Science of Stretching Intro - June 2022

I play doubles tennis most weekends with a group of older men. I’m a decent tennis player. I'm fast, so I can get to balls my opponents don't expect me to reach. Getting there is one thing, making a decent return is another! The others may be older, but they are better shot-makers who reliably keep the ball in play. I’m sixty years old. The rest of them are in their mid-70s and 80's. One player is in his early 90's! And he’s formidable on the court. These guys are playing hard tennis regularly. They don't gripe about aches and pains. They don’t talk about bad backs or gimpy knees, although they surely feel the reality of aging joints. They go out and play. And they play well. They’ve taught me a lot about the game, but they’ve also shown me what it means to age well. What keeps me competitive with this gang is my ability to move. I’ve spent lots of time working on my mobility and flexibility. The result is less back and hip pain, better balance, and going about daily activities more easily. I can do so much more than I could ten years ago! Maintaining (or regaining) a basic range of motion is a prerequisite to sustaining a state of injury-free functional fitness. It’s the foundation from which everything else builds. By middle age, most of us have lost it. I sure had, and I learned the hard way, becoming injured almost immediately when I decided to get back in shape at 52. It took me several years to address bad habits and postural imbalances. Many dead ends and false starts as I learned about how my body worked. But I’m living proof that you can increase your flexibility at any age. And I think I can save you time and hassle by showing you some safe and effective core stretches which will unlock your hips, hamstrings and shoulders so you can move more easily.Which brings me to… A SecondFifty Live Training: Zoom introduction to the Fundamentals of StretchingAfter taking his series on hip and back mobility, I was so impressed with the results of Lucas Rockwood’s approach to stretching that I decided to dig deeper and become certified to teach his method, which utilizes passive, long-hold poses designed to reestablish postural balance and basic range of motion. Join me for a live introduction to the Science of Stretching™, which I have specifically tailored for an over-fifty audience. This will be my first live class. I’m not charging anything for it. It will be zoomed over the internet on Saturday, June 25th at 10:00 eastern time. The session will last approximately 45 minutes, and we will practice four essential stretches for hamstrings, hips, shoulders, and spine. Once you learn these stretches, and with 15 minutes a day of consistent practice, you will begin to earn back the movement patterns you were born with. We’re not going for circus gymnastics here, just increased range of motion for daily activities. This is a basic introductory class for newbies as well as athletic types. That’s right, the more athletic you are, the more likely you will be tight and stiff! And typical "stretching and warm-up" rituals you may be doing are not making you more limber. Forget what you remember of high school gym class stretching or any yoga class you've taken. This is not it! Click the button below to request your zoom link for the class. 

Guest Blog Post - The Eyes in the Second Fifty Years

Take care of your eyes! My friend and prominent eye surgeon, Dr. William Deegan, contributed a blog post on eye care that you can read here on the SecondFifty website. It's a simple primer on what to expect with your eyes in your second fifty years.

Click here to follow the link to the article.

Stay Strong. Age Well.

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I'm George Harrop, founder of

SecondFifty.Blog

—an online resource for people who want to prioritize their health and wellbeing by taking a common-sense approach to nutrition and fitness. Many modern middle-aged people have spent the previous decades building careers and raising families. 

Now we're committed to getting and staying fit during the second half of our lives. We're on a mission to age with more agility and ease! Join us →