These 4 Stretches Make It Possible To Keep Lifting Heavier After 40
Sure, pressing heavy dumbbells over your head is downright badass. But if your shoulders creak like an old floorboard or your hips feel like they need an oil change, that PR won't be *quite* as satisfying. Strength training in your 40s (and beyond) is a nonnegotiable for longevity, but that also means giving your muscles and joints some TLC along the way. This simple, effective stretch routine from fitness coach Ashley Nicole, CPT, is the elixir your body needs.
In this excerpt from Women's Health Strong & Fit After 40, Coach Ash shares a four-exercise stretching routine tailored for women that focuses on the spots that tend to ache (tight hips, cranky hamstrings, stiff shoulders) and soothes them back into a happy, mobile status. Oh, and it takes less time than picking your workout playlist.Strong & Fit After 40: 4 Weeks to Lifelong Fitness at Home
$26.95 at amazon.com
Think of it as your pre- and post-lift reset button. Whether you're hitting your first set of deadlifts or racking your final rep, these stretches will help you move better, recover faster, and feel amazing—not just in the gym, but when you're hauling groceries, chasing kids, or dancing in the kitchen. Your 40-something self (and your future self) will thank you.
Meet your trainer: Ashley Nicole, CPT, is the founder of RA Warrior Fitness. As a trainer in her 40s with rheumatoid arthritis, she discovered her passion for fitness as a way to deal with—and rise above—physical obstacles, including joint pain, stiffness, and inflammation. Get her full 28-day strength training program here.
The Best Stretch Routine For Your 40s And Beyond
Instructions: Start by foam-rolling with gentle pressure and slow, controlled movements, rolling out each muscle group for 1 to 2 minutes and focusing on tight areas. Then run through the following moves, holding each for 20 to 30 seconds.
T-Spine Rotation
How to:
Start in tabletop position with arms directly under shoulders and knees directly under hips.
Keeping back straight, twist torso to right and lift right arm toward ceiling.
Hold for prescribed amount of time, then return to start. Repeat with left arm.
Thread the Needle
How to:
Start in tabletop position with arms directly under shoulders and knees directly under hips.
Twist torso to right and lift right arm toward ceiling, then thread it under left shoulder so head can rest on floor, facing left. (Lower left forearm to floor for a deeper stretch.)
Hold for prescribed amount of time. Return to start and repeat on opposite side.
Lying Hip Flexor Stretch
How to:
Lie faceup with legs fully extended and arms relaxed at sides.
Take a deep breath, brace core, and push lower back into floor while slowly drawing one knee up toward chest.
As knee nears chest, interlace fingers, latching hands over knee and gently pulling it closer to chest. Hold for required time, keeping core tight and opposite leg fully extended.
Slowly release knee and lower leg back down to starting position. Repeat on opposite side.
Figure Four to Twist
How to:
Lie faceup with legs bent, right ankle over left knee.
Allow legs to fall to left, then hold for required time.
Return to start and repeat on opposite side.
WH Editor-Approved ActivewearHotty Hot Shorts
$68.00 at lululemon.comEbb to Street Tank Top
$68.00 at lululemon.comInfinity High Impact Sports Bra
$53.95 at zappos.com
You Might Also Like
Jennifer Garner Swears By This Retinol Eye Cream
These New Kicks Will Help You Smash Your Cross-Training Goals
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
10 minutes ago
- Yahoo
With a new COVID variant on the rise, which US states have the most cases?
Some states are being hit harder than others this summer as a new COVID-19 strain (XGF) continues to spread. Some regions of the U.S. are still experiencing higher rates of positive COVID tests than others, though reporting has slowed down enough nationwide that the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has begun allowing more time to pass between certain types of updates, such as those on variant prevalence. Testing, cases, hospitalizations and deaths are still being recorded on a weekly basis, however, even amid the chaos of ever-changing strains, recommendations and cuts to vaccine development funding. Here's what to know about the latest data. How many COVID cases were reported nationwide? During the week ending on Aug. 2, 8.5% of the 25,731 Americans tested were positive for COVID, according to the CDC's latest data. This was 2% increase from the week prior. During the same period, only 0.3% of cases resulted in death and 0.9% resulted in an emergency room visit, a 0.1% decrease from the week prior for both categories. More: What is an mRNA vaccine, and why is it controversial? Where are the most COVID cases being reported? See map Western and southern states, including Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana, had higher percentages of positive COVID tests during the week ending Aug. 2. What is the most common COVID variant? The CDC has moved to using longer data timeframes for COVID tracking due to low reporting from states. According to the latest data for the two weeks ending June 21, variant NB.1.8.1 remained the most common, accounting for 43% of cases, followed by LP.8.1 at 31% of cases and XFG at 14%. NB.1.8.1 experienced a meteoric rise to becoming the predominant variant, accounting for 0% of cases in April and only 10% in the last week of May, up to 24% at the beginning of June and 43% by the end. XFG, a combination of variants F.7 and LP.8.1.2, is on the rise as of late, having been responsible for 0% of U.S. cases through March, 11% by early June and 14% by late June. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: COVID variants, testing and deaths: What to know this week Solve the daily Crossword
CNN
42 minutes ago
- CNN
NYC Legionnaires' disease cases rise to 90 as city health officials propose new cooling tower regulations
FacebookTweetLink Health officials in New York City say a cluster of Legionnaires' disease in Central Harlem has grown to 90 cases, including three deaths. The update comes days after New York City's health department proposed new regulations for the testing of cooling towers, which they suspect are linked to the outbreak. Cooling towers are rooftop devices that release mist into the air as they cool large buildings. If the water inside becomes too warm, stagnant, or isn't properly disinfected, Legionella bacteria can grow and infect people who inhale the mist. A Department of Health spokesperson told CNN the proposed rules 'were in development well before the Legionnaires' cluster in Central Harlem.' Under New York City law, building owners are responsible for registering and maintaining their cooling towers and they're routinely inspected for compliance. The proposal would set specific time periods for testing and require test sampling be conducted by state-certified labs. It also details monetary penalties for noncompliance, although the posted documents didn't specify amounts. Currently, building owners who fail to follow routine maintenance rules face fines of $500 to $2,000. The proposed changes to testing and fines, however, may come with the challenge of enforcement — city data shows that the city conducted a record low number of inspections in 2024, with less than half the inspections of 2017, when inspection numbers were first recorded. The decline in inspections was first reported by Gothamist. The current Legionnaires' cluster was first announced on July 25. Health officials say all operable cooling towers in the area have been tested, and those that tested positive for Legionella were ordered to be cleaned. The department said it confirmed that the required cleanings were carried out. Legionnaires' disease causes flu-like symptoms, including cough, fever, headaches, muscle aches, and shortness of breath. It is treatable with antibiotics, but if left untreated, it can lead to shock and multi-organ failure, according to the World Health Organization. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that about 10% of people who contract the disease die from complications, with older adults and people with weakened immune systems at higher risk.
CBS News
42 minutes ago
- CBS News
Legally blind North Texas woman redefines odds, named national finalist after joining cricket team
At the Trimble Tech High School field, 50-year-old Ana Moss begins practice the way she always does. "Alright, so this is what we say, 'batter ready?'," said Moss, as she practiced her cricket skills. "It hit the wicket. Did it hit the wicket?" But this cricket practice is a little different than most. "This is our cricket ball, it has rattles in it, and we use sound to detect where the ball is coming," Moss said. "We shout out audio commands, 'here, here, here' – that's how a batter will line up to us, or a keeper lines up to us." Moss is legally blind and has been for the last two years, when she started having nerve issues in her right eye. "It was dark. It was hard to accept," she told CBS News Texas. "Hearing the words legally blind was really tough, so I knew my vision was decreasing, and it could decrease, but I just didn't realize it would decrease that fast. I felt that without vision, who am I?" But despite her diagnosis, Moss decided she wasn't going to allow it to set her back. "I was diagnosed with cancer kind of all in the same time, kidney cancer, and I had my kidney removed, and that was kind of a rude awakening as well, it was like I need to get fit, and life is short, so you got to get out there and keep trying," said Moss. And trying she did, and let alone at cricket, a sport she didn't know much about. "Total shock, I was like 'cricket?' I was like, 'where did that come from?'" said Rick Moss, her husband. "Obviously, I was thinking different things, like most people do, how do blind people play cricket?" Looking for a support group, Moss began scouring social media and found a blind cricket team. "It was kind of like, why not? Why not try something new now? Why not try something I know nothing about, and knowing nothing about it and never playing it, kind of gauges me, from you know down here and little by little, I'm climbing that ladder," she said. While it's come with growing pains, Moss said she's learning more about the intricacies of the sport every day, and also about herself. Her commitment to the sport has made her a finalist for the USA National Women's Blind Cricket team. She's also the only Texan. Moss hopes to represent our country at the inaugural Women's T20 World Cup for the Blind in India this fall. Moss' husband said, "So proud of her, can't imagine how I feel about it." "I've learned that I'm stronger than I think I am, than I think I ever was," Moss said. "We've all worked really, really hard, so we all want that, but the journey, I wouldn't trade it for the world." Proving that no matter your age or eyesight, the field is still wide open. "You can do it, you can do it," she said. "I really want them to be energized and encouraged that, nothing can stop you." Finalists for the USA team will be selected in mid-August.
