Page 104 - South Mississippi Living - November, 2022

HEALTHY LIVING
story by Luke Height STAYING ACTIVE IN YOUR GOLDEN YEARS
As the fall leaves hit the ground, we are reminded that another year is passing. It’s nearly time to celebrate holidays with family and friends and reflect on the past. If you’re over the age of 65, you may feel the Golden Years coming on and notice places where your body is starting to slow down. That’s why it’s increasingly important to stay active – especially in your Golden Years.
Richard Hawthorne, Owner of CoreStrong Living in Downtown Biloxi (and former pound for pound World’s Strongest Man), shares some tips and exercises you can do to stay active and healthy in your Golden Years. In his words, “I’ve seen and worked with
a lot of 60+ gym goers, and I’ve come to realize strength is key! From my experience, the best thing you can do to maintain independence and vitality is by gaining flexibility in your ankles, knees, hips and lower back. In the field there’s a common misconception about strength, but the reality is you can’t be strong without being mobile and you can’t be mobile without being flexible. In other words, flexibility is the key ingredient.”
If you want to stay active, you don’t need to lift heavy weights. Strengthening, mobilizing, and creating flexibility in vital areas such as your ankles, knees, hips and lower back will help your body stay healthy.
Here’s a few exercises Hawthorne recommends for strength, mobility and flexibility:
ANKLE STRETCH:
Sitting up in bed or on the floor, put your legs straight with a towel or band placed under the ball
of the foot, then pull the toes up towards the shin by stretching the calves. Repeat this for four sets of 30 seconds.
HIP STRETCH:
Hip Stretch: Find a bar, table or anything that you can stand in front of and hold for support. During the exercise, hold on to the bar, or table. Squat down as low
as you can manage and hold for as long as you can. Repeat three more times, trying to last longer than your previous attempt. This exercise stretches your quads, groin, glutes and hip flexors.
To stay truly golden in your Golden Years, prioritize your physical fitness and stay active with some of these tips and tricks.
104 | November 2022
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