Stretching and joint mobility: the forgotten pillar of physical health

When I think of physical activity, I think of cardio and strength training. Stretching and joint mobility often come last, if at all. This is an error that the physiology of aging makes particularly costly: with age, the loss of mobility and flexibility is one of the primary causes of functional limitations, chronic pain and falls.

Joint mobility and muscular flexibility are not luxuries for yogis or dancers, they are fundamental components of physical health, just like endurance and strength. And the good news: they improve at any age, with short and regular sessions, and their benefits go well beyond simple flexibility.

1. Mobility vs flexibility: two complementary concepts

These two terms are often confused, but they designate distinct physical qualities:

The goal is not just to be flexible, it is to have functional mobility: sufficient range of joint movement for daily activities and sports, with adequate muscle control. A flexible but unstable muscle is a source of injury.

2. Why mobility is getting worse, and when to start

Several factors explain the progressive loss of mobility and flexibility:

• ●Sedentary lifestyle and repetitive postures: sitting for hours shortens the hip flexors, hamstrings and pectorals. The muscles shorten and adapt to the most frequent position.

• ●Aging: from the age of 30-40, collagen production decreases, tendons and ligaments lose elasticity, and joints see their production of synovia (lubricating fluid) reduced.

• ●Lack of regular stretching: unlike the muscles and the cardiovascular system, flexibility is lost very quickly without maintenance, but it is also recovered relatively quickly with regular practice.

• ●Wounds and scars: scar tissue is less elastic than healthy tissue. Poorly rehabilitated injuries can create lasting areas of stiffness.

The good news: it's never too late to start. Studies show significant improvements in mobility in adults over 70 after just 8 to 10 weeks of regular practice.

3. The different types of stretching: which ones to choose when?

4. My mobility program in 10 minutes a day

Regularity takes precedence over time. 10 minutes every day is much more effective than an hour on the weekend. Here is a complete mobility routine for major body areas:

• ●Hips (2 min): hip rotations, low lunges with rotation, the pigeon extends, the most restricted area in sedentary people.

• ●Thoracic spine (2 min): seated trunk rotations, cat-cow, lying twists, against back rigidity linked to working on a screen.

• ●Shoulders and neck (2 min): shoulder pendulum, arm circumduction, lateral neck stretches, major areas of tension in the office.

• ●Hamstrings (2 min): gentle forward bend, lying stretch with strap, downward facing dog position, shortened by prolonged sitting position.

• ●Ankle and foot (2 min): ankle rotations, stretching of the sole, plantar massage, often neglected but crucial for the posterior chain and the prevention of falls.

5. Benefits beyond flexibility

A regular practice of stretching and mobility work produces benefits that go far beyond simple flexibility:- Injury prevention: optimal joint mobility reduces abnormal mechanical stress on tendons, ligaments and cartilage, reducing the risk of overuse injuries.

• ●Reduction of chronic pain: in particular low back pain (back), cervical pain (neck) and shoulder pain, very common in a sedentary population.

• ●Improved sports performance: better mobility allows wider, more efficient and more energy-saving movements, reducing the risk of compensation.

• ●Stress reduction and relaxation: stretching activates the parasympathetic nervous system, reduces muscle tension and has a well-documented relaxing effect.

• ●Maintenance of autonomy with age: functional mobility preserves the ability to bend, squat, get up from the ground, carry loads, fundamental capacities for independence.