. This is something that drives me crazy: everyone needs to stretch, yet there aren’t many workouts or fitness classes devoted to 20+ minutes of good old fashioned stretching.
There are a ton of great DVDs you can try, but there are also a lot of free alternatives, like OnDemand if you have Comcast cable and on the Internet.
If you have OnDemand, go to the sports and fitness channel, go to Fitness Workouts and go to beginner yoga- many of these aren’t actually yoga, they are simple stretching techniques.
Google “free stretching workouts” and you will find a ton of videos.
As far as DVDs, check out:
Daily Stretch with Madeleine Lewis
Total Body Stretching from Cathe
Total Stretch for Beginners with Tamilee Webb
Perhaps give yoga try. I know it sounds froo-froo but there are different versions that sync up basic breathing with your stretches for maximum benefits.
The good thing is, with stretching, you can’t really go wrong. After a while you’ll find you don’t even need a DVD: just hit the major muscle groups of the body, and hold you stretches for a minimum of 30 seconds and you’re good to go! For more info, read: Flexibility is a Key Component to Staying Fit
