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Why do some older people groan or say 鈥渙hoo鈥� when we sit down, stand up or do pretty much any one-shot physical activity? Is it a cultural convention or is there a physiological reason?
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Bryan Simmons, Bratton, Wiltshire, UK
We say 鈥渙oh鈥� when we stand up because bits of our anatomy hurt. It is as simple as that!
Peter Bursztyn, Barrie, Ontario, Canada
I admit it. I am an 鈥渙lder person鈥� and I occasionally vocalise when I move. There is nothing cultural about it. Moving hurts, and this is largely at the start of activity.
Clive McGavin, Horrabridge, Devon, UK
The groan or grunt after a brief physical effort is either the sudden release of pent-up air through the glottis 鈥� the space between the vocal cords 鈥� or an attention-seeking device to show that we can still stand up without help.
鈥淚n professional tennis, vocalisations can be loud grunts or even shrieks. This habit has caused considerable controversy鈥�
Chris Daniel, Bratton, Wiltshire, UK
The noise that people make when doing anything more than moderate physical movement is the result of breathing out through a constricted airway following instinctive breath-holding prior to the action.
When preparing for physical exertion, it is natural to perform what is known as the Valsalva manoeuvre, which involves taking a deep breath and holding it against a closed glottis. This creates increased pressure in the chest, while the diaphragm pushes down on the abdomen, increasing pressure there too, so bracing the entire trunk and stabilising the spine. Older or less fit people may have weaker core muscles and this technique gives their trunk additional stability as they perform the task.
While carrying out a movement such as sitting, the breath is exhaled steadily, resulting in a groan or sigh as the air escapes through the vocal cords. For short, explosive actions, notably in professional tennis, vocalisations can be loud grunts or even shrieks as the breath is released rapidly. This habit has caused considerable controversy among players. In found that grunting increases the force of serves and forehand strokes, and have shown increased muscle force while vocalising.
Groaning while exercising can . A way of avoiding it as you sink into a chair is to exhale slowly through your nose, avoiding activation of the vocal cords.
Roger Taylor, Meols, Wirral, UK
Grunting when standing up isn鈥檛 confined to older people. At a martial arts-based exercise class I run, beginners of all ages invariably lurch gracelessly to their feet from kneeling with a variety of arm signals and plaintive cries.
I鈥檓 not sure why this happens, although perhaps it is endemic leg weakness as outlined in your recent salutary article on how to sit (麻豆传媒, 18 July, p 28). Certainly it is only a habit and I always take pains to help people deal with it so that they can stand unaided. All it takes is a little patience and persistence to strengthen the lower body and facilitate flexibility and balance, and age is no barrier.
Geoffrey Cox, Rotorua, New Zealand
I am in my 60s and have a number of friends in this age group. None of us groan or say 鈥渙hoo鈥� when engaging in one-shot physical action. Since we are all New Zealanders, whereas the questioner hails from the UK, this gives strong, if circumstantial, evidence that groaning is a cultural phenomenon.
Eric Bignell, Fiskerton, Nottinghamshire, UK
I presume that the questioner hasn鈥檛 reached the point at which he starts making these noises.
As we get older, muscle mass decreases and objects that used to be fairly easy to pick up seem heavier. Our bodies, too, feel heavier, whether they are or not. It was once easy to change position or squat down, but this now requires more effort. Exertion often involves holding your breath. When the exertion is completed, breath is exhaled. It doesn鈥檛 need to be too audible, but it is also an expression of relief at having completed the exercise.
Stephen Alexander, London, UK
I groan on movement because I am 76 and have generalised osteoarthritis, and am on the blood-thinning medication warfarin. This precludes many analgesics and the only treatment is joint replacement or paracetamol 鈥� one rather drastic and the other not effective for me.
We have made astonishing strides in science and technology, but arthritis is still widespread and groan-inducing.
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