Let’s Talk Muscles

As people age there are certain muscles that tend to lose strength and others that tend to get tight. We see this consistently in people that do not exercise. Being that we see this pattern consistently, it makes sense that we should be proactive in addressing this. If we can work on strengthening the muscles that get weak and keep the muscles that get tight flexible, we can then in turn slow down aging.

This has been written about extensively by my favorite fitness blogger and author Dan John. Please give him a follow if you already don’t follow him. Let’s talk muscles!

Muscles that get weak:

Rhomboids (middle back)

Triceps (back of arm)

Glutes (butt)

Abs (stomach)

Obliques (sides)

Shoulder

Muscles that get tight:

Traps

Pecs (chest)

Biceps

Hip Flexors (front of hip)

Piriformis (hip muscle)

Hamstrings

Calves

Can you picture what someone with this situation would look like? Their posture would be very rounded shoulders, forward head posture, unable to stand fully erect, arms bent, and without much core strength. Doesn’t that sound like most older people who don’t take care of themselves?

The logical way to avoid this is to spend your exercise time on stretching the muscles that get tight and strengthening the muscles that get weak.

Note for men: Most of you are spending way too much time strengthening your pecs and biceps. Yes, these muscles are the beach muscles that look good, but for long term health you should be spending more time on your back and glute muscles.

Note for women: Don’t be afraid to strength train. You will not become big and bulky I promise. Strong is the new sexy.

Coaches and athletic trainers have known for years that if you want to know who is going to be the strongest athlete on the team, look at all of the players from behind. Whoever has the most developed backs and butts will be the strongest players and the least injury prone. This does not apply to just athletes, this applies to everyone!

I hope this helps you to re-think how you spend your time in the gym. If you need help addressing these issues I can help you! Let’s discuss it next time you are in the office!

Yours in Health,

Dr. Steven Bourdage