I mentioned last week about how adding years sometimes limits movement for doing everyday chores. There are senior citizens that seem to defy getting older and still maintain strength and flexibility. It seems as if you keep moving and doing some activity that the limits of old age keep any activity a person wants or needs to do still active and working.
One of the limits for senior citizens is the range of motion in the shoulders. A few simple movements can keep the flexibility in the shoulders. The easiest is to hold the arms out to the side and try to walk through a doorway. The same for overhead movement trying to reach something from a top shelf. Place the hands on the wall just above the head and then bend over at the waist and the arms will move through a full range of motion. And the old windmill motion with the arms still works. A reminder for any of the flexibility movements is to go slow and ease into the exercise.
The neck and upper back area are also a problem. As you limit movement in the neck it seems as if looking to the right or left becomes less. This can lead to problems when a person is driving and needs to check for traffic at an intersection. I recommend using a hand towel on the side of the head and while the hands slowly rotate the head to the side. The extra pull from the hands will increase the range of motion and at the same time strengthen the muscles of the neck. There is always that movement that a person does when they are trying to get a crick in the neck to pop and push on their chin.
The one problem I see is the forward head and round or slouched shoulders in people. For tumblers the rule is the body follows the lead of the head. For a forward somersault the head moves forward.
For a backward somersault the head moves backward. For a twisting movement the head turns to the side. The body follows the direction of the head. The problem I see for the older generations and even younger generations today is the use of cell phones. Watching people today it seems everyone has their head down looking at their cell phones. And the amount of time the head is down is measured in hours it seems. The muscles of the back of the neck and upper back are that of a person with a hunchback. A term for this is called kyphosis, or rounded upper back. When I see younger people with their heads forward I try to imagine what their posture will be when they become senior citizens.
An example I use is with a woman who was an accountant I trained. She said that she would have headaches every day at 2:00 o’clock. She held her head off to the side and forward reading receipts to record on her computer. The head weighs roughly about 12 – 15 pounds and the muscles of the neck will tire after supporting the head for several hours. The muscles become tired and strained and the headache soon follows. With some exercises for the neck and upper back and shoulders to strengthen those muscles the headaches disappeared. I told her to do the exercises twice a week and it will keep the headaches from coming back.
With young people spending hours looking at cell phones with their head looking down and the shoulders and upper back rounded the consequences of this posture will result in kyphosis as they get older. One correction is to do a series of exercises for the neck and upper back (trapezius muscle) to strengthen them and stand up straighter. Another method to help this condition is to take a pillow or long styrofoam tube and lay on the floor with the support across the upper back. The weight of the head and shoulders will cause the upper back to reduce that kyphosis curve and stretch the muscles that are shortened from that forward head and slouched shoulder position.
It seems that I am seeing more ads on television for elastic bands or straps for a person to wear that will pull the shoulders back into a more correct posture position. If a company is spending money to advertise correctional wear to combat slouched shoulders and kyphosis there must be a market for their product. A simple observation of the general public and the use of cell phones with the resulting head down and slouched shoulders will find the number of people in this category amazingly numerous.
For runners the, upright posture is still the best position to be in for a race or jog around the block. With the head down and shoulders slouched the chest is limited for getting a good breath.
Moe Johnson Running with Moe
