Maintain condition

Good general fitness is based on five pillars: muscular strength, endurance, balance, speed and flexibility.

If you want to maintain your fitness, it is best to work on your flexibility and muscle strength . Our activity book 'Body in motion' can be useful if you want to do this at home.

Flexibility

When building or maintaining good fitness, flexibility often receives little attention. However, there are many reasons why you should stretch regularly.

What is flexibility?

Flexibility is different for everyone and depends on age, heredity, breed and individual predisposition.

You obtain it by stretching the muscle fibers of certain muscle groups as far as possible with conscious movements . This will prevent the loss of freedom of movement of the muscles and joints and make them less stiff .

What are the causes of limited flexibility?

As we age, we gradually and unobtrusively become stiffer . This stiffness can be compared to a harness that presses harder and harder, causing you to experience a lot of discomfort.

Limited flexibility can have both an emotional and physical cause . Anyone who experiences a lot of stress or pain will automatically tense up more. Short muscles or the shape of the joint also influence flexibility.

What is the importance of flexibility?

Stretching relaxes the body and has many positive influences .

You need a minimum of flexibility to perform certain daily tasks with ease, such as bending and reaching.
Less chance of injuries : a flexible joint absorbs incorrect movements better.
Better use of your muscles : you can use the full length of your muscles.
Improved posture and less chance of back and neck pain : muscles, tendons and ligaments adapt to everyday unnatural positions. Regular stretching helps relax these muscles.

How can you do something about it?

You can do stretching exercises to improve your flexibility anytime and anywhere .

Anyone can do these exercises, regardless of age. If you start practicing at an older age, you will never match the flexibility of a young person. But you do maintain and improve your flexibility.

When practicing, take the following points into account.

Make sure you warm up properly by walking or jogging in place for five minutes.
Do the exercises at your own pace and without forcing them. Know your limits and never stretch too far. Stop if you experience pain.
Do not make jerky movements .
Know that you have a good side and a bad side . Be sure to practice your less good side as well.
Always exercise the large muscle groups of the lower limbs, upper limbs and trunk.
Do four stretches per muscle (group). Rest at least thirty seconds to one minute between stretches.
Maintain the tension (stretch) for thirty seconds ; continue to breathe during the stretching exercise (so do not block your breath).
Be sure to practice every two days . The more often you stretch, the faster your progress. When you first start, try to build in one day of rest between practice sessions.

Muscle strength

Did you know that your muscle strength gradually declines by 1% per year from the age of 25? From the age of 50, your muscle mass decreases by 3 to 5% every 10 years. This has consequences for your daily functioning. Fortunately, you can easily do something about this.

What is muscle strength?

Muscle strength is the strength of your muscles. It is important that you have sufficient muscle strength and muscle mass to function smoothly on a daily basis . This muscle strength is not the same for everyone and depends on your age and how much you exercise.

Muscle fibers consist of proteins . They are built up and broken down every day, so you will have a renewed muscle after a hundred days. With a lack of exercise and protein-rich food, the breakdown is faster than the build-up. This can happen very quickly: after just five days of immobility you lose 10% of leg muscle strength; after two weeks that is 25%.

What is the importance of muscle strength?

You will notice the status of your muscle strength in your daily life . With good muscle strength, going up and down stairs, shopping and moving materials require less effort.
Strong muscles tire less quickly and reduce the risk of overload and injuries.
The risk of a fall is reduced because the muscles support the joints more and can absorb more weight.
You remain self-reliant for longer with strong arms and legs. You can perform household and other daily tasks better.
You can improve back problems with certain muscle strengthening exercises. First consult a doctor or physiotherapist.

How can you do something about it?

You can maintain and improve muscle strength by exercising the muscles. When you get older, you won't be able to match the strength of your younger years.

You can do specific strength training two to three times a week . This can be done in a sports club under supervision or at home. This can be done perfectly without specific equipment.

The following basic rules will help you get started.

Warm up thoroughly by walking or jogging in place for five minutes.
Stop exercising if the exercises are painful .
Always exercise the large muscle groups of the lower limbs, upper limbs and trunk. Also make sure you balance opposing muscles: combine exercises for your back and abdominal muscles, exercises for the front and back of your legs, etc.
Don't start too intensively and build up . Going too fast will cause muscle soreness and will not encourage further exercise.
Do the same exercise several times in a row and rest in between.
Pay attention to your breathing . Do not block during exertion. For most active exercises, you exhale during the effort and inhale as you return to your starting position. For exercises that you have to continue for a long time, you should simply continue to breathe calmly.
You can exercise by using extra weights, but this is not necessary . There are many exercises where your body itself forms the weight. Typically, it is also recommended to increase the number of repetitions and not the weight you exercise with.
If you don't feel like training, you can try to maintain your muscle strength as best as possible by exercising sufficiently in daily life : walking, cycling, taking stairs, etc. However, this will not have the same effect as specific strength training.

You can find exercises for home use in the activity book 'Body in motion' .