Michael Jordan slowed down, but he didn’t stop.
During his last year in the NBA, baby boomer Michael Jordan averaged 20 points per game for the Washington Wizards, 10 points lower than his career average. At 40, Jordan’s athletic brilliance was clearly diminished by advancing age, yet he remained effective. “With the passage of time, our neuromusculoskeletal systems will decline in speed, strength, endurance, proprioception [the body’s ability to sense joint movement and position] and balance,” says Christopher Cousins, a physical therapist in the District of Columbia. Jordan’s training helped him maintain agility, and you don’t have to be a pro athlete to do the same. Here are eight agility-maintaining strategies for baby boomers:
Get up.
There are more than 74 million baby boomers — people born between 1946 and 1964 — in the country, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. “Most baby boomers have spent the last several decades stuck sitting behind desks typing on keyboards, talking on phones and traveling or commuting for their jobs,” says Jonathan Jordan, a personal trainer and group fitness instructor for an Equinox health club in San Francisco. “These repetitive behaviors take a toll on their muscles, joints and organs, often resulting in pain, poor posture, loss of mobility and stress.” To improve your circulation and avoid stiffness, get up from your desk and take a short walk every hour.
Stretch gently.
Doing gentle stretches every day will help your muscles remain limber and improve your flexibility, says Dr. Alan M. Reznik, a spokesman for the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Stretching is particularly important before engaging in vigorous exercise, such as running, playing tennis or competing in pickup hoops, but it’s beneficial every day regardless of your level of physical activity, he says. If you have a problem area, such as a tight Achilles tendon or hamstring, stretch in the morning after a warm shower, before you play your sport and again after to avoid post-activity tightness. Specific stretch tips are available online and in videos.
Practice balancing.
Balance is one of the first agile skills that decreases with age, says Jenny Arrington, a yoga instructor at Northwestern University in Chicago. Losing your balance can lead to debilitating falls. “Reflexes slow and muscle mass decreases with age,” she says. You can improve your balance by standing with most of your weight on one foot, then pressing your heel into the weight-bearing foot’s ankle. “This is an early version of the tree pose,” Arrington says. “Draw the belly button toward the spine to stabilize the core, increasing overall stability.” Over time, work the foot up to the calf and eventually the inner thigh.
Walk efficiently.
“Many people walk inefficiently with their toes up in the air,” says Mary Derbyshire, author of the 2017 book “Agility at Any Age: Discover the Secret to Balance, Mobility and Confidence” and a certified teacher of the Alexander Technique in Little Compton, Rhode Island. The Alexander Technique is a method to teach people how to develop good posture for improved mobility. “You definitely [walk inefficiently] if you’re wearing a hole in the top of your socks.” Walking efficiently — with your weight striking near the middle part of the heel, crossing the arch of your foot and continuing to your big toe — improves agility.
Improve your mobility.
The more you move your body, the better, Derbyshire says. “But move well! Keep asking yourself how [to] move more easily,” she says. “How can I lighten up and allow myself to move instead of muscling through it?” Derbyshire recommends doing squats and lunges. “Bending at your ankles, knees and hips is critical for agility and balance,” she says.
Sit correctly.
Sitting in the wrong kind of chair can be bad for your posture. Derbyshire recommends choosing a hard chair with a flat seat, instead of a chair with a backward sloping seat, which leads to slumping. “Invest in a sitting wedge,” she adds — these will make your hips feel better. If you have to sit on soft furniture, sit on your sitting bones, also known as sit bones or sitz bones. To find your sit bones, take a firm kitchen or dining room chair, slide your hands under your posterior with the palms up. The bony bits you feel are your sit bones.
Work your core.
“As people age and their balance naturally declines, it’s common for them to begin gripping items around the house for support,” says Grant Koster, a physical therapist and senior vice president-clinical operations for Athletico Physical Therapy in Chicago. This can lead to muscle imbalance and back pain from walking incorrectly with poor posture. Strengthening your core can help. Stand straight with your legs together near a stable surface like a kitchen counter for support if needed. As you stand on your right leg, bring your left leg straight back. Try balancing for periods of 30 seconds to a minute, and repeat this three to five times before alternating legs.
Try dancing.
Dancing promotes all-around health and improves mobility and agility, says Wendy Guess, coordinator of the health and wellness marketing certificate program at the college of business at Florida International University in Miami. She recommends ballroom, Latin, country, folk and square dancing as being particularly beneficial. “The rhythmic motion on a smooth floor allows movement to happen with reduced impact on the joints while allowing lateral flexibility to spin and turn,” she says. “Not only does it enhance a sense of well-being, it provides positive social contact, has aerobic benefits, keeps the mind and body agile and does not feel like a workout.”
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8 Ways for Baby Boomers to Maintain Their Agility originally appeared on usnews.com
