Why Do Our Muscles Stiffen as We Age?

Why Do Our Muscles Stiffen as We Age?
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Many older people find they’re not able to move as freely as they did when they were younger. They describe their movements as feeling stiff or restricted.

In particular, there’s a feeling of stiffness when getting out of bed first thing in the morning or after sitting for a long period. That eventually eases with movement as the muscles “warm up,” but it can be troublesome. There are a few reasons why this happens.

Andrew Lavender
Andrew Lavender
Author
Senior Lecturer, Institute of Health and Wellbeing, Federation University Australia
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