Research has revealed that body flexibility reduces the rate of death and provides longer life. It is recommended for those who want to extend their life to include stretching movements in sports such as pilates and fitness.
A new study by scientists in Brazil found a strong relationship between body flexibility and longevity. According to research published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, those with more flexible joints live longer. Scientists came to this conclusion by examining 3000 people for 13 years. According to the results, when flexibility scores exceeded 49 in men and 56 in women during the follow-up period, the probability of death was close to 1 percent. For men and women with resilience scores below 10 percent, the death rates were 26.9 percent and 18.2 percent, respectively.
Does Stretching Extend Life?
Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Specialist Assoc. Prof. from Yeditepe University Hospitals. Dr. Gökşen Gökşenoğlu evaluated the research results:
“We knew, thanks to studies, that adults with high aerobic fitness have a higher quality of life and a longer lifespan. We can say that with this new study, it has been proven again that exercise should be in our lives. While there is much research on muscular endurance and aerobic fitness, there are fewer studies on body flexibility. This study, conducted in Brazil between the ages of 45 and 65, compares body flexibility and loss of life. As a result of the research conducted with individuals followed for 13 years, it was observed that the probability of death decreases as the resilience rate increases.
Stretching Exercises to Be Limber
Assoc. Dr. Gökşen Gökşenoğlu listed the exercises that can be done to be limber.
“Pilates with equipment is an exercise program that we recommend and can get good results when done under the supervision of an expert. When doing pilates with equipment, we combine the movements with maximum stretching, which provides us with the opportunity to perform the movements easily and provides more benefits from the exercise. But exercise options should not be limited only to pilates with equipment. We can say that it is necessary to add 'stretching exercises' to mat pilates or other exercise routines. What is asked in the research is to remember that your joints and muscles need to stretch as much as they need to strengthen.”
