Did you ever catch a glimpse of yourself in the mirror and find that you are hunched over with your head pushed forward? That posture is called rounded shoulder posture and unfortunately it is becoming increasingly more common in today’s society.
What causes Rounded Shoulder Posture?
There are some genetic predispositions to rounded shoulders, but the most common cause sof rounded shoulders are poor posture habits and muscle imbalances. The main reason people get rounded shoulders is due to poor postural habits: sitting and slouching! Gravity is constantly working on the neck, upper back and shoulder area compelling these areas to drop and roll forward. In today’s society, people have become more sedentary especially in the workplace and spend the majority of the time sitting either at a desk, staring at a phone or computer or driving. All of those positions encourage gravity to take over pulling the head forward and shoulders forward and down and thus causing rounded shoulder posture.
Keeping this poor posture daily, causes the muscles of the neck upper back and shoulders to stiffen and tighten. There becomes an imbalance of tension between the muscles that pull the shoulder blades forward and the muscles that pull the shoulder blades backwards which is coined upper crossed syndrome.
The muscles pulling the shoulder blades into the forward position need to be stretched. These tight muscles are the Pectoralis major, subclavius, Upper Trapezius, Anterior Deltoids and levator scapulae.
The muscles of the mid back are overstretched in rounded shoulder posture and thus inhibited and/or weak. These muscles need to be strengthened to pull the shoulders back into the correct alignment. The muscles are the middle and lower trapezius, serratus anterior and the rhomboid muscles. The deep neck flexors will also need to be strengthened to improve the forward head position caused by the rounded shoulders.
How do you fix rounded shoulder posture?
To fix rounded shoulder posture, you must lengthen the tight muscles in the diagram above by stretching and strengthen the weak muscles. Here are five exercises to improve your posture:
- Chin Tucks. Sit in a chair with feet flat on the floor. Relax your shoulders. Look straight ahead. Gently glide your chin straight back like you are trying to make a double chin. Hold for 5 seconds. Then relax. Repeat this 10 times. Do this twice a day.
2. Shoulder Blade Squeezes. Sit on the edge of a chair or a backless chair. Sit upright. Pull your shoulder blades together with elbows bent at 90 degrees by your side. Hold this squeeze for 5 seconds. Repeat 10 times. Do this twice a day.
3. Trapezius Strectch. Sit straight up in a chair. Slowly draw your left ear toward your left shoulder. Over your head, place your left hand and gently add over pressure to enhance the stretch. Place your right arm behind your back as pictured below. Hold 20-30 seconds. Perform 5 times. Repeat on your right side.
4. Doorway Chest Stretch. Stand in an open doorway. Raise each arm up to the side with elbows bent at 90-degrees angles with palm forward. Rest your palms on the door frame. Slowly step forward with one foot until you feel a light pill/stretch across chest area. Hold 20-30 seconds. Perform 5 times. Do this twice a day.
5. Wall Angel Exercise. Standing with your heels, butt and back and head flat against the wall. Bring your arms back against the wall at 90 degrees. Slowly slide your arms up over your head, while maintaining contact with the wall. Once, overhead, slide your arms down while squeezing your shoulder blades together. Do this exercise 10 times. Perform twice a day.
Perform these five exercises twice daily. Make note of your posture throughout the day. Bad posture is a result of a bad habit. Glance at your posture when walking by a mirror. If working at a desk throughout the day or driving, set a reminder every hour to observe your posture and make corrections. CONSISTENCY is the KEY to improving your posture! Stay consistent and aware of you posture and you will see results! To see the benefits from stretching and strengthening exercises as above, you will have to consistently perform these exercises for a minimum 6-8 weeks.
Physical therapists are experts in postural analysis. Please call us for a postural assessment and we will “set you straight!” 843-637-0225