Issue #178: The Weight On Your Shoulders
Good morning. It’s Wednesday, April 26th.
Today’s Quick Win
From the Lab: Shoulders - The Octopus of the Human Body
Speed Read: Introducing…Joga
What We’re Reading: Built to Move
“Never say never, because limits, like fears, are often just an illusion.”
The number of Americans with rotator cuff injuries - many of which go undiagnosed. (Source)
From the Lab
How many of us think twice now about serving a tennis ball, throwing a football, or just tossing the ball with our pup?
With age comes shoulder injuries (see Stat of the Day).
Why is this the case?
Shoulder joints are more flexible than any other joint in our body - much more complex than a hinge joint like our elbow or knee. It’s like an octopus (our upper arm with a ball-like rotator cuff) swam into a shell (our shoulder blade).
With our modern posture (C-shaped backs from sitting at a desk all day), the octopus-shell gets messed up and then we lose our range of motion. It’s not by accident that the shoulders are used so heavily in yoga.
It’s not just rotator cuff injuries - it’s probably the root cause of that golf/tennis elbow you’re dealing with too.
So how’s your shoulder mobility? Try This…
Lay down on your stomach with your arms straight out in front of you
With your palms facing each other, grab a broom handle or some other pole/pipe between your index finger and thumb.
While keeping your forehead and stomach on the floor, try to raise the broom up as high as you can without bending your elbows for 5 count inhale and 5 count exhale
The Ready State
The goal is get the broom handle at least 2 inches off the ground for the full 10 seconds.
Need to boost shoulder mobility? Downward dog is a great first step. Make sure you get all five fingers and entire palm on the ground and rotate arms so biceps are pointing to up to the sky.
If that’s too much - or if you’re in the office - you can also do a Wall Hang. It’s the same concept, but slightly easier. Bend at the waist with a flat back (90 degrees) and with straight arms in front of you (head between arms), place hands flat on the wall. Rotate arms to where your biceps are facing up.
Looking for more tips & tricks for your shoulders? Check out this brief video from Lucas Rockwood, Founder of YOGABODY:
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Speed Read
Health & Longevity in the News
Straight Outta Skunk Works: Skunk Works, an elite engineering division inside defense contractor Lockheed Martin, has devised some of the most groundbreaking aircraft to ever take flight. Spoiler - most projects are classified, so much more we don’t know anything about. (Big Think)
Joga for Loon: Kevon Looney used to be unreliable - appearing in only 60% of games his first 6 seasons. He’s played in every game the last 2 - why? Joga, or “Yoga for Jocks.” He credits the practice not only with avoiding injuries, but feeling more energetic and getting him through the mental strain of the NBA playoffs. Another competitive edge for the Warriors - reminds me of our partner @paleochef who works as the team’s personal chef - check out Phat Fudge. (NYTimes)
Life Expectancy Widens: The score in the US: Women 79.1 - Men 73.2 - that’s the largest life expectancy gap in 25 years. There’s a lot of correlation as to why, but men have a higher mortality rate at every age compared to women. Everyone, not just men, should focus on your health and get the support you need. (Washington Post)
What We’re… | Built to Move
Been a fan of Kelly & Juliet Starrett since reading Supple Leopard - which we highlighted in Issue #85 “Creating a Thrive25-Approved Workstation.”
Built to Move is a much easier read full of practical tips for us all to get away from our C-shaped backs from sitting at a desk all day (or looking down at our phone) and back to the way our bodies were intended move with the correct alignment. It’s honestly for everyone - doesn’t matter if you want to squat 300 lbs or just want to be able to move without back pain.
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We’re 40-something dads that felt our bodies and minds start to slow down and we’re not ready for that. We found too much information on every subject. So we started Thrive25 to transform what we’ve learned into something useful for the rest of us to spend just 3-5 min a day to optimize our health & longevity.
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To health!
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The information in this newsletter is for informational purposes only and may not be appropriate or applicable based on your individual circumstances. Thrive25 Labs LLC does not provide medical, professional, or licensed advice. Please connect with your healthcare professional for medical advice specific to your health needs.