Flexibility, Menopause & Longevity: Why Moving Well Matters as We Age

Flexibility, Menopause & Longevity: Why Moving Well Matters as We Age

Could something as simple as improving your flexibility help you live longer?

We talk a lot about the importance of strength training, cardiovascular fitness and maintaining a healthy weight as we get older. But there's another part of our physical wellbeing that often gets overlooked - flexibility.

And some fascinating research suggests it could be more important than we realise.

As a Menopause Wellness Practitioner and fitness instructor, I spend a lot of time encouraging women to build strength, improve their balance and keep moving. But flexibility and mobility are just as important when it comes to maintaining our independence and quality of life as we age.

Because, ultimately, it's not just about living longer. It's about living better for longer.

What Does the Research Tell Us?

A recent article in BBC Science Focus highlighted a study published in 2024 which followed middle-aged adults over an average of 13 years.

Researchers assessed flexibility across several joints, including the ankles, knees, hips, spine, shoulders, elbows and wrists.

What they discovered was particularly interesting.

People with lower flexibility scores had a higher risk of dying during the study period, and the association was especially strong in women.

In fact, women with the lowest flexibility scores were nearly five times more likely to die during the follow-up period than those with higher scores.

Now, before we all start desperately trying to touch our toes, there's something important to understand:

The research doesn't prove that being more flexible makes you live longer.

It identifies an association, not cause and effect. Other aspects of health and physical fitness may help explain the findings.

Nevertheless, it raises an interesting question about whether flexibility deserves more attention as part of healthy ageing.

Why Does Flexibility Matter During Menopause?

As we move through perimenopause, menopause and beyond, our bodies undergo changes that can affect how we move and feel.

Fluctuating and declining oestrogen levels can influence muscle and joint health, while sleep disruption, fatigue and changes in physical activity can leave us feeling increasingly stiff and uncomfortable.

Perhaps you've noticed:

• Getting out of bed feeling stiffer than you used to.

• Finding it harder to bend down and put your shoes on.

• Tightness around your hips, shoulders or lower back.

• Feeling less confident with certain movements.

• Struggling to get down onto the floor or back up again.

• Aches and pains that seem to appear from nowhere.

Sound familiar?

These changes aren't necessarily inevitable consequences of menopause, and we shouldn't automatically put every ache or pain down to hormones.

But they are a reminder that looking after our muscles, joints and movement patterns becomes increasingly important during midlife.

And the good news? We can do something about it.

Flexibility and Mobility - What's the Difference?

Although the two terms are often used interchangeably, they're not quite the same.

Flexibility refers to how far a muscle and joint can comfortably move through a particular range.

Mobility is our ability to actively control movement through that range, using strength, coordination and stability.

Think about reaching overhead to put something into a cupboard.

You need enough flexibility around your shoulders to lift your arms, but you also need strength and control to manage the movement safely.

Or consider getting down onto the floor to play with your grandchildren.

You need flexibility, yes, but also leg strength, balance, coordination and confidence.

This is why I believe movement training should never focus on just one element of fitness.

We need a combination of strength, flexibility, mobility and balance to help us continue doing the things we love.

Why Strength Training Is Part of the Picture

One of the most interesting points raised in the research is that strength training can also help improve flexibility.

When we perform exercises through a comfortable, controlled range of movement, we're not just strengthening our muscles. We're also helping our bodies maintain and potentially improve their range of motion.

Think about a squat - you're strengthening your legs and glutes, but you're also moving through your hips, knees and ankles.

Or a controlled overhead press, which develops upper-body strength while encouraging shoulder mobility.

This is one of the reasons I'm so passionate about functional strength training for midlife women.

We're not training simply to lift heavier weights or change how our bodies look.

We're training to make everyday life easier.

To climb stairs, carry shopping, lift suitcases, enjoy walking holidays, get up from the floor and remain active as we get older.

Strength gives us the ability to move. Mobility gives us the freedom to use that strength.

And together, they're a powerful combination.

You Don't Have to Be Able to Touch Your Toes!

I often hear women say they're not flexible enough to try yoga or Pilates.

But that's rather like saying you're not fit enough to start exercising!

You don't need to be naturally flexible to benefit from movement.

And you certainly don't need to be able to fold yourself in half.

In fact, being excessively flexible isn't necessarily beneficial if you don't have the strength and stability to control that movement.

The aim isn't to become a contortionist.

It's to maintain a comfortable, useful range of movement that supports your everyday life.

And that will look different for everyone.

Five Simple Ways to Improve Your Flexibility and Mobility

The encouraging thing about flexibility training is that you don't need to spend hours doing it.

Research suggests that relatively small amounts of regular stretching can improve flexibility, although the amount needed will vary between individuals and muscle groups.

Here are five ways to introduce more movement into your day.

1. Start your day with gentle mobility

Before rushing into your morning routine, spend a few minutes moving your shoulders, rotating your ankles, gently mobilising your spine and opening your hips.

Nothing complicated. Just remind your body that it's designed to move.

2. Include strength training

Aim to incorporate regular resistance exercises into your week, using weights, resistance bands or your own body weight.

Focus on good technique and a comfortable range of movement.

3. Try Flow, Pilates or Tai Chi

These forms of movement can be wonderful for improving flexibility, balance, coordination and body awareness.

My Flow classes combine elements of yoga and Pilates, helping women develop strength and mobility while enjoying movement to music.

And no, you don't need to be super bendy to join in!

4. Break up long periods of sitting

If you spend much of your day at a desk, get up regularly.

Walk around, stretch your legs, roll your shoulders or do a few gentle standing movements.

Little opportunities to move throughout the day all add up.

5. Make mobility part of everyday life

Reach overhead, practise getting up and down from a chair, move your joints through comfortable ranges and challenge your balance safely.

It doesn't always have to look like a formal workout.

The Bigger Picture - Futureproofing Your Body

Something I talk about regularly with the women I support is futureproofing.

Because what we do in our 40s, 50s and 60s can help shape how we feel and function in our 70s, 80s and beyond.

Of course, we can't prevent every health condition or guarantee a long, healthy life.

But we can take steps to give ourselves the best possible chance of remaining active and independent.

And that means thinking beyond weight loss, dress sizes or how we look in the mirror.

• Can you comfortably get out of a chair without using your hands?

• Can you balance on one leg?

• Can you reach overhead?

• Can you get down onto the floor and back up again?

• Can you walk, climb stairs and enjoy the activities you love?

These are the things that really matter as we get older.

And they're exactly why I encourage women to embrace movement as something we do for our future selves, not as punishment for what we've eaten or because we feel unhappy with our bodies.

It's Never Too Late to Start

Whether you're 45, 55, 65 or beyond, there's an opportunity to improve how you move.

You don't need to suddenly overhaul your entire lifestyle or commit to hours in the gym.

• Start small.

• Build strength gradually.

• Move your body regularly.

• Work on your balance and flexibility.

• And, most importantly, find movement you enjoy enough to keep doing.

  
  

If you're experiencing persistent pain, new joint restrictions or unexplained stiffness, do seek advice from an appropriate healthcare professional rather than simply pushing through.

For me, this is what menopause wellness is really about.

Not trying to turn back the clock.

Not chasing an unrealistic version of ourselves.

But building a stronger, healthier and more capable body that supports us through the next chapter of life.

Because ageing is inevitable. Losing our confidence in what our bodies can do doesn't have to be.

Stronger From Here - Reset, Rebalance, Reconnect

At The Menopause Wellness Centre, I help midlife women build strength, improve mobility, regain confidence and develop sustainable habits that support their long-term wellbeing.

Whether that's through my Flow classes, ladies' strength circuits, online fitness programmes or one-to-one menopause wellness coaching, my approach is about making movement achievable, enjoyable and relevant to everyday life.

Because it's not just about adding years to your life.

It's about adding life to your years.

Sharon Clapp - The Menopause Wellness Centre

Research and further reading

• BBC Science Focus, 29 October 2026 - Flexibility helps you live longer and age well. Here's how to boost yours in minutes

• Araújo and colleagues, 2024 - Research examining flexibility and mortality in middle-aged adults, referenced in the BBC Science Focus article.

This blog provides general wellbeing and fitness information and is not a substitute for individual medical advice.