Why You Feel Stiffer After 60, and Why It’s Not Just Age

I hear it all the time from women in their 50s, 60s and beyond: ‘I’m so stiff.’ Usually it comes with a shrug and a ‘well, I guess that’s just getting older.’

I’ve been teaching Pilates to women over 55 for more than 10 years, and this is a common misconception. I understand why we blame age. But it’s not what I see.

The women who walk in stiffest are usually the ones who’ve been sitting the most. They’ve had a long drive, a weekend of reading or doing more computer work than usual. Once they start moving, a lot of that stiffness eases. Not all of it, but a lot. Here’s why.

We Move Less, and in Fewer Directions

Think about an ordinary day. We sit to eat, sit in the car, sit to watch TV. When we do move, it’s mostly forward: walking, reaching for the kettle, bending to load the dishwasher.

We rarely reach overhead or lean to the side. And in my experience, the body gets very good at the few positions we use every day and a bit rusty at everything else.

Where You Probably Feel It

• Your neck, when you turn to check your blind spot.
• Your shoulders, when you reach for the top shelf.
• Your upper back, rounded forward from reading, phones and computers.
• Your hips, getting in and out of the car.
• Your spine, bending down to tie your shoes.

If any of those sound familiar, you’re in good company.

What I’ve Seen Help

Not stretching harder. Not pushing through it.

In my Pilates classes, we start every session the same way: slow, easy movement to wake up the stiff spots. Then we work on stability, teaching the muscles around those joints to support you so your body doesn’t have to hold on so tightly. Only after that do we build strength.

The order matters. I explain why in more detail in why you feel stiff after 40. My students often tell me they feel looser leaving class than they did walking in. And when they miss a week, they notice. Their body just doesn’t feel right.

A Few Moves to Try Today

You can do all of these sitting tall in a sturdy chair. Move slowly, and stay in a range that feels comfortable. Never push into pain.

1. Neck turns. Turn your head slowly to the right, back to centre, then to the left. Five each side.
2. Shoulder rolls. Roll your shoulders up, back and down five times, then forward five times.
3. Seated cat-cow. With your hands on your knees, round your back and drop your chin, then lift your chest and look ahead. Five times, nice and slow.
4. Seated marching. Lift one knee, then the other, like a slow march. Ten in total.

That’s about five minutes. Try it first thing in the morning or after you’ve been sitting for a while, and notice how you feel afterward.

If you have a specific injury or health condition, check with your doctor before starting something new.

It’s Not All Age

Some stiffness comes with living six or seven decades in a body. But a lot of what we blame on age is really about how little we move and how few ways we move. That part you can change, a few minutes at a time.

If you’d like some help getting started, try my free 5-Day Mobility Reset: five short, gentle sessions, each under 15 minutes, for your shoulders, upper back, hips, neck and spine. You can sign up here: https://www.my-pilates.ca/mobilityreset.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

Where do you feel stiffness? How often do you feel stiff? Have you noticed a pattern of long sitting before the stiffness appears?