Stretch It Out – Flexibility and Optimal Health
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Flexibility is a hot topic, as anyone who's ever tried to contort themselves into downward dog, child's pose, or "happy baby" can attest. In the United States alone, 8.7% of the adult population attended yoga classes last year, an increase of 30% in the past four years. Seeking increased overall fitness, athletic endurance, or inner peace, these afternoon and weekend warriors are joining a rapidly expanding population of Americans dedicated to optimal health. With the population of baby boomers growing an unprecedented 73% by 2020, the demand for both increased quality of life and longevity of years increases by the day. For many, curling one's toes over the eyes is a distant memory of childhood or infancy. (Babies, in fact, possess extraordinarily flexibility - with about 270 bones at birth, only 206 of these remain to form the adult skeleton!) Yet, the profound positive implications of greater flexibility span both time and culture. The Okinawan population of Japan, for example, encompasses a global "blue zone", supporting a higher percentage of healthy and active elders (ages 80+) than anywhere else in the world. One of the central tenets to blue zone inhabitants is an active lifestyle that promotes flexibility and complete…