Rounded shoulders are very suggestive of somebody that spends hours slouched over their desk. Due to this slouched position, your rhomboids and traps become very weak thus making shoulders become rounded.
Rounded shoulders have become the “New Posture” of today. This postural epidemic is affecting evryone from our youth to older adults. In the last 5 years, I’ve seen so many teens with this posture who’re also struggling with carpal tunnel. All steming from the overuse of technology.
So What exactly are Rounded Shoulders?
Rounding from the shoulder happens when your anterior (front) shoulder muscles become too tight, causing your posterior(back) muscles to weaken over time. This weaking from the muscles causes? a lasting slouch providing you with a hunch like posture.? forward whenever you’re sitting or waiting in a relaxed position.
?How do you Determine if I’ve Rounded Shoulders?
One simple method to see if you’re struggling with rounded shoulders would be to stand it front of a mirror with your arms relaxed with you. If your palms face behind you, this shows your anterior(front) shoulder muscles are tight, thus resulting in rounded shoulder.
Rounded shoulders also give way to forward head posture which can be a chronic condition with your symptoms as tension headaches, jaw clenching and lack of productivity in the workplace. Rounded shoulders are not just a characteristic of someone who’s experienced an office all day long. But common amongst those who are lifting weights, especially our gym friends who are benching heavy.
Why Benching Household names Can result in Rounded Shoulders
The pec muscles?are the primary muscle groups?worked when?bench pressing. The lats are the secondary muscle group that’s worked when bench pressing. These two muscles when tight can causing rounded shoulders.
When rounded shoulders go unattended or untreated it can lead to chronic shoulder and neck pains or that lovely “hunchback” posture or kyphosis.
If you’re dealing rounded shoulder it is a physical impairment(s) that can be given stretching and therapeutic exercise. All you need is a resistance band and a few minutes of time to fix your poor posture. This exercise is well suited for someone who spends too much time?hunched over their?computer/smartphone or benching heavier weights.
This exercise is called, Band Pull Apart. Helps to strengthen your rhomboids and upper traps to bring those rounded shoulders back. Providing you with a far more confident posture.? Addititionally there is?external rotation of the arms. Which will also assist with those dealing with any kind of rotator cuff issues.
To perform this exercise:
- Take a resistance band and extend your arms before you, holding the band with your hands
- Pull the bands in a reverse fly motion until scapula (shoulders) touch. Hold for 5 seconds. Don’t OVER SQUEEZE MUSCLE!!!
- Slowly return to the?starting position.
Perform 3 teams of 12-15 .
Say goodbye to office posture. This is a simple, yet exercise that may help much to change your posture and end chronic neck, back and shoulder pain.