Do you get out of bed in the mornings and wonder where your get up and go…got up and went? Most women find that, as they hit the half century mark, they aren’t as flexible as they once were. Can those days of limber legs and flexible spines ever return?

Today’s guest, Sheena Nancy Sarles, is a yoga instructor, life coach, and author of Growing Younger Gracefully, talks to Margaret about how we can actually become more flexible as we age if we chose to!

Flexibility is NOT Age Related

“We are in these physical containers and to keep them flexible, we need to keep moving” Sheena says.

There are 6 directions when it comes to flexible and Sheena demonstrates these directions beautifully, even within the limits of a video camera!

The First Two Directions

Sheena suggests spending just 4 or 5 minutes in the morning performing these 6 directions to start your day off right.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, arch your back, stick out your backside, lift your chin up towards the ceiling as you breath in. Then exhale as you bring your belly to your spine and point your chin towards your chest.

This releases all the toxins in your body. Repeat these two movements as many times you wish.

The Second Two Directions

The next set is a side to side motion pulling each arm over your head, inhaling and exhaling, visualizing your spine in positive movement.

Never strain, never stress, and never press too hard. These stretches should feel good and not be exercises in pain!

The Last Two Directions

This is a twisting motion that also detoxifies the body. Put your hands on your shoulders and twist at the waist, never forgetting to breath.

These same stretches can be done with all the other joints in your body. You can move your feet and toes forward and back, move your legs from side to side, and twist your neck or your hips from side to side.

It’s More Than Just Moving

Margaret notes that, while watching Sheena perform and talk about these movements, she puts out a vitality of spirit. Sheena reminds us that whatever happens to one cell impacts all cells since the body does have a cellular memory, so it’s important to visualize how your body is moving.

For example, while we are moving our shoulders, we should think about how flexible our hips or legs will be when we perform this movement.

Sheena’s website has some videos where she demonstrates some of these movements, and her book also has photos if you need more help with the movements.

Balance and Flexibility Matter!

Building muscle is important because we do lose some as we age, but flexibility and balance issues are important functions no one wants to lose. Since about 60 percent of hospital admissions are due to falls from balance problems, remaining flexible and practicing our balance skills is extremely important.

Sitting is the new smoking, so Sheena says get up and shake it, move it, and get yourself moving!

Sheena’s energy is contagious, and we hope you watch the video to see exactly how these movements are done.

What do you do to keep your balance skills strong? What types of exercise or stretching do you engage in to stay flexible? Tell us your experiences and join in the conversation!