Kinesiology THURSDAY – 8 Hardest Moves After 60 – Reaching Overhead

Couple stretching up indoors, enjoying home workout and healthy lifestyle together

At first, most people barely notice it. They stop putting things on the top shelf. They ask someone else to lift the suitcase. They avoid reaching too high in the kitchen or feel stiff pulling on a shirt or jacket. Over time, certain movements simply become uncomfortable—or not worth the effort. Most people assume this is just part of getting older or having “tight shoulders,” but reaching overhead is actually one of the clearest signs of how well the upper body is aging.

Kinesiology of Reaching Overhead

Reaching your arms overhead is more complex than it seems. It requires coordination between the shoulders, upper back, neck, core muscles, and shoulder blades. The following occurs when you reach your arms overhead:

Thoracic spine side bending opposite – If you reach up with your right arm, your spine bends to the left
Thoracic spine rotation to the same side – When you reach with your right arm, your spine turns to the right
Scapular upward rotation and protraction
Humeral upward rotation
Clavicular upward rotation (axis at the SC joint)
Clavicular longitudinal posterior rotation (axis at AC joint)

Hands-On Techniques to Improve Overhead Reaching

If you want to help your patients improve overhead reaching:

Perform thoracic sequence
Correct clavicular subluxations at the SC joint
Mobilize the AC joint
Release trigger points in the upper trapezius, infraspinatus (inferior angle of the scapula), pec major and subscapularis
Use cupping to release fascia in the shoulder region

Real World Exercise

STEMs (Sitting Thoracic Extension Movements) – 6 repetitions each
Wall angels – Stand with your back on a wall. Make sure your head is also touching the wall. Move your arms in an arc out to the side and up towards your head, like you are making a snow angel. Perform 6-10 repetitions.
Foam roll angels – Perform 6 repetitions
Wall washing – 10-12 repetitions
Foam roll alternating shoulder flexion – 10 repetitions each arm
Shoulder blade squeezes – Stand tall. Squeeze your shoulder blades in the back (think to stick your chest out). Hold for 1 second. Repeat 10 times.

Weekly Goal

Pick one of these exercises to do each day. That’s it. Remind your arms how to move overhead.

Why does this matter?

This movement matters far beyond reaching for something on a shelf. Comfortable overhead mobility affects your ability to get dressed, carry objects safely, wash your hair, maintain good posture, and even react quickly to support yourself if you lose balance. When overhead movement becomes difficult, many daily activities quietly become more frustrating and exhausting.

A simple goal is to spend a few minutes three or four times per week practicing shoulder mobility, posture exercises, and controlled overhead movement. Small amounts of consistent practice are usually far more effective than occasional intense stretching sessions.

Next in this series, we will cover one of the most important—and emotionally powerful—movements of all: getting up from the floor. The ability to recover from the ground may be one of the strongest predictors of independence as we age. I hope you join me as we continue our exploration of the 8 Hardest Moves after 60.

Because nobody has time to be in pain.

Until next time…