Anti-Aging Series: Shoulder Strength

Shoulder strength is an important part of everyday function. Carrying groceries, putting things on shelves, cleaning house, playing with grandkids – all require upper body strength and endurance.

When people think about shoulder muscles, they often focus on the top of the shoulder, the superficial deltoid muscles. While these muscles provide a lot of power, several deeper muscles provide critical stability and control to the shoulder joint. These muscles are known as the rotator cuff and scapular stabilizers.

The rotator cuff is a group of four small muscles that provide rotational motion and stability to the shoulder. Think of this group as the “core” of the shoulder, similar to the core muscles in the torso that protect the lower back. A strong and healthy rotator cuff will help protect the shallow, vulnerable shoulder joint. This is especially important with age as posture changes and joint deterioration become more prevalent.

The scapular stabilizers are muscles in the upper back that support the scapula. When the scapula lacks stability, that dysfunction affects the connected shoulder joint. Strengthening the scapular stabilizers provides the shoulder with a strong base of support for motion.

Here are a few exercises to improve strength of the rotator cuff and scapular stabilizers:

Shoulder Rotator Cuff

Band Exercise:

1) Attach a long stretchy band to a wall or doorway, then walk away until the band is taut.

2) Turn your body perpendicular to the band and hold it with one hand. Bring your elbow to your side and bend it ninety degrees.

3) Pull the band away from its attachment, keeping your upper arm and elbow against your side. Return to the starting position slowly. Repeat for ten repetitions, then switch arms and repeat on the other side.

4) Turn your body to face the opposite direction and repeat with each arm. Complete the entire set two to three times.

Alternative Version:

1) Face the band attachment point and lift your arm level with your shoulder, keeping the elbow bent ninety degrees.

2) Perform the same rotational movement, keeping the upper arm in position and moving the lower arm up, then returning slowly to the starting position. Repeat each arm for ten repetitions.

3) Turn to face away from the band and repeat each arm in the opposite direction.

Free Weight Exercise:

1) Hold a pair of light free weights (two to five pounds) with the elbows by your sides and bent to ninety degrees.

2) Keeping the upper arm and elbow against your torso, open the lower arms out until you feel a comfortable stretch, then return to the starting position. Repeat for ten to fifteen repetitions, two to three sets.

Alternative Version:

1) Lift the arms level with the shoulders, keeping the elbow bent ninety degrees.

2) Bring the lower arms up and open, keeping the upper arms in place, until you feel a comfortable stretch. Then return slowly to the starting position. Repeat for ten to fifteen repetitions, two to three sets.

Scapular Stabilizers

Free Weight Exercise:

1) Hold a pair of light free weights (two to five pounds) by your sides with the arms straight.

2) Lift your arms straight out in front of you with the thumbs on top.

3) Open your arms, bringing them parallel to your torso, feeling a slight stretch in the chest. Concentrate on squeezing the muscles in your upper back together without arching the lower back.

4) Return the arms to the front position, then lower them back to your sides. Repeat for ten to fifteen repetitions, two to three sets.

Questions? Looking for more help? Feel free to contact Jenn at jennifer@totalhealthconcepts.net. Or join us for one of our group fitness classes or personal training sessions!

Anti-Aging Series: Stop the Decline!

How do you want to feel when you are sixty, seventy, or even ninety years old? What degree of physical function will you maintain as you grow older? Planning for retirement isn’t just about financial savings. You can take steps to protect your physical, mental, and emotional health for future years as well.

We want you to be able to continue your healthy, active lifestyle for many years to come. Playing with grandkids, running errands and doing housework, traveling, or just taking a walk – all require physical abilities that are affected by aging. You need strength to get up off the couch, flexibility to put on your coat, and balance to prevent falls.

Welcome to our new blog series on strategies for successful aging. Just like saving for retirement a little at a time, these tips will prepare you for retirement physically and teach you how to stop the decline!

Our first topic is shoulder flexibility. As we age, our muscles, tendons, and ligament lose their flexibility, causing stiffness and limited range of motion. Functional abilities such as putting on a coat or reaching to a high shelf become more difficult. 

Here are two key exercises that will help you maintain your shoulder flexibility:

Doorway Stretch

This stretch will improve your anterior shoulder and chest flexibility, opening up the common rounded shoulders posture that develops as we age.

How to do it:

1) Find an open doorway and lift your arms approximately level with your shoulders and bend your elbows ninety degrees. Brace the length of your forearms against the doorframe.

2) Move one foot forward through the doorway while keeping your forearms against the doorframe. Continue to lean forward until you feel a comfortable stretch in the front of your shoulder and chest.

3) Hold for twenty to thirty seconds or until you feel the muscles relax. Repeat three times.

Alternative version 1: Stretch one shoulder at a time by bracing one arm against the doorframe and turning away to open the shoulder and chest.

Alternative version 2: Try different heights for the arms, both higher and lower than shoulder level. Find the stretch that is most effective for you.

Wall Angels

This stretch will improve range of motion of the shoulder joint capsule and further address rounded shoulders posture.

How to do it:

1) Stand with your back against the wall, feet about six inches from the wall, and hips and shoulders directly touching the wall.

2) Bring your arms up into the “I surrender!” position with your forearms touching the wall from elbows to backs of your hands.

3) Slide your forearms up the wall, maintaining complete contact with the wall at your forearms, shoulders, and hips. Go up slowly, easing into the stretch.

4) Stop and hold the stretch for two to three seconds, then ease back to the starting position. Repeat fifteen to twenty times.

Alternative version: Try the same stretch while lying on the floor.

Next time on our anti-aging series: shoulder strength exercises!

The Second Step

They say that the first step is the hardest. I argue that it’s the second.

The initial high-energy burst of motivation acts as a catalyst, jump-starting our journey to a new goal. But exuberance wans with time and uncertainty, and doubt can settle in and zap your drive and enthusiasm. The second step can feel like slogging through the muck, a dirty fight with the negativity taking over your mind.

Have you ever started something and struggled with it for the first few weeks? Yet each positive step feeds back into your motivation, boosts your confidence, and propels you forward – so that next step is just a little easier. That escalation turns into commitment, and then into habit. What was new becomes routine, so ingrained that when you don’t do it, you miss it or feel “off.” That goal is no longer a dream or uncertainty – step-by-step you succeeded, and it becomes part of who you are!

So how can you set yourself up to succeed in that second step? It isn’t about working harder – it’s about working smarter! The right approach to goal setting can give you the upper hand in battling your internal self-doubt.

Think of a step you are ready to take. Then ask yourself the following questions to help refine that step and set you up for success!

1) Is your planned step realistic? Can you see yourself doing it? Visualizing yourself taking this step can promote your belief in your own abilities.

2) When will you complete this step? Plan the details and prioritize a specific time in your schedule to take action. 

3) Do you have the resources you need to complete this step? If not, can you get them? Don’t be afraid to ask for help!

4) How will you hold yourself accountable? Try checking in with a friend or keeping a written log. Look for a nonjudgmental support team that won’t be afraid to ask about your progress but won’t criticize your struggles.

5) What obstacles can you anticipate? Brainstorm creative ways to overcome them so that you are prepared to fight through setbacks. Again, don’t be afraid to ask for help!

6) How confident do you feel in your ability to complete this step? Is there anything you can do or change to improve your level of confidence? The more positive your mindset, the more ammunition you have against future uncertainty and doubt!

7) How can you reward yourself for successfully completing this step? What can you say to support yourself if you experience a setback? Instead of dwelling on your difficulties, learn from them!

Start with that first step – stick your toe in the water and embrace the initial exuberance. Then dive in to the second step and let it build, creating the change towards your goal. With each step it will get easier until, one day, you turn around and stand in awe at how far you’ve come.