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Time to Think with Dr. Bacon - Is your Posture Aging Too Quickly?

Time to Think with Dr. Bacon: Posture of the Aging-Are you Starting Early or Do you Hold Your Head Up High?

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The posture of the elderly does not start when you get old, it is acquired over time.

When I think of the aging posture I think of my grandfather. He fit perfectly into his chair, where he spent all hours of the day and night watching TV. When he did stand up, it looked as though he still fit perfectly into that recliner.

I went to this place for lunch the other day (it happens that a lot of younger people eat lunch there) and I couldn’t help but notice the posture of the attractive young men and ladies with their whole lives ahead of them. They were quite fit, but their heads were way out in front of their shoulders (forward head posture) and their hips were clearly in front of their shoulders and arches.

It was so obvious that the pelvis had adapted to the forward head posture, since the hips were under the head. I’m sure most doctors won’t notice that when these people get cold in the winter their lungs fill up with fluid and they get more colds and recover more slowly. No one will attribute it to their posture. If you see them running around or playing sports, if you pay attention you will see the kids with the forward head posture get winded quicker as well.

As they age, they develop neck and shoulder problems, as well lower back, hip, knee and ankle problems. Almost no one will look at their “posture of the elderly” because they aren't old yet. By the time do get old, many if not most will clearly fit perfectly into recliner, ready to watch TV into oblivion.

Most all will have substantially reduced vital capacity very early in life. Vital capacity is the amount of oxygen you are capable of taking in with maximum inhalation. Don’t forget this is measured when you are trying. When you are not trying-breathing normally-the depth of the breath is remarkably less than ideal. This is shallow breathing. This is commonly caused by postural stress on the rib cage. It clearly reduces vital capacity as it strains the breathing mechanism.

Almost all the chemical processes necessary to sustain life in the body are “oxidative” or require oxygen. That is one of the reasons why older folks feel so much better with a little exercise.

One of the simplest ways to exercise is to do use the wobble seat and perform a series of exercises on it. Not only will it help you get oxygen into your system, it will also bring nourishment to the spinal system (discs, muscles, tendons and ligaments).

To work on your posture, put your finger tips on the very lowest ribs on the front of the body. Now, simply raise these ribs upward and outward. Be absolutely sure that you do not tighten up your gluteal’s (butt muscles) or your shoulder muscles. This is all accomplished by not moving anything other than the lower ribs. Now, make sure you let your breath out without lowering the ribs. Next, try to walk-while breathing- and keep the lower ribs up and out for as long as possible.

Every time you see someone with slumped over posture or forward head posture- do this exercise. In 4-6 months you’ll see it feels much better to do this and much worse when you slump. You will notice that it will take less effort to stand up straight than it does to slump- and you will notice you are breathing easier.

Breathe well and straighten up!