Flexibility is within reach

At age 56, Dianna Cuatto can do splits like high school cheerleaders. She gives the credit to the fact that she has been dancing since 1953. She is artistic director of the Ballet Theatre of Maryland in Annapolis, where she teaches other people about the importance of flexibility.

“I feel so much better after I stretch,” Ms. Cuatto says. “If I stretch, everything starts to release; it feels like everything is flowing better inside of me.”

Flexibility is important for a person’s overall health, medical professionals say. It enables people to exercise, which is critical to health and well-being. No matter how stiff a person is, it’s never too late to stretch and strengthen muscles.

The idea of getting the blood circulating before stretching is new in exercise science, says Judith Lynne Hanna, senior research scholar at the University of Maryland in College Park. She is author of “Dancing for Health: Conquering and Preventing Stress.” She holds a doctorate in anthropology.

In the past, many therapists and trainers recommended stretching before exercise. Newer research suggests exercising a bit before stretching.

“You have to warm up so you don’t pull something,” Ms. Hanna says. “I try to move all parts of my body.”

While learning to become more flexible, it’s best to have instruction from a teacher, Ms.Cuatto says.

For instance, a person never should bounce harshly while stretching. While trying to touch the toes, a person should bend at the waist and hang instead of bouncing to reach them. Exhaling on the hardest part of the stretch rather than holding the breath also is important.

The Ballet Theatre of Maryland offers Anatomical Restructuring Stretch and Strengthener Class on Thursdays from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. It costs $260 per semester or $25 per class.

“If you stretch one muscle, you have to stretch the opposing muscle,” Ms. Cuatto says. “You also have to strengthen either the same muscle or something different, so you don’t create imbalance.”

As a person ages, stretching and weight-bearing exercises are two of the best tools for maintaining health, Ms. Cuatto says.

Back twists are a good low-impact stretch, she says. While sitting on the floor, cross one leg over the other and put one arm on top of the bent knee and twist. Like most stretches, it should be held for 10 seconds for three repetitions.

Another good stretch is done while sitting on the floor, straightening one leg to the side while bending the other at the knee. Hang over the bent leg for 10 seconds and then reach for the ankle of the other leg for 10 seconds, repeating at least three times.

Putting a leg on a chair and pressing forward into a lunge position is a way to stretch leg muscles. During the stretch, try to relax the muscle to help it lengthen, Ms. Cuatto says.

“A good time to stretch is after a shower,” she says. “It will warm you up a little bit.”

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