It's not just "getting older"
I get asked about this a lot, usually by someone in their late 30s or 40s who's just noticed something's changed. Bending down to tie a shoe feels different. Turning to check the blind spot takes a bit more effort. Getting up off the floor after playing with the grandkids isn't quite as smooth as it used to be.
The easy thing to do is shrug and say "that's just getting older." That's the full story, and the research backs me up on this.
It's not your whole body giving up on you
A study out of the University of Otago looked at how much range of motion people lose in their lower back as they age, and found it doesn't happen gradually or evenly(1). There are two windows where it really speeds up: the 40s, and again after 60.
Makes sense when you think about it. Most of our days are spent sitting, driving, or hunched over a phone, all in a pretty narrow range of movement. We just don't ask our spine to bend, twist and reach the way we did as kids. So it stops being able to.
That's actually good news. If mobility loss is about disuse rather than some unstoppable countdown clock, it's something you can do something about.
Why it's worth taking seriously
Here's the bit that matters beyond just feeling stiff: about 1 in 3 adults over 65 has a fall each year, and falls are one of the biggest reasons people lose their independence as they age. Balance, strength and mobility all play a part in that, and they tend to fade together if nobody's working on them.
The flip side of that is genuinely encouraging. Researchers at the University of Otago tested a simple home-based programme of strength, balance and mobility exercises with a group of older women, and it cut their falls by 35%(2). That trial is now over 25 years old and has been repeated in more than a hundred studies since, it's one of the most solid pieces of evidence we have in this space. Mobility work isn't the warm-up before the "real" training. It's part of what keeps you steady and independent for the long run.
If you're in perimenopause, there's another layer
Joint aches and stiffness catch a lot of women off guard during perimenopause, and it's rarely talked about compared to the hot flushes and sleep issues. Oestrogen plays a role in keeping joints lubricated and calm, so as levels drop, joints can feel crankier than they used to.
Dr Stacy Sims, who's done a huge amount of research on women's training through this life stage, talks about this a lot, this is exactly the point where mobility and soft tissue work deserve more attention, not less. And there's real evidence that staying active helps: a long-term study tracking Australian women found that the more physically active they were in their 70s, the less likely they were to develop ongoing joint stiffness a few years on(3).
So if your joints feel different lately, it's not in your head, and it's not something you just have to put up with.
What actually helps
You don't need a whole extra session for this. A few things make the real difference:
- Move your joints through their full range, often. A few overhead reaches, some trunk twists, opening up your hips, done regularly beats an occasional big stretch.
- Train strength through full range of motion. A proper deep squat or a full shoulder press is doing mobility work at the same time as building strength, you don't need to separate the two.
- Little and often wins. A few minutes most days protects your range better than one long stretch session a week.
- Start before it's a problem. It's much easier to keep the mobility you've got than to win back what's been lost, though it's absolutely still worth doing either way.
I'll be honest, this isn't something that just happens for me either. I have to actually plan it into my week the same way I plan my strength sessions, otherwise it gets pushed out. Right now that's a Yoga session, plus some upper back prehab work (physio sessions inside DediKate). I've noticed a real difference in my range of motion since I started, and it's taken a lot of the edge off a niggle I've had in my back for a while.
Mobility doesn't get the credit it deserves. It's not the thing you track on a spreadsheet. But it's what lets you get off the floor without thinking about it, reach the top shelf, or catch yourself if you trip, for years to come. It deserves a real place in your training, not just a quick stretch before you get to the "proper" workout.
That's why I'm genuinely excited about our new DediKate'd Mobility section alongside Physio (Prehab and Rehab sessions), Calmé (stretching and relaxation) and Core Connect (pelvic floor health) under Mobility & Recovery inside DediKate. This has been a while in the making, and I can't wait for you to get into it.
Wherever you're starting from, there's something in there for you.
