We have all been there, you have possibly started noticing the curvature in your spine and upper back becoming exaggerated, shoulders starting to arch forward and pain in your upper neck and shoulders. You may even start to notice your head arching forward and your spine starting to protrude on the base of your neck.
As a fitness enthusiast your posture is a key defining element of your physique. Poor posture can affect you physically, mentally and emotionally by reducing your confidence, strength and perception of others.
The common drivers behind rolled shoulders is simply poor posture and this can be due to a number of reasons from environmental to inadequate gym focus i.e. emphasis on chest and frontal workouts. Targeted upper back exercises and stretching will greatly support your posture.
Try these five simple exercises each day to help remedy your rolled shoulders and better your posture. Remember these workouts are not about pushing for maximum weight, actually quite the opposite. The goal is to target specific areas in your chest and back without overloading. Pushing too much additional weight will require additonal muscle support which will reduce our targeted muscle groups.
Exercise 1 - Chest Stretch
1. Find wall corner or door frame
2. Starting with your right arm hold the frame and turn left until you feel a stretch in your chest
3. Hold this position for 30 seconds and then repeat with your left side
4. Perform this exercise for a total of three sets each day for 30 days
Exercise 2 - Close Grip Row
1. Start with a seated cable machine or standing using a resistance band
2. With your arms extended pull back your arms so that your elbows are parallel to the side of your body
3. You should feel your shoulder blades engage eachother showing you are fully engaged
4. Keep each rep well paced, take your time with 3-4 seconds per rep for a set of 15
5. Repeat for a total of three sets
exercise 3 - Reverse Flys
1. Start with a resistence band or seated reverse fly machine (ask team at the gym)
2. with your arms extended pull back your arms until they are paralled to the sides of your body
3. You should feel your shoulder blades engage eachother showing you are fully engaged
4. Keep each rep well paced, take your time with 3-4 seconds per rep for a set of 15
5. Repeat for a total of three sets
exercise 4 - Y Raises
1. Lie face down with your arms facing out on a 45degree angle, place your thumbd up as well
2. Raise your arms up and engaging your shoulder blades and back muscles
3. repeat for 10 reps across three sets
This exercise is great for a full back workout targeting your lower traps along with your lower back muscles
exercise 5 - External Rotaror cuffs
1. Start with a resistence band or cable machine with a single hand grip
2. Align the band/ cable so that your arm is parallel to the floor
3. Keep your elbow close to your body wil pulling the cable away from your body
4. Ensure you are using light weight so that you are oinly engaging you rotator cuff
5. Engage for 10-15 rep for three sets
6. Apply exercises to each arm