Dear Yoga Queen

I have a question for your blog:

I am approaching my 40th birthday very soon and am considering starting a yoga program.

Can yoga really improve my flexibility even at my age?

~Amanda

Dear Amanda,

That's a great question. The answer is yes, it is never too late to improve flexibilty! When it comes to flexibility the first thing people usually think of is simply touching their toes. Which I recommend doing every day in the shower to start getting the body moving. In many cases, low back pain is caused by tight hamstrings (the muscles that lie at the back of the legs above the knee) which cause the hips and pelvis to rotate back, flattening the lower back and causing back problems. Touching the toes everyday can help to reduce, if not eliminate some of the back pain that 80 % of Americans complain about.

When we are talking about "flexibilty" we are really not talking about the bed of the muscle itself, but the ligaments, tendons and connective tissues. When connective tissue is unused or under used (when not stretching), it provides significant resistance and limits flexibility. The elastin ( a component of the tissue) begins to fray and loses some of its elasticity, and the collagen (another component) increases in stiffness and in density. Aging has some of the effects on connective tissue that lack of use has. So it is time to get moving with 40 fast approaching!

As a yoga instructor, the #1 complaint I hear is, "I'm just not flexible." And my answer is always the same, "That's okay, it will come with time." You should expect to increase flexibility gradually. A yoga class is a great place to start as a certified instructor can guide you safely in and out of the stretches. It is important to never use force or frustration. Your body will actually progress more if you yield or surrender to a stretch and use the exhalation to go deeper.

Namaste~Andrea