Feeling Achy and Stiff? Try Stretching

Remember the Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz? When his limbs got stiff and hard to move, he needed that trusty can of oil. When I've been a couch (or chair) potato for too long and start feeling, as my grandmother laughingly described it, "all stove up," I can't reach for an oilcan--but I can get moving. And I always feel better.

Every older adult experiences unexpected aches, pains and muscle stiffness, but if you make stretching part of your daily routine you can slow--or avoid--a downward slide into chronic pain, stiffness, and immobility. Just a few minutes of stretching every day, especially when combined with a safe exercise program, can help you live with vibrancy, energy, and independence. Fitness guru Margaret Richard offers stretching tips to help you safely practice stretching. And I have a few simple stretching exercises that will help to keep you limber, longer.
_{Photo: Caroline Woodham/Getty}