Frozen shoulder

Strength Tip

Did you know that frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis) is definitely a thing if you're a woman over 40? It's when you get less range of movement in the shoulder joint and it hurts.

It's more common at this age because of falling estrogen levels which starts to dry out connective tissue as well as moving less.

So, how do you hydrate fascia? Oral hydration and movement.

Not only do you need to drink more water* but also eat less sugar as it stiffens connective tissue.

So, movement, what can we do? It's a mixture of a few things. Poor alignment - moving less, sitting down and rounding forwards (thoracic kyphosis), sleeping on the same shoulder for years on end and badly fitting bras. (It's not uncommon for your wangs to get a whole lot bigger after menopause. Get a fitting!)

Exercises you can do

1. Go to yoga of course - lots of poses open the thoracic spine like sphinx, cat/cow, bridge. Others work on shoulders like puppy, hands behind the back, binds, cow face and eagle arms.

Remember that flossing we do with the belt up and over? You know it makes sense Rodney and it stops you looking 90. A tell tale sign you're over the hill is poor posture. However, yoga isn't the cure all - there aren't many pulling movements in yoga so you need to supplement.

2. Strengthen your back muscles, especially your rhomboids (between the shoulder blades). You can do this with a resistance band and rowing exercises.