daily life

 
Lithuania, 1967. My mom is in the center, with my sister and me on either side of her.

My mom had beautiful posture when she was young, as you can see in the photo above. Here she is, flanked by my sister and me. Note her open chest, lengthened neck, and head pivoting on the axis of the spine. I believe healthy posture has helped her age well. When she recently developed leg pain, she assumed it was part of the aging process and that there was nothing she could do about it. But happily, after working with some Gokhale Method techniques, her pain has subsided.

As a result, she now sleeps better and has more energy. She’s even resumed some light housekeeping. To help protect her back while vacuuming and sweeping the floor, I taught her the inner corset technique.

The inner corset: what is it?
Anytime one lifts, twists, or moves their arms or legs away from the body, there is an opportunity to distort the spine. Distortion puts unhealthy stress on bones, joints, and nerves. The inner corset technique is crucial in protecting one's back while in action. It lengthens and decompresses the spine by activating our deepest abdominal and deepest back muscles (transversus abdominis, obliques and rotatores, and multifidi). This muscular engagement forms a “corset,” which preserves the spine through physical activities. Notice how the discs are protected with extra space in the illustration below.

We all have this muscular engagement pattern available. It is automatically activated with activity that poses an immediate threat to the spine, such as jumping off a high place. However, when the threat is low: picking up a grocery bag or vacuuming, this instinctive bracing is not activated. Most back problems are a result of cumulative misuse of the body. Therefore, learning to use the inner corset in daily activities is the key!

Hands-on help from a Gokhale Method teacher is the best way to find the right muscles. This is true of teaching my mom, as well. While working with her, I was able to help her use her breath to engage her inner corset (see below). Teachers often practice this with students several times to create new muscle memory, and I did the same with my mom. 

 
Helping my mom locate the correct muscles by using her breath also helps her build muscle memory.

Vacuuming with an active inner corset
Alas, with her inner corset in place, my mom is now ready for action. She has always enjoyed housekeeping and continues to vacuum and clean at 95! Now she can keep her back lengthened and maintain her spine’s structural integrity while she does this work. Engaging her inner corset allows her arms to move independently of her torso. It’s a win-win: a workout session for the abdominal and back muscles; meanwhile, the back is protected, and the house is clean! 

My mom shows no sign of slowing down now that she’s learned Gokhale Method techniques.

Summary
I am so grateful my mom gave the Gokhale Method a chance. Not only did it help relieve her nighttime leg pain — as I described in my previous blog post — she now has tools to keep her activities safe! To her huge credit, it took an open mind, a bit of courage, and effort to try something new. I am so proud of her. I believe one is never too old to learn a few Gokhale Method tricks. And we never know what changes are possible until we try!

This is the second post in our series on shoulder positioning. Read Part 1 here!

Typing with shoulders too far forward.

Often, in industrialized cultures, the shoulders are slumped or held forward. There are so many daily tasks in the modern world that make it all too easy for these bad habits to set in: holding our arms out front for hours with poor shoulder placement while we are typing, gaming, driving, and so on. Over the years this is likely to cause various problems:

• Impingement, bursitis, wear-and-tear

• Reduced circulation to the arms 

• Compromised breathing patterns

• Reduced athletic performance, increased injuries

• Hunched upper back and forward head

Common pitfalls in getting the shoulders back
Unfortunately, well-intentioned advice such as “pull your shoulders back” often has negative consequences. When we try and correct our shoulder position by pulling back, we are likely to either tense and sway our lower backs, or tighten the rhomboid muscles between our shoulder blades —  or both! Neither of these responses are healthy or comfortable for very long.

Meet the rhomboids
The rhomboids, which pull the shoulder blades together, are not designed to be squeezed tightly for long periods. If you consistently rely on them to pull your shoulders back, they can become sore, knotted, and inflamed

The rhomboids are not designed to be squeezed tightly for long periods. Original image courtesy Wikimedia user Anatomography under CC BY-SA 2.1 jp.

Those of you familiar with the Gokhale Method are probably already practicing the shoulder roll. This gentle movement brings the shoulders home to a naturally sustainable position.  For detailed tips on refining your shoulder roll, please see my recent blog post on shoulder positioning.

Though the rhomboids should not be continuously contracted when you are upright, they exist for good reason. The rhomboids play an important role in keeping the shoulder joint stable, especially when you bend forward, carry heavy objects, or reach for something in front of you. These actions would otherwise displace the shoulders forward. 

Inactive or weak rhomboids allow the shoulders to be pulled forward when carrying loads in front of the body.

Changing lifestyles

This farmer doesn’t bring his shoulder forward to carry his watering can.
 

This Burkinabé teenager pounds millet with her shoulders staying far back.

Our ancestors, like people in traditional and non-industrialized cultures today, had many more opportunities in daily life to use their rhomboids and upper back muscles: drawing water, clearing land, sweeping the yard, and harvesting crops. We can get much of this conditioning from sport such as rock climbing, games such as tug-o’-war, and chores such as gardening or vacuuming, but suitable activity may not continue into a more sedentary adult life. Without regular challenges, the muscles of the upper back can become weak and lax, allowing the shoulders to drift forward and the upper back to round.

Rhomboid toner exercise
Exercises are useful to isolate and strengthen muscles that have been systematically under-used. I find the rhomboid toning exercise below to be effective.

1. Hold a physical therapy band or strap. Keep your wrists straight, palms facing up.
2. Begin by performing a shoulder roll. This healthy shoulder position places your rhomboids in a position of mechanical advantage.
3. Pin elbows to your sides at a 90º angle. The position is similar to when you’re carrying a tray.
4. Draw your shoulder blades as close together as you can. Your hands will move away from each other. The band or strap provides resistance to this motion, challenging the rhomboids. Be sure not to tense the shoulders or neck.
5. Hold for a few seconds. Repeat 5 to 10 times.

Getting your rhomboids to work for you when you need them will benefit both your shoulder health and your posture. Next time you are carrying heavy bags or pulling a door towards you, notice how these muscles help to preserve your shoulder position. Sometimes a little pulling back goes a long way!