Here are some simple exercises to use as part of your warm up or to help improve your posture. The first two can be done with only bodyweight and can be done standing or lying face down.
You can use this to help stretch the front of the shoulders and “activate” or turn on the rotator cuff and posterior shoulder, as well as the upper back. The TRX is a great training tool and also great for reinforcing posture and strengthening the upper and mid back.
A great compliment to these exercises is using Indian clubs for increased flexibility and coordination involving the upper body.
Indian clubs are a great way to enhance or maintain your posture and shoulder mobility. They can be used as part of a dynamic warmup for the upper body, prior to sports or a workout.
Weighted clubs have been used for physical training for centuries in India and neighboring countries – heavier clubs for strength, and lighter clubs for coordination and mobility. They could be found in many turn of the century or early 1900’s gymnasiums.
I’ve used Indian clubs weighing 1or 2 pounds for a while now and they are a great way to warmup. The circular movements train the wrist, elbow, and shoulder at the same time, lubricating the joints. There are many different patterns that can be used, from simple to complex.
Someone who has lost some mobility and maybe has some posture issues can start with basic pendulum moves and gradually add more complex patterns. The more difficult patterns increase upper body coordination – teaching all the joints to work together.
They force you to expand your ribcage as you swing them overhead – perfect for someone sitting at a desk all day with poor posture. I think that they work well with joint mobility programs that are done with bodyweight. They add just enough resistance to make additional demands on the body.
They can be used by the older golfer, baseball player or tennis player who wants to keep from losing their mobility. They also are great for those doing strength training.
I’ve got some wear and tear on my shoulders from lifting weights with poor posture and they help me keep training intensely, past the age of 40.
Improving your thoracic mobility may add some distance to your golf drive. If you’re like many people, you may have had some posture changes as you get older.
Spending most of your time sitting – at work, in the car, or in front of the TV or computer – can negatively affect your posture over time.
When your shoulders round forward, your thoracic spine can also have too much of a curve. This results in a loss of mobility which can take distance off your golf swing, as well as place unnecessary stress on your shoulders.
Golfers who have lost movement in the hip and thoracic regions may use their low backs to make up for lost rotation. This is not good for your back!
Here is one way to improve that mobility. Chiropractic care and/or skilled massage therapy can help increase movement, as well.
In previous articles, I covered abdominal (diaphragm) breathing, which can also improve your ability to move properly.
You also need to train your abs and low back for greater stability. New ideas in “core training” have developed the thought that these muscles function more as anti-rotators.
Meaning you should get your rotation at the hip and T-spine, while the abs and low back are providing stability, so that you can generate more power while providing greater protection for your spine.
This follows the joint by joint training ideas of physical therapist Gray Cook – some joints are meant to provide more movement than others.
Loss of thoracic mobility can also result in lost movement at the shoulder. The body is linked together like a chain and one area can affect the function of others above or below it.
Whole body vibration (WBV) platforms have shown to be useful in reducing some of the “symptoms” of aging, by increasing lower body strength, bone mass, balance, and mobility.
In different studies, post-menopausal women have seen an increase in leg strength, bone mass, mobility, and speed of movement. One study saw an increase in bone density at the hip and prevention of bone loss at the spine, while a group that performed standard resistance training saw no significant increase.
One study looked at fat loss when doing vibration training. Group A used a combination of WBV training and resistance training, while group B did resistance training only. Both groups consisted of previously sedentary post-menopausal women.
Both groups increased lean muscle tissue, but group A was the only group that saw a decrease in bodyfat percentage. This group used the Power Plate vibration platform, along with other resistance work.
I personally think that using a combination of methods will get the best results when you are looking to slow down the aging process. I think you get a synergistic effect that is highly beneficial.
WBV platforms have been included in wellness programs designed to maintain or increase strength and prevent falls. By placing the individual in standing positions, you enhance coordination, as multiple joints are all working at the same time.
I believe that this is where you see the balance increases and probably reduce the risk of falls. These weight-bearing positions also place greater stress on your bones, which is a good thing when trying to maintain or increase bone mass.
Exercises done on machines while sitting or lying down, won’t have as much carryover to your activities of daily living, either. Plus, they often place greater stress on your spine than standing exercises.
These platforms can be helpful in activating muscles that were previously “sleeping” due to a sedentary lifestyle. They also increase circulation, because of all the reflex muscle contractions. I think that this helps flush out some of the “garbage” in our cells, helping with fat loss.
If you are a busy Baby Boomer who doesn’t want to spend hours in the gym or healthclub,a combination of WBV training and other strength training methods might be what you are looking for.
Make sure to add in some upper body resistance training to maintain spine strength and proper posture. You know what they say, move it or lose it.
The ancient art of swinging Indian clubs has made a small comeback here in the US, with those involved in martial arts particularly.
These are clubs that resemble skinny bowling pins and weigh about a pound or two, making them ideal for increasing or maintaining shoulder range of motion. You can find many testimonials on the web of people who have increased their mobility or reduced pain in their shoulders.
I was introduced to them by Dick Thomas, the owner of Motion Rx. He had a frozen shoulder when his brother Ed, a PhD in physical education, recommended he try swinging the clubs. At first all he could manage was to swing them back and forth in an arcing movement, like a pendulum.
Gradually, his shoulder movement increased and over time he could swing them overhead in many different circular patterns. Club swinging is great for upper body coordination because they integrate the elbow and wrist in all the movements.
Dick demonstrated some of the different patterns and told me that he could go out and throw a baseball with his adult sons once or twice a year and throw as hard as they could, with no soreness the next day. As anybody who has thrown a baseball will tell you, that’s no small feat for someone over 55.
I like to use them for a few minutes as part of my warmup before doing any upper body exercises. Its a great way to get blood flow to the shoulders and rotator cuff, and good for prevention in my opinion.
Others are using heavier clubs and “maces” for strength and stability. These lighter clubs are more for mobility. The different rotational patterns are important for coordination and swinging them overhead helps expand the ribcage, which can become tight with lack of overhead movement.
One local mixed martial arts legend has successfully used them to help with his shoulder rehab after he hit a sticking point with traditional exercises. I have several pairs of both the (approximately) 1 and 2 pound clubs. For those with decent upper body strength, the 2 pounders work nicely.
You know what they say – use it (move it) or lose it!
Can improper breathing contribute to your chronic pain? Let’s take a look.
The last few years I have come across different experts that believe that a change in your breathing pattern can definitely decrease pain and increase your mobility.
In particular, many people are chest breathers when the majority of your breathing should occur through your diaphragm (stomach). I recently read a newsletter from one of these experts, Dr. Evan Osar. He talked about a client that was referred to him by a friend.
This person had hip pain for about a six year period and had seen physical therapists, chiropractors, massage therapists and personal trainers for specific hip strengthening and therapy.
No results from these various professionals. It was discovered that she had a breathing dysfunction and after some work to help clear this up and restore proper diaphragm breathing, the strength in other muscles started to return.
So what exactly causes this breathing dysfunction? Injuries, too much stress, poor posture – usually its an accumulation of these factors and not just one of them.
Reflexes can also play a part in this dysfunction. In his book Somatics, Dr. Thomas Hanna discusses the role of reflexes in relation to pain and posture issues. He believes that the stooped over look that many associate with aging, is actually more an effect of reflexes.
Today the media is constantly telling us about this recession we are in and of jobs being lost. In stressful times, people are often worried about the future. Hanna states that this worrying can lead the shoulders to round forward and the muscles of the neck and shoulder to contract more than necessary.
This rounded shoulder posture can interfere with your breathing and also make your muscles work over-time, as your body is now “out of alignment” with gravity. This poor alignment can contribute to neck, shoulder, low back, and hip pain!
Inefficient movement can result in pain and loss of mobility. It may also increase your risk of heart attack. One study done in a Minneapolis – St. Paul hospital looked at 153 heart attack patients. It was discovered that all were chest breathers (shallow breathing).
So if this sounds like you, I would look for a professional that can help determine if you need to change the way you breathe. You will then likely need some additional work for both mobility and stability.
Are you training for anything specific? Someone asked me this yesterday as they saw me dragging some of my equipment to the abandoned tennis court where I like to get some outdoor workouts.
“I’m just an old guy trying to stay young,” I replied. Specifically, I want to feel youthful, energetic, and strong for as long as I live – and the way that I do that is by working intensely with full body movements.
This keeps my lean muscle tissue at a decent level and thus, my metabolism elevated. I also focus on flexibility and mobility work to keep my joints healthy and minimize the risk of injury.
There are no guarantees in life but you can be sure if you don’t “work at living,” as Jack LaLanne says, you will probably feel old and rundown no matter what your chronological age. I’ve had my share of injuries from playing sports and lifting weights with poor posture, but I got to admit, I feel no different physically than I did 15 years ago, and I’m in my 40’s.
So what did I do yesterday to “train for a lifetime?” I did some more rope work, after some stretching and warmup with the resistance bands. I also did some stair climbing with the sandbags and some kettlebell swings.
I’ve also been doing plenty of upper body stability work to help keep my chronic shoulder injuries from acting up…. and its working! Bottom line – there are some things out of your control, but if you don’t work at staying young, you give up your say in the matter.
Never heard of such a thing? I use it to describe the ways in which I exercise. I’m kinda ADD and much of my workouts are short and intense - Fire.
I like using circuits involving tools like sandbags, resistance bands, and bodyweight training. I like to get a lot of work done in a short amount of time, instead of doing 90-120 minute exercise sessions.
If you want to burn some fat, turn up the flame – get your heart rate up while working your muscles against some type of resistance. Use exercises that involve multiple muscles and joints, without resting very long between movements.
This type of training can elevate your metabolism for several hours afterwards, burning plenty of calories in the process. There has been quite a bit of research in recent years to back this up, as well as the “in the trenches” results achieved by several fat loss gurus.
But this type of intense training may cause you to “burn out” if done all the time, without taking some time to do some less intense activity/training. It might also lead to some joint inflammation and overuse injuries, if not done properly.
This is where the Ice training comes into play. I like to mix up my intense days with easier days, where I may focus on joint mobility movements or take a walk or hike. Something to give your mind a little break, as well as your body.
The joint mobility movements that I do are like a “Westernized” version of Tai Chi that can include isolated movements of the joints or whole body movements. The main difference is that this can be done in as little as 10-15 minutes – longer, if you want.
This activity incorporates a mind-body connection where you really focus on how your body is feeling while moving. This can help you deal with stress and anxiety, which I am prone to.
I’ve been doing this since 2003 and notice a big difference in my posture and an increased efficiency in my everyday movements. It helps with coordination and can be useful in regaining mobility after an injury.
Being somewhat ADD, I also appreciate the fact that it can be done in a fairly short amount of time. I frequently incorporate it into my warmup to lubricate my joints and get my body ready for further exercise.
So the Fire and Ice Training philosophy kinda mimics my own personality – intense and easy going at the same time. Bottom line, many physical problems are movement related – not enough or too much (overuse injuries).
We all need some balance in our lives and this includes periods of intense activity and less intense.
