As an exercise physiologist and corrective movement specialist, I specialize in assisting people over 40, and my focus is (as you already know) Parkinson’s disease. I have many orthopedic clients that don’t have PD, but I see similar issues with postural malalignment. I love my personal clients because I can really get into the issues with their tissue.
Today we will address forward rounding and poor posture. I’m going to focus on PD because it is like accelerating aging. Stooped posture can cause serious stress on the joints resulting in neck, back, and jaw pain. It also creates a huge risk for falling as the body tries to “catch up” with the momentum of the forward flexing of the spine.
When a body is stooped forward the lungs can’t fully expand and the ribs are almost always jammed. This limits the diaphragm from a release-contract full breath cycle. When your breathing is shallow and compromised it causes a host of other serious health problems.
Poor posture causes fatigue. Your body is trying to maintain proper posture, and that requires a lot of energy. Also, stooped upper back posture affects your lower back as it constantly tries to pull you in the “right” position.
This exercise is thoracic extension (good full breaths) while promoting rib movement.
- Start seated in a chair.
- Sit as tall as you can, bending your arms and placing your hands over your ears with the fingers cradling your head (Do not lace your fingers behind your head). Elbows should be straight out from your shoulders, as if you were holding a ball in front of your face.
- Inhale fully, and as you exhale lift your heart to the sky while leaning back. You should have the sensation that you are lifting your elbows upward.
- Support your head to keep your chin level and avoid extending your head back.
- The movement should come from your upper back. If your back is really tight or if you have very stooped posture, your neck will try to make up for this.
- Keep thinking heart to the sky. This movement should be small.
- Repeat 5 times, and do it 2 times/day.