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"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." - Maya Angelou

The Daily Tonic is a two to five minute read sharing science backed health news and tips, all while getting you to crack a smile or even lol on occasion.

Wednesday. Over 11,000 writers from the Writers Guild of America went on strike late Monday night, forcing late-night shows hosted by Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, and Jimmy Kimmel to start airing reruns. Even Saturday Night Live is shutting down. Don’t worry — I won't be going on strike anytime soon. You can still expect to wake up to useful content and maybe a well-placed joke or two in your inbox every morning. Speaking of useful content, how important is flexibility as you age, and is stretching really the best way to improve your range of motion? Let’s dive in.

Strength Training Over Stretching

Flexibility is critical to our physical health, particularly as we age. As we grow older, our muscles, tendons, and ligaments become less pliable, making us feel stiff and limiting our range of motion. But leaning over and touching your toes is more than just a cool party trick. This decrease in flexibility can contribute to several health issues, such as chronic pain, muscle weakness, and an increased risk of falls.

This is why maintaining flexibility is so important. It can help improve joint mobility, decrease the risk of injury, and improve overall physical performance. But let's be honest; stretching can feel like a chore. Luckily, new research shows that you don't necessarily have to stretch to improve your flexibility.

A recent analysis reviewed 11 studies and found that strength training can be just as effective as stretching at improving flexibility. The key is to add weights to exercises to help improve your end range of motion. This method supports better flexibility, as resistance training forces your muscles, tendons, and ligaments to work together to move weights. This focus on good form trains your body to improve its movement, strength, and range of motion in different positions.

This is good news for those who have trouble fitting stretching into their workout routines or who just find it unenjoyable. It's also great news for people in their 60s and 70s who may experience mobility and flexibility issues. According to scientists, strength training can help this population see beneficial changes to both, proving once again that it is never too late to improve your health.

While stretching can be helpful to improve flexibility, strength training also packs a bunch of additional benefits. Strength training has been linked to reducing obesity rates, improving bone density issues, and supporting longevity metrics like grip strength and rates of recovery from falls as we age.

Our muscles naturally weaken and shrink as we age, known as sarcopenia. This condition can lead to falls and a decrease in quality of life. By lifting some weights today, we can help slow the progression of sarcopenia and maintain our muscle mass, all while maintaining or even improving flexibility at the same time.

Additionally, strength training can help prevent the onset of osteoporosis. According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, over 53 million people in the United States have either osteoporosis or low bone mass. This makes them more susceptible to fractures, especially in their hips, spine, and wrists. Individuals can improve their bone density and reduce their risk of fractures by engaging in weight-bearing exercises like strength training. This is especially important for women, as their bone density tends to decrease at a higher rate than men post-menopause.

The key takeaway? While stretching is still important, it's good to know that strength training can be just as effective at improving flexibility. Not only that, but it offers a host of other health benefits that can help us age well and maintain our quality of life. Who doesn’t want that?

So keep running, biking, or doing yoga if that is what you enjoy. At the end of the day, any movement is better than no movement. But just keep in mind that by adding a little weight training to your routine, you can improve your flexibility and overall health.

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Maybe Don’t Google It

Trust me; I am guilty of this myself. I Google EVERYTHING, and apparently, so do a lot of other people when it comes to getting information to improve their nutrition and health. Who hasn’t read a WebMD article to try and self-diagnose a rash or weird pain?

According to a recent survey, almost 40% of people search for health information online instead of consulting a medical professional. However, the high volume of health-related searches has led to confusion and misinformation.

While Google isn't solely responsible for this problem, it's clear that people are struggling to find quality information online. For example, 64% of people believe that all carbs are bad for health, which is not true. In fact, carbohydrates found in bread, rice, potatoes, and fruit can contribute to better mood, fat loss, brain and heart health, and longevity. Diets that include all food groups and avoid extreme restrictions tend to be more successful in the long run, which is something we have covered before on the Daily Tonic. However, if you Google “best diet for___,” the top hits will usually lead you to restrictive diets that promise quick results but often do more harm than good.

It's important to acknowledge that the internet is a valuable resource for information, but it's becoming increasingly difficult to find accurate and useful information among all the noise.

It's crucial to approach the information found online with caution and to seek advice from trusted sources whenever you are in doubt.

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