The One Easy Stretch Physical Therapists Are Begging People Over 50 to Start Doing ASAP

The majority of adults spend a lot of time hunched over. We hunch over our computers. We hunch over our phones. We hunch over our steering wheels. While it may feel comfortable in the moment, the body eventually pays the price.

This is why it’s not uncommon for people in their 50s to start experiencing aches and pains (especially in their back) as well as poor posture. To help undo some of the damage being hunched over can cause, physical therapists have some tips—including one easy stretch they recommend people 50 and older do regularly.

Related: Hunched Over and Dealing With Back Pain? Try These 12 Exercises for Better Posture

How Posture Changes After 50

Physical therapist and health coach Dr. Shawn Weiss, DPT, says it’s not uncommon to notice that it’s harder to maintain proper posture after 50 and this, she says, impacts health in other ways. “As we start showing more rounding of the shoulders and forward head position, the muscles in our chest wall become tight. As a result, when we are not standing upright, we lose our ability to fully expand our lungs and get the maximum air exchange in our lungs,” she says. In other words, poor posture makes it harder to breathe well.

Lindy Royer, NCPT, a physical therapist, pain expert, Pilates teacher and Balanced Body educator, adds to this, saying that the shoulders and trunk often lose mobility with age. Maybe you’ve noticed this first-hand, finding it more challenging than it used to be to swing a tennis racket or reach for high objects.

While changes in posture and mobility after 50 are common, they aren’t inevitable. One common way to prevent or undo some of the damage being hunched over can cause is stretching.

Related: This Is the Absolute Best Walking Workout for People Over 50, According to a Physical Therapist

An Easy Stretch That Supports Posture

There’s one stretch that Dr. Weiss says she recommends to everyone over 50—and it’s super easy: the doorway stretch. Here’s how to do it:

Doorway stretch

1. Stand in a doorway and brace your forearms against the doorframe. Keep both arms at right angles—your body should look like a football goalpost.

2. Place one foot in front of you and one behind so they're in two different rooms.

3. Push your front leg through the doorway and hold 20 to 30 seconds per side. You should feel a strong but comfortable stretch across the front of your chest.

“This is an amazing stretch for posture and respiratory function,” Dr. Weiss says. She explains that this stretch targets the shoulders and pectoral muscles (which connects the chest with the bones of the upper arms and shoulders). It’s the reverse of rounding your shoulders forward while sitting at your desk, driving or looking at your phone.

“I recommend doing this stretch one to three times a day,” Dr. Weiss says. Doing so, she adds, could help decrease neck pain, back pain and headaches.

Related: This 30-Second Exercise Is a Gamechanger for Improving Posture, According to a Back Specialist

3 Other Ways To Support Posture as You Age

There are other ways to support your posture and mobility as you age, including two more stretches Dr. Weiss and Royer like and one specific type of physical activity:

1. Scarecrow stretch

Dr. Weiss recommends doing this stretch four times a week to help with shoulder and trunk mobility. “Mobility is a combination of range of motion and strength, and this exercise includes an important shoulder and upper back strength component, making it more effective in combating the loss of shoulder mobility we get as we age,” she says. Here’s how to do it:

1. Lie on your stomach with a towel under your forehead to support the head. Extend your legs straight out behind you.

2. Place your arms to the side in a goalpost position—90 degrees at the shoulders and 90 degrees at the elbows—keeping your wrists straight.

3. Keeping the elbows on the floor and the wrists straight, slowly pivot at the shoulders to lift just the hands and forearms off the floor. There will be minimal movement for most people in this position. The elbows stay on the floor.

4. Lower the forearms and hands slowly. Repeat five to 10 times.

2. Hamstring stretch

Dr. Weiss says that this stretch can be done sitting or standing; whatever you prefer. Like the doorway stretch, she recommends doing it one to three times a day. “The hamstrings play a vital part in posture, she explains. “If our hamstrings are tight, we are not able to stand fully erect and straighten our knees. In addition, tight hamstrings due to excessive sitting—such as with desk jobs or driving—will cause low back pain due to the constant pressure of being stressed on the pelvis.”

The below directions are for how to do a standing hamstring stretch, but you can do it sitting down, if that is more comfortable to you.

1. Stand upright with the spine in a neutral position. Place your leg on a chair or stool with the foot flexed so the toes point toward the ceiling.

2. Keep your back straight and hands on hips as you lean forward until you feel a stretch behind the knee and in back of thigh.

3. To increase the intensity of the stretch, bend forward slightly, placing the hands on the leg or the table for support. Hold the stretch for 30 seconds.

3. Walking

Last, both experts say that walking regularly can help with posture and mobility as well as helping to prevent age-related injuries. To improve your mobility and alignment through walking, make sure you are standing up straight and not leaning forward or backward. Keep your shoulders back, down and relaxed; they should not inch up toward your ears.

Remember, bad posture does not have to be a side effect of aging. “We begin to lose mobility due to a variety of factors after age 35. This does not have to be the case. By implementing a consistent program of mobility training, we can counteract the effects of this loss,” Royer says. Stretch regularly and stay active—your future self with thank you!

Next up, check out this no-equipment workout perfect for people over 50.

Sources

• Dr. Shawn Weiss, DPT, physical therapist and health coach

• Lindy Royer, NCPT, physical therapist, pain expert, Pilates teacher and Balanced Body educator