Here's a secret to staying flexible and relatively pain-free as you age: Stay away from school sports!! Especially football! Okay, maybe it's too late for you, but you can still save your kids or grandkids from the misery being described here. I was the kid watching from the sidelines and now at 74 I can touch my knuckles on the floor while keeping my knees straight, hold my arms straight up over my head, put my pants on standing up, kick chest high, lace my fingers behind my head, squeeze 170 lbs. on a bathroom scale while holding it straight out, and almost kick myself in the butt, all without searing, shooting pain. All original equipment joints, too! Yes, I have age-related ailments, but I attribute a major part of having a good range of motion and lack of pain to avoiding the usual childhood stupidity.