How to Boost Flexibility and Mobility in Elderly Africans and Why it Matters

 By Victory Onyenekwe. B.Sc. Ed Physical and Health Education. Freelance Health Writer. Medically reviewed by Isma Butt, DPT.

           

An elderly African man in a grey shirt and blue trousers sitting on the ground while reaching for his toes. Image generated by Gemini AI 

 

Highlights

• Getting older can sometimes make your body feel stiff, and simple actions like getting out of bed or picking something up can become a challenge, but these can be fixed with mobility and flexibility activities.

• Flexibility is all about how well your joints, muscles, and tissues can move through their full range of motion, allowing for pain-free daily activities.

• Mobility is your body's ability to move comfortably and control its position through its full range of motion, which is vital for everyday tasks like sitting, bending, gardening, or climbing the stairs.

• Both flexibility and mobility are often overlooked, especially in older African adults, but they are super important for daily life and for gracefully navigating the aging process.

• Adding flexibility and mobility activities into the daily routines of older African adults can help them age smoothly and continue to live active, independent lives.

 

Introduction

Ever tried getting up from bed and it felt like your bones were protesting? Or tried to pick an item from the ground lately without grunting? Does it feel like as you get older, your joints feel stiffer and your muscles are always sore? Well, there is a simple way to fix that. How, you may ask? Through added flexibility and mobility.

Flexibility is the ability to move joints, muscles, and tissues through a normal range of motion, while mobility refers to the ability to move or use the muscles and joints in carrying out normal activities without strain or injury.

Oftentimes, flexibility and mobility are overlooked, especially among older Africans, but they are quite vital for daily life and the ageing process. In this article, you will learn the importance of flexibility and mobility for the elderly, along with practical and accessible tips to improve flexibility and mobility.

 

Flexibility Vs Mobility: What’s the difference?

Quite a number of people assume flexibility and mobility are one and the same but, they actually refer to different aspects of physical fitness. 

Flexibility is the ability to move joints, muscles, and tissues through a normal range of motion. Having a flexible body allows for pain-free movement, which is important for your day-to-day living.

Mobility refers to active movement. It is the ability to control the body’s movement and position comfortably through its full, active range of motion. Good mobility is essential for everyday tasks from sitting on a chair, bending to pick up a load or an item, gardening, climbing stairs, cooking, doing laundry, etc.

 

10 Benefits of Flexibility and Mobility for Elderly Africans

Flexibility and mobility are not only necessary for sportsmen and women; they are an important part of everyone’s daily lives, extending to the ageing process. Let's see why they are important for Africans:

A black middle aged man doing stretching exercises outdoors with the 10 benefits of flexibility and mobility listed in the foreground. Image credit: Freepik. Click on image to enlarge.

 

1. Improves Range of Motion: Whether it is carrying a heavy load, gardening, farming, or house chores, flexibility and mobility offers you a free range of motion or movement available at your joints while carrying out daily activities without feeling stiff or experiencing pain or soreness in your joints.

2. Fall Prevention: Poor range of motion, stiff muscles, and poor blood flow can result in injuries and falls among the elderly. Flexibility improves the range of motion of the muscles and joints, increases blood flow to the joints and muscles, and reduces muscle stiffness, thereby reducing the risk of injuries and falls when engaging in daily activities.

3. Pain Reduction: Flexibility activities such as stretching loosen tight muscles and tendons. This increases blood flow, oxygen, and nutrient delivery to muscles and joints, which aids in reducing inflammation and promotes healing. It also alleviates common back, neck, and shoulder stiffness resulting from prolonged sitting or standing.

4. Improves Posture: Constantly slouching or struggling with bad posture? Flexibility activities counteract slouching and improves your posture.

5. Assists Graceful Ageing and Independence: As you get older, the risk for falls gets higher. Flexibility aids you in maintaining ease of movement as you get older, enabling you to remain active and stay independent in activities of daily living like using the toilet, taking a bath, doing laundry, cooking your meals, getting out of bed, and sitting on a chair.  

6. Enhances Functional Movements: Whether it is navigating uneven terrain, carrying heavy loads, getting up from a low stool, or climbing the stairs, mobility helps us perform these daily activities comfortably with less strain.

7. Prevents Injury and Promotes Work Performance: Increased mobility in workers means that they are able to work more efficiently with less fatigue, greater power, and safety, while maintaining precise movements.

8. Improves Circulation: Stretching increases blood flow to muscles and tissues, reduces inflammation and improves cardiovascular health.

9. Improves Bone Health: Exercises facilitated by mobility strengthen the bones, drastically reducing the risk of fractures and bone diseases like osteoporosis, which is common among older African women.

10. Promotes Mental Well-Being: Mobility allows the elderly to participate in social activities, which can combat loneliness and isolation.

 

How to Improve Flexibility and Mobility (Practical Tips for Africans) 

Improving flexibility and mobility does not have to be difficult or be dependent on the existence of a gym or expensive gym equipment. Your own body, everyday items, and your surroundings are often all you need. 

Here are some exercises you can do to improve your flexibility and mobility:

1. Regular Stretching 

Stretching is a physical exercise that requires putting your body part in a certain position that will serve in lengthening and elongation of your muscle or muscle group and thus enhance its flexibility and elasticity. Stretching improves flexibility while delaying impaired mobility associated with ageing.

There are different types of stretches that you can engage in to improve flexibility and mobility; we’ll place our focus on two of these types of stretches.

• Dynamic Stretches: These are done before an activity commences; they usually require movement and serve as a warm-up. Examples of dynamic stretches are: swinging the legs and arms, twisting the torso (upper body), toe taps, and shoulder rolls.

• Static Stretches: These are usually done after an activity and serve as a cool-down. It involves holding the body or placing the joints in a particular position so that the muscles are stretched for a period of 15-30 seconds.

Common areas that static stretches can target include:

• Hamstring (Back of the thigh): Sitting on the ground while reaching for the toes.

An elderly African man dressed in a grey sweat suit doing a hamstring stretch. Image generated from Gemini AI

• Quadriceps (Front of thigh): Standing, lying on stomach or side, bending the knee and bringing the heel towards the buttocks.

An older African woman dressed in a light blue shirt and dark blue pants, doing a quadriceps stretch. Image generated from Gemini AI

• Calf: Standing against a wall with one leg extended backwards.

• Glutes (buttocks): Lying down with one ankle crossed over the opposite knee.

A middle aged African man wearing white tank top and blue sweatpants laying on the floor with one ankle crossed over the opposite knee. Image generated from Gemini AI

• Shoulder: Arm across the body, or over the head.

A middle aged man wearing a grey shirt doing a shoulder stretch. Image generated from Gemini AI

• Back: Lying on your stomach and lifting the upper body.

A middle aged African woman wearing a blue tank top and grey sweatpants doing a back stretch. Image generated from Gemini AI

Stretches can be integrated during short breaks from work, physically demanding chores, in the morning, and before bed.

2. Movement Practices

Take regular short walks around your house, while running errands, and around your community. Other forms of movement practices that can improve mobility and flexibility include dance, which develops mobility, coordination, and overall fitness. Daily chores are also a great way of incorporating mindful movement and can be an opportunity for using the body efficiently through a good range of motion.

3. Strength Training

 

Partial view of a black lady wearing a whire vest performing strength training exercise with a dumbbell

Engaging in chair squats, light dumbbells for bicep curls, chest presses, carrying groceries, and gardening are great ways to build strength and contribute to functional fitness. Strength training is crucial for maintaining bone density and muscle mass. [1]

It is important to start these exercises from the simple to complex ones. Stay hydrated, and eat wholesome foods for muscle health and recovery. Ensure you take adequate rest to allow the body to recover and stay consistent. It’s more important to be consistent in sessions than intense in infrequent sessions.

Safety Tips to Observe

While incorporating flexibility and mobility activities into the lives of older Africans is of great importance, there are certain precautionary measures that must be taken to avoid injury. These include:

• Warm up: Warming up properly before engaging in any physical activity, to avoid muscle strain, or tears in the ligament.

• Proper technique and form: Maintain proper posture while stretching and  avoid bouncing when stretching, hold your stretches for about 20-30 seconds, while concentrating on major muscle groups like the calves, neck, lower back, hips, thighs and shoulders.

• Start simple: Avoid starting from complex activities. Work your way up from simple to complex activities 

• When to avoid stretching: Do not stretch muscles or joints that have been injured, or after a surgery without clear directives from your physician.

• Listen to your body: Pay attention to your body and know when you have reached your limit, adjust your stretching routine according to how your body feels. Always remember that being consistent is important for increasing flexibility and mobility.

 

Conclusion

Ultimately, the journey of ageing doesn't have to be filled with injuries, falls, or a loss of independence. By simply adding flexibility and mobility activities into the daily routines of older African adults, you can help them age gracefully and continue to live active, independent lives within their families and communities.

 

Reference:

1. Mayer F, Scharhag -Rosenberger F, Carlsohn A, Cassel M, Muller S, Schar-hag J. The intensity and effects of strength training in the elderly. Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2011 May; 108 [21]: 359-64. Doi: 10.3238/arztebl.2011.0359. Available from here

 

Related: 

Fall Prevention in Elderly Africans

7 Tips for Sustainable Exercise for Beginners in Africa

7 Practical Tips to Help African Stroke Survivors Regain Independence 

Recommended Assistive Products for the Elderly and Stroke Survivors in Low Resource Countries

How to Deal with Joint Pains – Tips for Africans 

Post-Stroke Rehabilitation Explained

Best Exercise for Healthy Ageing in Africans [Tips]

 

 

Published: July 19, 2025

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