Not only is bad posture unattractive to the opposite sex, but it can also be detrimental to your health. If you work an office job and spend most of your day in a chair, chances are that you suffer from bad posture. About 75% of people suffer from rounded shoulder syndrome. Discover the best exercises for rounded shoulders to improve your posture.
Causes
Slouching really is the cause of bad posture. What is happening at an internal level is that when you slouch your spine shifts forward while your chest muscles tighten. Overtime your body’s physiology changes to better adjust to slouching, and thus the rounded shoulders. The first step is to become conscious of your posture, and force yourself to resemble good posture. At first this might be uncomfortable because you are so used to slouching. If you keep it up, however, it will become a subconscious habit. Now, lets get to the exercises.
Exercises
The following exercises serve as a routine. You should aim to perform the routine 3 times daily. (Don’t mind the names, I just made them up to resemble the exercise)
1. Thumb Reverse
Stand straight with your arms by your side. Let them hang naturally.- If you have rounded shoulders you will notice that your thumbs point towards each other.
- Rotate your wrists and take your thumbs back as far as they go, and squeeze your shoulder blades together.
- Hold the position for 3 seconds before returning to the starting position.
- Repeat for 10 repetitions of 3 sets.
2. Neck Fix
- Stand up as straight as possible.
- To demonstrate this movement, take your finger and push against your chin so your head goes backwards. Basically you’re creating a double chin. (The finger is just to demonstrate the movement, you don’t need to continue using it).
- Take your head back and hold for 3 seconds before returning to a relaxed position.
- Repeat for 10 repetitions of 3 sets.
3. Chest Expansion Stretch
- Standing straight, interlace your fingers behind your back.
- Push your arms down while expanding your chest.
- Hold for 3 seconds as you feel the stretch.
- Repeat for 10 repetitions of 3 sets.
Final Words
So there you have it, the top 3 exercises for rounded shoulders. If you perform these exercises routinely you will be well on your way to an improved posture. If you have any questions or need further clarification, leave a comment and I will be sure to get back to you.
Great information here! I work in an office everyday and I am a little bit afraid of getting rounded shoulders. Now I will pay more attention on my posture.
Good to know, that you can actually work on it and that it doesn´t have to be too late for me!
Pierre
It is never too late and you can always improve! I believe this is true for any area of your life.
I’ve had bad posture for a while and I hate it so much and have been searching for a way to overcome it and your post is just what the doctor ordered (so to speak). Thanks for this great information, my posture will thank you for it later.
Glad to be of service!
Hi Diondre. Thanks for that. I’ve become really concerned about the amount of time I spend sitting behind a desk, but it’s part of what I do for a living.
I know that doctors nd medical experts are now saying that sitting for long periods – as I do – has become a major concern and is behind an awful lot of health problems including cancer. They are even calling it the new tobacco. They are not quite saying it’s as bad as ciggies, but they are associating it with lots and lots of problems.
While your article is primarily about posture and shoulder, however, I would suggest that these excercises are of huge benefit to any desk jockey.
A new trend is the standing desk. Not really a practical solution, IMO, because I don’t think anyone can stand at a desk for 8 hours a day!
I’m glad this post helped you out Eoinmc.
Oh wow, I am happy i came across this. I definitely needed it. Nice article and helpful too!
Be sure to incorporate some of these stretches into your daily routine. If you are still young then you might see it as such a bad problem as yet. But if you continue to slouch it will be horrible when you reach your old age
This is great. Very helpful! One suggestion that I would suggest would to use a little bit darker font… sometime it is hard to read. The information is great. I have had a bad back sense high school and these stretches are great. Good job!
It is all about replacing old habits with new ones. If you perform the stretches as mentioned, you will be well on your way to a better posture!
Thanks for you input
Its a common problem, my wife is always checking me whilst i sit at the computer, and more often than not she catches me slouching. Made her day when she saw your site on my computer.
What I have found useful is a reclining chair. I used to slouch to make myself more comfortable, I think most people do it for that reason. If you get a reclining chair at work, you can be comfortable without having the need to slouch.