Maintaining flexibility is vital for overall health and fitness. It enables efficient movements in everyday tasks and supports your body’s ability to perform physical activities without strain. Stretching regularly helps keep your muscles flexible, strong and healthy, which is necessary to maintain a range of motion in the joints.
As you get older, your muscles gradually lose their elasticity which, over time, decreases your mobility and increases the risk of falls or injuries.
For women, particularly as they approach and pass through menopause, these changes can be more pronounced due to hormonal variations that affect muscle and bone health. Engaging in regular flexibility exercises can help mitigate these effects by keeping the muscles engaged and by promoting blood circulation throughout the body.
My passion for flexibility stems from growing up as a gymnast. When I became a PT, I realised just how neglected it was in most people’s health regimen, which was so surprising to me given its myriad of benefits.
I truly believe that flexibility plays a fundamental role in maintaining an active and healthy lifestyle and helps to improve your overall quality of life, ensuring you can continue to perform everyday tasks with ease and confidence.
This routine is a comprehensive, full-body stretch that promotes functional flexibility, which is crucial for daily activities. These stretches enhance mobility across major joints and help maintain a fluid range of motion, making everyday movements more comfortable and efficient.
Ragdoll (2 minutes)
Stand with feet hip-width apart, exhale as you bend forward from the hips (not the waist), placing your hands beside your feet or on the ground in front of you.
Pyramid pose (2 minutes per side)
Step one foot forward, straighten both legs (option to place hands on blocks for support on either side of the front leg), hinging at the hips to deepen the stretch.
Horse stance (2 minutes)
Stand wide with toes pointing slightly outward. Bend your knees over your toes and sink your hips down, arms in front of the chest or extended like a warrior.
Frog pose (2 minutes)
From all fours, widen your knees until you feel a stretch in your inner thighs, ankles aligned with knees, and forearms on the ground.
Anahatasana/heart melting pose (2 minutes)
Begin on all fours, walk your hands forward and allow your chest to sink towards the floor to open the shoulders and chest.
Cat-cow stretch (2 minutes)
Begin on all fours. Alternate between arching your back towards the ceiling (cat) and dipping it towards the floor (cow), synchronising your movements with your breath.
Pigeon pose (2 minutes per side)
Start from all fours, bring one knee forward and lay it on the ground, extending the opposite leg straight back, lowering the torso for a deeper hip stretch.
90:90 stretch (2 minutes per side)
Sit with one leg bent in front of you at 90 degrees and the other bent at the side also at 90 degrees. Lean forward over the front leg to stretch the hip.
Reclining quadriceps stretch (2 minutes per leg)
Lie on one side, pull the top leg's foot towards your buttock, keeping both knees together and pushing your hip forward to stretch the front of the thigh.
Reclining twist (2 minutes per side)
Lie on your back, bring your knees to your chest, then extend your arms and let your knees fall to one side while keeping your shoulders flat on the ground.
Shona Vertue is a personal trainer and yoga teacher to athletes and celebrities (like David Beckham). She is one of many top fitness experts speaking at the FitHer health and fitness expo in Melbourne, 5 and 6 October.
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