As we age, we often hear that we should stretch more. In the past, I didn't really resonate with that idea.

When I thought of stretching, I considered it just a way to loosen up before exercising. However, as I entered my 40s, my perspective began to change.

There are mornings when I wake up and my back feels stiff. When I bend over to wash my face, my body doesn't move as naturally as it used to.

After sitting in front of the computer all day, I sometimes feel stiffness from my lower back to my hips and thighs. The same goes for when I've been driving for a long time and get out of the car.

In my 20s and early 30s, I didn't pay much attention to these things. I didn't notice much difference if I skipped a few days of exercise, and even if I felt a bit tired, a short nap would usually fix it.

But now, I feel that as I age, my body stiffens in proportion to how little I move.

It's said that as we get older, our muscle mass gradually decreases and our joint flexibility diminishes.

On top of that, with habits like spending long hours looking at computers or smartphones and sitting all day, it's not surprising that my neck, shoulders, and back feel stiff.

So nowadays, I consider stretching to be a form of exercise. That said, I don't do anything extravagant.

In the morning, I stretch my arms up, roll my shoulders, and gently stretch my hamstrings and calves.

It may seem trivial, but doing this consistently makes a noticeable difference.

When I think about it, flexibility is quite necessary for the movements we perform in our daily lives.

To pick something up off the floor, I need to bend my back, and to reach for something high, I have to stretch my arms and shoulders.

When driving, I need to turn my neck and back to check behind me.

When I was younger, I took these abilities for granted, but as I age, my perspective changes.

However, I don't think that stretching hard is necessarily the best approach.

It's better to walk lightly or move my body a bit before slowly stretching.

There's no need to push through pain while stretching.

Also, if I decide to stretch for 30 minutes every day from the start, I find it hard to stick with it. I usually can't keep that up for more than a few days.

Instead, I think it's more realistic to do 5 minutes in the morning and 5 minutes in the evening.

It's also fine to stretch my legs while watching TV or to get up and loosen my shoulders and back after sitting at the computer for a long time.

The reasons for exercising as I age seem to be changing as well.

When I was younger, I exercised to build my body or lose weight, but now it feels like I exercise to keep my body comfortable for a long time.

As I reach my 50s and 60s, if I want to comfortably tie my shoelaces, walk for long periods while traveling, and climb stairs without difficulty, I need to manage my body to prevent stiffness starting now.

A daily 10-minute stretch may seem insignificant at first, but I believe it will make a difference in a few years.

Ultimately, as we age, what matters more is not how intensely we exercise, but how consistently we keep our bodies moving.