Now that you are pulling your shoulders back daily, standing taller, breathing better and have improved postural alignment (March fitness blog), let’s continue along the same line. You need to strengthen the muscles that hold your head up and the muscles that keep your shoulders pulled back. Otherwise you might wind up looking like the hunchback of Notre Dame. Try assuming this kind of hunched posture, then swing the Pickleball paddle forehand, backhand and overhead. How powerful do you feel only using your arm instead of your whole body?

Here are a few exercises to improve the strength of your trapezius (mid back) muscles and deep neck muscles to keep your head above your shoulders.

 

First exercise: REVERSE FLY

Hold a face towel in both hands slightly wider than shoulder width while sitting or standing. Place your arms out in front of your body just a bit lower than shoulder height. Pull the towel while breathing out and count to 10. Rest then repeat. Do this exercise 5 times. The action is coming from the mid back muscles not your neck. Avoid letting your wrists or elbows bend.

 

 

 

Second exercise: PECKING

Sitting or standing with a straight back jut your face forward then slowly pull it back, hold for a count of 3 then repeat a total of 10 times. Slightly turn your head to the left, repeat exercise 10 times then turn head to the right and repeat exercise

10 times.

 

 

 

 

Once your shoulders and head are back and in place go quickly to the mirror and introduce yourself to the new you.

 

TIP: I have picked random reps for each exercise. If the exercises are difficult do fewer reps. If the exercises are too easy do more reps. Always inhale relaxed and exhale with abs pulled in.

 

 

 

GOT BACK PAIN? Stand Up Straight and Save Your Back

Are you suffering from back pain?  This is a very complex issue.  I hear from many of you during tournaments about pulled back muscles.  There are so many reasons for back pain, but I will (out of necessity and writing space) reduce some information to the very basics.

Postural alignment is a huge issue for anyone over 50.  If you are bent forward with a forward head, your back and neck muscles are on stretch and working overtime to hold you upright.  Picture the “Leaning Tower of Pisa”.  Do you look like that?  Problem: you cannot use your back and front muscles EQUALLY to power your PB shots.  You are mostly using your front muscles.  Gravity is attacking us 24/7; we sit, drive, walk and play PB leaning forward.  We never stretch the other way (extension instead of flexion).  Look in the mirror, what do you see? Over use syndrome occurs when your back muscles weaken and the front muscles shorten.  Consequently, you are straining your back almost every shot you make in PB.

Here are two ways to help you accomplish good postural alignment.

Sit on the edge of a stable bench or chair.  Place your hands behind you and grab something to hold on to like the back of the seat.  Pull your shoulders back and pinch your blades (scapula) together.  Lift your chest toward the ceiling, drop your chin.  Inhale deeply into your chest muscles to relax them, exhale, pull your navel in toward your back (getting an abdominal workout good for stabilizing your back).Goal; stretch your front; strengthen your back and deep abdominal muscles.

Standing: reach your hands behind your back and interlace your fingers.  Slide your hands down below your buns.  Pinch your shoulders back and down.  Follow the above breathing.  Do this exercise as often as possible.

Now that you are standing up straight, grab 2 filled water bottles.  Hold them in front of you with straight arms parallel to the floor; squeeze your blades together 25 times while holding the bottles in front of you to challenge and strengthen your mid back.

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TIP OF THE MONTH:  Are you plagued by pesky foot and leg cramps?  Information compliments of Mike Deaton.  Take a tablespoon of mustard (any kind) or pickle juice for the cramps.  Carry mustard with you to tournaments.  Just ask Rose from San Diego or Juanita of Karl and Juanita about their results with mustard.

Quads and Hamstrings (front and back of your upper thighs) protect your knees.  And, we know how important your knees are for Pickleball.   Most people have strong Quads and weak Hamstrings.  To work your Quads, sit in a chair then slightly raise yourself out of the chair and hover close to the seat of the chair.  Hold this position for a count of 25 or 50.  Do this exercise 5 times.  To strengthen your Hamstrings, sit in a chair, place your right foot out in front of you (right leg straight).  Dig your right heel into the carpet and try to pull the carpet back toward the chair. Hold the position for a count of 20 to 40.  Do the exercise on each leg for a total of  8 times (4 times per leg but alternate the leg). To stretch out the Hamstrings after strengthening, sit on the chair, place your foot out in front of you and slightly lean forward until you feel a stretch.  This is the safest way to stretch without injuring your Hamstrings.  MERRY FITNESS!