What is withers on the back and the reasons for its appearance

Why does she appear? 

There are few reasons, but they are quite impressive and true for both sexes: weakness of the shoulder girdle and back + hormonal shift towards an increase in estrogen (mainly the female sex hormone). Without sufficient physical activity, over time, bone tissue (including the skeleton) becomes less dense. This decline leads to deformation of the spinal column and the formation of the withers. 

Withers symptoms

Let’s be diagnosticians and check if you have symptoms such as:

  • violation of posture, the neck extended forward and the chin lowered to the chest. Stooped and hunched teenagers, workers whose work is associated with working at a computer. They even have terms like “text neck” and “computer neck protrusion” defined for them. The neck is in permanent tension and is in a slightly elongated state. Due to this position, the muscles violate their function, the blood and lymph flow is disturbed, stagnation and fatty deposits form in the form of a hump;

  • hormonal changes. Menopause in both women and men (yes, they also have it) shifts hormonal accents, and fat begins to settle on the upper body;

  • excess weight. Especially clearly the hump will be traced in the “inverted” triangles and “hourglass”;

  • madam hypodynamia. It contributes to the violation of the movement of fluids, stagnation and the formation of “warehouses” of salt;

  • swelling of the abdomen and pain in the abdomen. Pain causes a person to bend and protect the abdominal organs, thereby forming a spinal yoke;

Risks and complications of the appearance of withers

The withers are not just an aesthetic defect. This is a rather serious and dangerous story. The most formidable thing that can happen is a violation of blood circulation in the cervical spine, leading to cerebral ischemia. 

With the increase in the size of the withers, its power also increases. A feeling of tightness is created, head turns are not easy and are accompanied by a crunch, numbness in the upper shoulder girdle, head and arms. The artery that supplies blood to the brain is clamped. He receives less oxygen, glucose, vitamins, minerals and trace elements. Due to this, there is a terrible chronic weakness and fatigue, headache, changes in blood pressure are possible upwards, insomnia and apathy develop, apnea (periods of stopping breathing during sleep) may develop. And all this because of a small amount of fat on the back. 

How to remove the withers on the back

As we have already understood, the fight with withers is a war not only for beauty, but also for health. The approach will be complex, and depending on the severity of the disease, the treatment will take place from simple weight loss to surgical intervention. Let’s sort it out in order and start with food. 

Proper nutrition and foods to include in your diet

The stumbling block of all losing weight is proper nutrition and foods that you need to include in your diet in order to gain the necessary minimum of macro- and micronutrients, vitamins and minerals. There are many stereotypes that PP is difficult, expensive and tasteless. Yes, we agree, the idea of ​​dietary nutrition has remained within this framework for quite a long time. Fortunately, now the stock of knowledge has increased. In addition, the recommendations of doctors in matters of nutrition with endocrine issues tend to a healthy and adequate diet.

  1. Moderate calorie deficit for weight loss. Keyword ー moderate. This value ranges from 10 ー 15% of the current basal metabolic rate. If you don’t want to count yourself, enter your indicators, and the online calculator will give you the required number. Be careful not to fight with a deficit in an attempt to speed up the result. The endocrine system may react to your feint with the opposite effect. 

  1. 500-600 grams of any (!) Vegetables, fruits, berries and herbs per day. This amount contains fiber, vitamins and minerals, sufficient for the good functioning of the digestive tract. Good work of the digestive tract = timely disposal of metabolic products, which cannot but affect the well-being and appearance. In practice, this is 1 bowl of cucumber-tomato salad plus your favorite fruit weighing 200-250 grams. By the way, frozen and pickled vegetables and fruits also count. In addition to grandma’s jam – there is a concentrate of love and sugar, which is not a plus, unfortunately. Life hack: you can buy fiber in the form of bran or powder in a pharmacy. But it still works worse than dried apricots or prunes, alas.

  1. Protein in every meal. Chicken, fish, cheese, tofu – whatever you like. Why it’s so important: Protein gives you long-term satiety .There is no desire to walk and bite, but there is a good mood and well-being. In addition, protein helps build muscle and helps nails and hair grow! In terms of hormone synthesis, protein is simply irreplaceable – without protein, hormone synthesis simply does not exist, and for the normal regulation of the endocrine system, external protein intake is vital! The essential amino acids found in food cannot be synthesized by the body. If you stupidly do not like protein foods (it happens), then throw in a protein shake. You don’t need to consume it for breakfast, lunch and dinner, but one serving of your favorite flavor per day will be a plus. Let’s debunk the myth: nothing rots in the gastrointestinal tract, and the kidneys will not fall off! Eat and drink calmly and wisely! 

    1. Complex carbohydrates. Mom’s favorite homemade noodles are possible, and even necessary! Porridge is our strength, as they say. Complex carbs + protein = satiety for hours and productivity in training! Try whole grain pasta topped with cheese – mmmm, delicious! In addition, any carbohydrates at the end of the chain are broken down into simple sugars, which affects the mood and the amount of energy for life and creativity!

    1. Fats . Fat is a kind of hormone emulsifier and 60% dense brain tissue. Without them, an already broken cycle will fly, the skin will dry out (especially on the elbows and knees), and the libido will say “Bye-bye!”. Fat-soluble vitamins will no longer be absorbed, the mind will become cloudy, and the reaction speed will be like that of a sloth from Zootopia. Do not be afraid of fats, lard and butter are our big and good friends!

    1. Sweets. They are an essential part of a healthy diet. The same 10-15% of the diet should be given to sweets. Without them, the probability of failure with a non-zero probability will approach 100%. And returning from a breakdown to a normal diet is very, very difficult. It is much easier to prevent the problem of breakdowns with moderate portions of goodies. A piece of cake is possible and necessary!

    1. Calcium. It needs at least 800 mg per day. Dairy products are the best source of it. Cottage cheese, cheese, yogurt, sour cream, milk – these are the bright representatives. Just 100 g of hard cheese per day or 660 ml of milk – and now the desired level will be reached. Osteoporosis can develop with age. And calcium is involved in strengthening bones and helps prevent this unpleasant condition. 

    1. Eggs. Why about them separately? The yolk contains a lot of useful substances, which, among other things, help control hunger hormones. Egg white is the benchmark for protein. It is advisable to consume 4 eggs per week and for comrades without violations in the lipid profile – even more than 4. Boiled, scrambled eggs, or poached – it doesn’t matter to your taste. 

    2. Exercises against withers on the back

      The complex is simple in execution, but requires a daily return. It is built for reasons of comfort: first, a warm-up, then general strengthening, and then strength exercises. To complete the complex, you will need a mat and an expander. You can watch a piece of the finished workout or start this one: 

    3. Exercise 1. 

      Starting position: sit on your ass, bend your knees and cross your shins (Turkish position). The back is straight, the gaze is straight. Bend your arms at the elbows and raise them forward to the level of the collarbones in front of you. Place your palms on top of your head and tilt your head forward. Gently press your palms on your head and feel the stretching of the muscles of the back of the neck and the interscapular region. Stay in this position for 30-40 seconds. Then slowly return your neck to a straight position and rest. Repeat this procedure for 2 more sets. 

      Exercise 2.

      Starting position: sit on the floor, bending your knees, place your pelvis on your heels. The back is straight, the gaze is straight, stretch the top of the head up. Lower your right hand along the body and place the palm under the thigh. Bend your left hand and put it on your right ear. Tilt your head to the left with your palm, feeling the stretch on the side of your neck. Stretch for 30-40 seconds. Then return to the starting position and repeat the same with the other side. Do 2 sets on each side. 

      Exercise 3

      Starting position: sit on your ass, bend your knees and cross your shins (Turkish position). The back is straight, look forward. Stretch your arms up, stretch your crown, stretching your spine into a string. Slowly lift your shoulders up, gradually pulling them up to your ears. Then bring your shoulders back down. Work only with the shoulders and shoulder blades, not including the neck. It is very important to include the target muscles! Lower your arms and return to the starting position. Do 20 reps for 3 sets. 

      Exercise 4

      Starting position: sit on your ass, bend your knees and cross your shins (Turkish position). The back is straight, look forward. Stretch your arms to the sides. Exhale and open your chest. Inhale and smoothly (!) turn your shoulder joints back. This is 1 circle, you need to do 20 of these in 2 approaches. 

      Exercise 5 

      Starting position: sit on your ass, bend your knees and cross your shins (Turkish position). Throw the expander tape over the back of your head. Fix the edges of the expander in your palms, bend your elbows and raise them to shoulder level. Exhale and pull the expander and resist with the interscapular muscles and muscles of the neck, leaning back with the back of the head. Inhale and return to starting position. Repeat 15-20 reps for 2 sets. 

      Exercise 6

      Starting position: lie on your stomach, stretch your legs and arms. Bend your elbows and lift your arms off the floor, bringing your shoulder blades together. Rest your forehead on the floor, you can cover your eyes. Exhale and slowly stretch your arms forward. Feel the muscles of the shoulder blades, shoulders and arms. Inhale and return to starting position. Perform 15-20 repetitions in 2 sets. 

      Exercise 7 

      Starting position: lie on your back and stretch your arms along the body. Press your chin to your chest. Exhale and take your straight arms behind your head, then lower them forward. Feel the rotation in the shoulder joints. Inhale and return to the starting position. One spin = one rep. You need to perform 15-20 repetitions in 2 sets.

      Have you tried? Good girl! Let’s now deal with the so-called non-training activity, or, if in Russian, a healthy and active lifestyle. 

 

 

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