I have aged out to the point where I'm 66, and have been coping with an arthritic spur in my cervical spine since just before turning 40. It has complicated pretty much my entire shooting history, and I haven't shot a genuine prone match in a year or two, mostly because it's becoming more discomfort than I think it's worth.
Our local shooting club has acknowledged that us elder duffers have this issue and permits me and my fellows the option of shooting the same COF from a bench and being scored in our own division. It's a logical and reasonable accommodation to ""The Greying of America"", IMHO.
Until I threw in the towel and made the transition, I developed a number of low-impact exercises to combat the general (and also specific to my cardiac condition) debilitation that eventually embraces us all when we get past our prime. Laugh if your want, but they are done in bed; I (still) do mine when I awaken, before I actually get up.
For this neck issue, I lie on my back and arch the back so my body is off the bed completely except for the heels and back of the head. I move very slowly, and make an effort to control my breathing so it progresses normally. Once the back is arched, I will hold it until the muscles begin to complain (quiver), then very slowly lower back down and completely relax, staying down until my breathing returns completely to normal. Five or so reps, over ten to fifteen minutes, complete a set.
I then do a set of the opposite, raising head and heels so that only the butt is in contact with the mattress. I take the same slow time, and hold until the quiver, slowly restoring to a relaxed position and regaining my normal breath; five or so reps, depending on my determination that day.
These simple steps restore some strength and muscle tone to the body's core, help somewhat to control neck and back pain, and start the day off with a half hour of genuine age and disability appropriate conditioning.
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kratom mate