Weekend Challenge: Shoulder Flexibility Booster - Save Our Bones

This weekend’s exercise focuses on shoulder flexibility. You might wonder why this is important. After all, aren’t strength, mobility, and stability more paramount, especially for fracture avoidance?

In actuality, flexibility, strength, mobility, and stability all play into the big picture of bone health. Each one works in an orchestrated dynamic that promotes good posture, reliable balance, and fracture-resistant bones.

Of course, this interplay can get thrown off balance, and consequently, so can you! That’s why this weekend’s challenge is designed to help release the shoulders, promoting flexibility and mobility, helping to restore that balance and improve your posture.

Why:

The shoulder joints are two of the most mobile joints in the entire body, making them prone to instability. The ball of the ball-and-socket arrangement is actually larger than the socket, increasing articulation but also making the shoulder reliant on the strength and flexibility of tendons, ligaments, and muscles to hold it in place.

Due to injury, inflammation, arthritis, lack of use, overuse, repetitive motions, and other, these tissues can become weak, tight, or inflamed, causing immobility and shoulder pain.

Unstable, tight shoulders have various deleterious effects on bone health (and overall health as well). They include the following.

  • Poor posture, which is a topic we discussed often here at the Save Institute, can be a direct result of slumped shoulders. The position of the shoulders is integral to the proper alignment of the entire upper back and, ultimately, the whole spine. Weak, unstable, misaligned shoulders can set the stage for kyphosis, or Dowager’s Hump.
  • Here is one of many weekend challenges where you can learn more about the role of shoulder position and posture: the Shoulder Pain Preventer.
  • Tight, immobile shoulders can cause (and be affected by) an unstable lower back. To keep the spine aligned and your body upright, the lower back should provide stability while the shoulders provide mobility. But when the lower back is unstable, the shoulders tighten up as the body must hold you up in some capacity. Tight shoulders then allow the lower back to become weak and unstable. This is an example of stability and mobility being essential for each other’s full function to be realized.
  • If your shoulders are immobile, you’re less likely to exercise, and that sets the stage for a host of health problems, including the aforementioned kyphosis. Your body needs regular exercise to function optimally and to build strong bones, and shoulder problems can prevent a healthy exercise routine. And lack of use is just as damaging to the shoulder as overuse.
  • Weak shoulders mean compromised motion in the rest of your workout…and during the rest of the day. This is why the Shoulder Flexibility Booster is a good way to start your exercise session – it loosens and releases the shoulder joints so you can approach the rest of your workout (and your day!) with better functioning shoulder joints.

How:

Use an exercise mat to make this move more comfortable.

  1. Lie on your back with your arms straight out from your sides and your knees bent, feet flat on the floor. Relax your spine and take a few deep breaths.
  2. Raise your arms straight up so they’re perpendicular to the floor, palms facing down toward your feet. Your shoulders should be flat against the floor.
  3. Keeping your arms in this position, slowly raise your shoulder blades up, as if reaching for something high above you. Keep your spine on the floor and your ribcage still; try to move only your shoulder blades.
  4. Slowly bring your shoulders back down and squeeze your shoulder blades together, keeping as much of your upper back on the floor as possible.
  5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 about eight times, more or less depending on your comfort and fitness level.

Now if you like, you can turn over on your stomach and follow up with the Upper Back And Shoulder Straightener.

I understand that not everyone can get up and down off the floor easily. If you prefer to stand up, or if you just want to round out your workout by targeting this area some more, here are two more weekend challenges that fit the bill:

Densercise™ Combines Flexibility And Stability

To build bone and reverse osteoporosis or osteopenia, it’s essential to address strength and stability while also working on flexibility and mobility. The Densercise™ Epidensity Training System covers all of these elements, giving you the ultimate workout for building strong bones and achieving optimal mobility all over your body.

And of course, Densercise™ is an indispensable tool for fracture prevention. There are more than 50 exercises in Densercise™, and many of them target areas of the skeleton that are prone to fracture, such as the wrists, hips, and ankles. Densercise™ includes warm-ups, stretches, and cool-downs as well, and it only takes 15 minutes, three days a week.

Densercise™ consists of three components: the Densercise™ Manual, which is the main element of the Densercise™ system; it’s an illustrated guide that describes each exercise and what part of the body it targets. Also included is the Densercise™ Eating Guide, which outlines the best foods to eat before and after your workout so your bones will have the nourishment they need; and third, Densercise™ includes a collection of demonstration videos, meant to be viewed online, that are intended to clarify exactly how to do each move.

With Densercise™, you’re sure to get a well-rounded, comprehensive workout!

Take Exercising For Your Bones to the Next Level!

Learn the 52 exercise moves that jumpstart bone-building – all backed by the latest in epigenetics research.

Learn More Now →

I hope you’ve enjoyed this weekend’s challenge. I welcome you to share your thoughts about it with the community by leaving a comment below.

Have a great weekend!

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Comments on this article are closed.

  1. Siew

    I have T12#sustained from motor vehicle accident in 1994.now diagnosed with osteoporosis around hip region.have stayed mobile by regular ex,some of which I followed ur programme.now a senior citizen fully retired I also attend hydrotherapy.tq so much,ur programme has been most helpful.wish u all the best

    • Vivian Goldschmidt, MA

      Good news, Siew. Thanks for sharing, and keep exercising!

  2. Carol

    This is just what I needed. A few weeks ago I was so excited to get my veggie nutribullet. When I went to lock in the bow I turned it too hard and heard a pop in my shoulder and felt pain immediately. It’s a lot better now but hopefully this exercise will help to make the shoulder more stable. Thank you.

    • Vivian Goldschmidt, MA

      I am so sorry to hear about your injury, Carol! I’m glad you’re feeling better, and I hope you will find this exercise beneficial. Remember, if you have any doubt about performing any exercise, make sure to check with your doctor or physical therapist first.

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