The corporate world, a student’s life, the daily chores of a housewife etc. – all categories of works have one thing in common – being constantly bent over cell phones, laptops or books. As a result, the body is subjected to hours of forward bending. Over a period of time, this has developed into a deep habitual pattern, a postural assumption which is ‘now’ wrongly presumed to be ‘normal’. This misconception is one of the main sources of the problems associated with upper back weakness, shoulder tightness, shoulder pain, frozen shoulder, cervical spondylosis, reduced lung capacity, shallow breathing etc.
The shoulder joint (glenohumeral joint), a major joint connecting upper limb to trunk, is a ball and socket joint and its health depends on its optimal usage by moving it in all directions (extension, flexion, adduction, abduction, internal rotation, external rotation). Sitting for hours lock this multi-directional joint in one position, thereby limiting the movement of that area and further fueling a lopsided development. This issue is exaggerated by constantly keeping one area lengthened and the other area shortened. The resultant problem is ‘Muscular Imbalance’ of the area and its susceptibility to injuries leading to aches and pains.
The simplest solution to eradicate this particular problem is to perform all the movements that a ball and socket joint should ‘ideally’ perform. ‘Combing your Hair’ could be a great practice in this regard as it allows the joint complete internal as well as external rotation. This will go a long way towards vanishing this concern from your life. Initiate this exercise with 5 rounds per arm and gradually increase the count to 10 rounds per arm. Perform it three times a day and you would be astonished at the worthwhile result.
I have come across cases, where people have been advised major surgery to correct their debilitating shoulder pain. This simple movement saved them and their joint from that fate.
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Shammi Gupta, founder of Shammi’s Yogalaya holds an MA in Yoga Shastra, is a certified Yogic Therapist and Naturopath, has completed an Advanced Yoga Course and holds a Diploma in Yoga Education from Mumbai University. She is a certified trainer from American College of Sports Medicine and holds an MBA in HR & MBA in Finance from The University of Akron, Ohio, USA. She conducts Health Awareness Workshops for Corporate, Yogasana Workshops for Athletes and Yoga Therapy Workshops on different medical issues for patients. Among the celebrities Shammi trains are eminent personalities from the film and television industry and corporate world.