Exercises that improve your flexibility and balance are a great place to start when it comes to preserving or improving your range of motion. “Underlying muscle stiffness and pain are often due to muscles that have spasmed or tightened to protect a joint area,” says Dr. Folden. “If you start with full-body stretching, everything is going to get easier.”
Aim to stretch all your major muscle groups daily, including your neck, shoulders, chest, trunk, lower back, hips, legs, and ankles. Folden recommends choosing movements that stretch multiple areas at once:
- Child’s pose
- Runner’s lunge
- Seated forward fold
- Supine twist
Try to hold each stretch for 30 seconds, repeating them once or twice for maximum benefit, recommends Shannon Leggett, owner of Shannon Leggett Physical Therapy in New York City.
If a stretch feels uncomfortable, modifications can make the movement more accessible. For instance, Folden likes to spread her knees widely for Child’s pose to make room for her belly, and she recommends trying supine twists and runner’s lunges in bed if the floor isn’t working for you. A physical therapist can also help you find variations of stretches that work best for your body.
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