Effects of aging on flexibility
As they say, time is undefeated, and as people age they are sure to notice changes in their body over time. Getting old sucks. Changes in the body with age contribute to increased prevalence of physical injury. I have seen chronic conditions such as osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease all have greater prevalence in individuals with greater age. These conditions illustrate a decline in functioning across the musculoskeletal, endocrine, and neurological systems, among others. While aging is not all bad, knowing about the effects of aging on the body can help individuals age gracefully and maintain their physical health for as long as they can. For one, elasticity of connective tissues decrease over time. As a result, muscles and joints lose flexibility, coinciding with individuals feeling an overall sense of stiffness surrounding joints. In my experience, loss of flexibility in the hips, ankles, knees, and shoulders are most prevalent and should be monitored over time to ensure adequate functioning.
Among all disability, loss of ability to walk is among the most common and cumbersome disability. Loss of range of motion into hip extension and ankle dorsiflexion may limit the ability of individuals to walk fast or efficiently as the trailing limb during gait is unable to position itself behind the body to provide propulsive force during walking. Unfortunately, these two limitations exist commonly.
Trained physical therapists can determine whether losses in flexibility can stem from muscular inflexibility, increased neural tone, or rather capsuloligamentous contracture. It is important to understand the root of flexibility loss, as flexibility is gained in different ways and with differing timeframes depending on the cause. While quick gains in flexibility can be achieved with modulation of neural tone, much slower gains in flexibility are achieved through true increase in length of muscle and capsuloligamentous tissue that surrounds joints. Fortunately, people seem to be able to improve flexibility to some degree, regardless of their age.
