Slouched Posture – Fixed for Good

A solution for slouching that works

Have rounded shoulders?

Feel like you ALWAYS have to sit up straight and stand up tall to fix them?

Maybe even do a bunch of rows?

STOP.

Why? Because these common fixes might actually be counterproductive?

I’ll reveal the real solution to fix rounded shoulders that you’ve never seen before.

The best part? It’s actually backed by science! So, get ready to learn the truth!

Read the blog, watch the video, and listen to the podcast to learn about it!

Why do shoulders become rounded?

Let’s first understand why we tend to round our shoulders in the first place.

Is it because we’re rebellious against our parents? Or because we’re constantly on our phones or in front of screens?

WHATEVER MOM! (Photo credit – Image by Lee Murry from Pixabay)

Nope!

The real reason is actually quite surprising – it’s an efficient strategy to breathe!

When we jut our heads forward, it opens up our airway. Yet, it positions the jaw in a way that biases mouth breathing–and has negative health effects.

The upper airway gets bigger the more forward your head goes (photo credit – BruceBlaus)

So, our slouched posture might not be just a bad habit, but a response to breathing difficulty.

Why standing up straight doesn’t work

Let’s put this to rest. Standing up straight DOES NOT adjust a key feature related to rounded shoulders.

Ribcage dynamics.

To be more upright, the ribcage must be able to change shape. It must expand anteriorly, which uprights us.

The front of the ribcage moves upward and forward during inhalation

With rounded shoulders and increased thoracic kyphosis, lung volumes reduce. This negatively impacts gas exchange.

So, all those times you pulled your shoulders back and stand tall might have been in vain.

Instead, Mom should’ve told you to expand your ribcage!

Expand the chest to FIX rounded shoulders

Driving anterior thorax expansion allows our shoulder blades to move more freely. This enhanced mobility reduces the rounded shoulder appearance.

How do we do it? With these moves.

Use sidelying

This move rocks. It works because the sidelying position expands the anterior and posterior thorax dimensions. The reach enhances that effect. More A to P space = less rounded shoulders.

Here are the keys:

  1. Lie on your side with your knee resting on a foam roller at a 45-degree angle.
  2. Press your knee into the foam roller with a 2-3/10 effort.
  3. Position your top arm slightly forward with the palm facing outward.
  4. Silently breathe in through your nose.
  5. Exhale as you slowly reach your forearm forward without straightening the elbow or lifting the elbow off the ground.
  6. Perform 3-4×5 breaths per side, 2 times per day.

Work to prone

Who knew gravity could be our ally in improving our posture?

Lying face down (prone) positions air more towards the front of the chest wall.

But here’s the catch.

We need to get into position without excessive muscle activity. Otherwise, we’ll end up in the rounded shoulders position again.

To reduce the odds of that happening, you’ll want to start in a more elevated position, like the elevated frog:

Here are the keys:

Here are the steps for the exercise description in a numbered list:

  1. Start with your knees wider than your hips and your feet together.
  2. Place your hands on the wall or an elevated surface. Elbows are wider than your shoulders.
  3. Look straight at the wall
  4. Silently breathe in through your nose.
  5. On the exhale, get heavy on your inner elbows. Your torso will move away.
  6. Hold this position and maintain the elbow pressure while breathing per above.
  7. Do 4×5 breaths, 2 times per day.
  8. If you crunch during this move, you’ll need to elevate the surface more.

To progress the difficulty, you can lower the surface, eventually doing this on the ground:

To increase the difficulty even more, try offsetting one side of the body to add a rotational element:

Remember to do each variation for at least two weeks, making sure you’ve nailed it before moving on to the next one. The most common issue people have is rushing through the progression. NAIL these positions.

Sum up

to recap:

  • Slouched posture is an efficient strategy for breathing, as it opens up the upper airway.
  • Common fiexes for slouching have NO impact on the airway.
  • Slouching limits lower airway dynamics. Especially in the front of the chest.
  • Exercises should focus on improving the pump handle action.

What exercises helped you with rounded shoulders? Comment below and let us know.