straighter back ?

[Levo-Lon]

Any tips for achieving a good straght back?
As a younger man I was a walk tall pretty fit man.
im now pushing 50 and although im probbably far fitter than I was 10yr ago "cycling and no smoking and virtually drink free" I seem to have gone from a stand up straight head held back to a slouch head down walking type stance?.bitch tits , my Rambo chest is now a 40 ff damn it so I need to get firmed up again as wife laughs too much..
My lower back is very strong as are my legs arms etc from a life of phisicle activity and work but how the hell do you strengthen the top part of the back?
I had half hr this morning stretching and trying variouse excersises I used to do from martial arts squash days but I cant think of a upper back workout.
I get huge aches and quick fatigue around my neck and shoulders painting a celing or anything that requires arms up and why im thinking the road bike hurts so much? I can work all day laying paving or digging etc ,just the upper stuff that gives me grief.

Any thoughts ?

 

[vickster]

Swimming?

Weights in the gym? Rowing in the gym? Hand cycle? Press ups? Dips and all that stuff?

 

[ayceejay]

I understand from your post that you have a physical job (landscaping perhaps?)if I am correct the digging etc that you refer to are one sided your pain and your posture could be related to the work, have you ever noticed a hair dresser (not ALL hairdressers) with round shoulders? As an amateur diagnosis I would say that the problem is in the middle - the 'core' as it is popularly known. Working on flexibility as well as your core may be what you need.

 

[sight-pin]

Just found this 5 exercise plan online which may help. Years ago, exercise 5 in this was good for posture, but we used to pull up with our head/kneck in front of the bar with our hands roughly two shoulder widths apart, when we could do 3 sets of ten easy, we added a dumbbell between the legs supported by a loop of rope around the waste, (that was before the days of health and safety though) lol
http://www.menshealth.co.uk/building-muscle/get-big/5-exercises-for-a-strong-upper-back

 

[Turbo Rider]

You could try some meditation, with your back to the wall at first, to make sure your back is straight. Helps your breathing and loosens up your mind a bit as well - quite cosmic at times - wooooo!

 

[Ganymede]

There is a brilliant passive stretch you can do which will amaze you - take a small hand towel, fold in in 3 crosswise, roll it up into a small sausage shape.

Put a pillow on the floor and lie down with the towel roll aligned along your spine, starting just below the base of your neck (there is a rather prominent vertebra at the base of the spine, below that). Lie there, letting your shoulders and arms lie on the ground. A few minutes - maybe five or ten. You'll find it becoming uncomfortable, don't push it.

Get up gently (don't leap up) and feel how your shoulders are down and your chest has opened up. Do this once a day if you can.

Slumping forward encourages your upper pecs to get tighter and pull your shoulders together at the front. Stretching these muscles will also help - or get a physio to loosen them for you.

When you sit up, think about your shoulder blades sliding down your back and towards each other. There are exercises to work on the upper body of course, but gaining this perception of your posture will help enormously. Just sitting up straight with your shoulder-blades down and not poking out like mini-wings is actually quite an effort!

 

[Levo-Lon]

Good tips there , thankyou..

 

[Levo-Lon]

Just found this 5 exercise plan online which may help. Years ago, exercise 5 in this was good for posture, but we used to pull up with our head/kneck in front of the bar with our hands roughly two shoulder widths apart, when we could do 3 sets of ten easy, we added a dumbbell between the legs supported by a loop of rope around the waste, (that was before the days of health and safety though) lol
http://www.menshealth.co.uk/building-muscle/get-big/5-exercises-for-a-strong-upper-back

thats the sort of thing I couldn't remember..thanks.

I wont pay £50 pcm for bannantines or any other gym now ,I just hate gyms.
I have a very good physio, Ben Barker at bannantines in pboro ,I last visited in september with cracked ribs so I'm due a service again now. I going to be on a training regime after the fatting season as I want to get back to 11 stone 4 ish as im around 12,2 atm and feeling heavy.

 

[vickster]

I pay £16 a month for my gym Enables me to do other things when I am off the bike (which is a lot)!

 

[Levo-Lon]

That's super cheap..
I cant be bothered with gym's anymore..bannantines has everything but you pay for it.

 

[cyberknight]

I have a trapped nerve and shoulder/neck issues which i find are related to poor posture which i have had physio for, have a look at these .

 

[jefmcg]

I was going to suggest you find a physio for a single session just to get an analyse of your muscle imbalances, and a work out to improve it.

As you already have a physio, go talk to him. Don't ask random strangers who can't even see you.

 

[cyberknight]

I used to do a lot of gym work but gave it up as i do not have room for a multi gym anymore so now i use on of those chinning bars you can do pull ups /press ups on mainly and it seems to target what i need along with some dumbells to use for shoulders/ squats .

1st machine
You think press ups are easy ? i can do around 50 normal press ups but on a wide grip on that i can do mebbe 20.

 

[craigwend]

You could try some meditation, with your back to the wall at first, to make sure your back is straight. Helps your breathing and loosens up your mind a bit as well - quite cosmic at times - wooooo!

+1
Try these?
http://franticworld.com/free-meditations-from-mindfulness/

 

[Katherine]

I highly recommend going to Pilates. Don't let a high percentage of females put you off. We have a chap in our class who's been going for years. He's a gardener for the national trust and says the benefits for his back are enormous. I've noticed that I stand straighter and taller after going for a few years. I started after a physio recommended it after I finished a course of treatment for whiplash. I think it's the best thing since sliced bread. At 51,I'm fitter and stronger than I was 10 years ago.

Another tip is to make sure that you stand up straight when rising from a chair before you set off walking.