The unwitting victim of the sedentary lifestyle is the upper back: the region from the shoulder blades to the base of the neck. Sitting, looking ahead or even worse, down, at a computer screen hours on end, your upper back must resist the load of a teetering bowling ball on your shoulders. Over the years, you'll lose mobility, notice more neck and back pain, and look years beyond your age.
By the time you notice the rounded shoulders and drooping head, you won't be able to correct it by just trying to "stand tall". You'll have to regain the motion first then use the motion you gained.
Some clinician / trainers like to use things like tennis balls, or foam rollers as a wedge to increase the extension in the spine. I don't go there first. The reason is that your spine won't appreciate the sudden increase in load created by, again, a bowling ball dropped over the end of a foam roller. Sometimes it works but I suggest a subtler approach.
Try these:
- Get on the floor on your hands and knees. Place on hand out in front of you (as in the image).
Rock back on your heels slowly and match the pace of your movement to the pace of your breathing. Alternate rocking straight back with rocking to one side or the other. Do this five times and then repeat on the other side; or
- Get a medium to large Swiss Ball (also known as an exercise ball, stability ball, physio-ball). Get on the floor on your knees and place your forearms on the ball. Slowly sit back onto your heels while maintaining contact with the ball on the forearms. You'll feel a stretch in one or more areas: the shoulders, the sides of the trunk, the upper back, or the lower back. Move in and out of the position slowly.
- Using the same Swiss Ball, now combine drill #1 with Drill #2. You'll have one forearm on the ball and rock back onto your heels. Alternate rocking straight back with rocking to one side. Do this five times, slowly, on each side.
These drills are designed to improve joint motion before you try any static stretching. Many times, your mobility will increase dramatically without stretching. The reason is that the gentle rocking motion and very light movements stimulate certain receptors in the joint and associated fascia that reflexively inhibits muscle tension. In a word, you relax.
The more aggressive approach, also pictured, stretches the spinal joints into extension but fails to provide much relaxation to the related shoulder muscles (latissimus dorsi, rotator cuff).
If you sit a lot, you probably would benefit from one of these drills. And, as your posture improves, you'll look ten years younger. No kidding.
DK
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