Combat Aging with Strength, Mobility, and Flexibility

As we age, we often notice a decline in strength, mobility, and flexibility. Yet, there’s good news: taking action now can significantly slow this aging process.

So, how can you do this? According to Brett Starkowitz, a seasoned Pilates teacher, lifting weights to build muscle coupled with regular mobility exercises can keep your body in shape.

Starkowitz, who leads education and training at Ten Health & Fitness in London, strongly recommends incorporating Pilates into your weekly routine. He mentions, “It complements any other exercise you’re doing. If you lift weights, it enhances that; if you’re a runner, it helps with your running, too. Plus, it improves everyday movements by teaching you better body mechanics.”

If you’re unable to attend a Pilates studio or a Reformer class, Starkowitz suggests a simple four-move routine that he personally practices to maintain his mobility and flexibility.

“You need to keep adding mobility drills into your daily life,” he explains. “While I’ve always engaged in weightlifting, I’ve recently prioritized mobility because it tends to decline with age.”

He refined this routine in his 30s, noting that in your 20s, you could just leap into a workout without much thought—but things change. Now, he incorporates it post-workout.

This routine requires nothing but your bodyweight. You can do it after your workouts, like he does, or use it as a standalone mobility session whenever you’re feeling tight.

Enhance Your Mobility with These Four Pilates-Inspired Exercises

Starkowitz’s approach includes four Pilates-inspired stretches aimed at alleviating common discomforts in the spine, hips, legs, and shoulders.

Beginning with a cat-cow stretch to gently articulate each vertebra, he then transitions into a deep hip flexor stretch, followed by downward-facing dog to elongate the back, and finishes with child’s pose to relieve tension in the lats and traps.

“As you age, it’s important to dedicate more time to warming up and mobility work,” he says. So, take your time and enjoy each stretch; your future self will appreciate it.

1. Cat-Cow

• Start on hands and knees, aligning shoulders over wrists and hips over knees.
• Inhale while arching your back, elevating your head and tailbone (this is cow pose).
• Exhale and round your spine, tucking your chin and tailbone under (this is cat pose).
• Move slowly between the two, syncing your breath with each motion.
• Complete 8-10 slow cycles.

2. Hip Flexor Lunge

• From a kneeling position, step one leg forward into a lunge.
• Tuck your tailbone slightly and engage your glutes to support your lower back.
• With hands on your hips, gently lean forward to deepen the hip flexor and quad stretch on the rear leg.
• Hold for two sets of 20-30 seconds per side.

3. Downward Dog

• Begin on all fours, tuck your toes, and lift your hips up to form an inverted V-shape.
• Keep your spine long and legs straight, as comfortably as possible.
• Spread your fingers wide and press your heels toward the ground.
• You can also pedal your feet gently, pressing one heel then the other toward the floor to relax your calves.
• Do three sets of 30 seconds, returning knees to the floor in between sets.

4. Child’s Pose

• Start on all fours with knees wide and feet close together.
• Gently sit back onto your feet as far as you’re comfortable.
• With your chin tucked, reach your hands forward.
• You might choose to elevate your hands slightly so only fingertips touch the ground, pushing your chest down for a deeper pec stretch.
• You can also shift your hands to one side to stretch your back, then to the other.
• Hold for two sets of 30 seconds, or one set of 30 seconds on each side.