Stretch the band by rotating your arms out away from each other, keeping your elbows at your waist and sliding your shoulders back. Grab a resistance band, with one end in each hand, and hold it taut with your elbows hugging your waist. To progress the exercise, add external rotation. You can even set a timer to go off at the top of every hour as a reminder to perform your 20 reps of scapular retraction. Squeeze your shoulder blades 20 times in a row every hour or so. Once you have this small motion down, turn it into an exercise. If you hike up your shoulders, you could engage other muscles, such as the upper trapezius, that may counteract the movement. To counteract this habit, practice scapular retraction by squeezing your shoulder blades together – not all the way, but enough so they’re square on your back.īe careful to not overextend as you retract your shoulders. Sustaining this position all day is one of the biggest contributors to poor posture. If you spend most of your day sitting down, you’re much more likely to slouch forward – such as when looking at a computer or phone. You can also add a resistance band to a reverse wall slide by looping it behind you and under your armpits.Īn essential exercise for any posture workout, scapular retraction retrains your shoulders to square up and undo the forward motion we’re so accustomed to. The idea is the same, except this time you’ll keep your back, head, and thumbs touching the wall as you slide your hands up and down. If you just can’t get enough of wall slides, you can flip over and try reverse wall slides. With a little resistance in both hands, you’ll increase the difficulty of this wall slide and expedite your postural improvements. Stand on both ends of a resistance band and loop your thumbs around the band so that it outlines a triangle when you place your hands on the wall. But you can take it even further by using flat resistance bands. It will help improve both your thoracic mobility and the upward rotation of your scapula. The wall slide is a one-two punch for fixing rounded shoulders. Repeat this movement 20 times for one set. Once you reach the top, return your hands by sliding them back down the wall. Keep your head and neck in a neutral position as you slowly slide your arms up the wall, as high as you can go without changing your form. Weak shoulder muscles inevitably lead to rounded shoulders and tight chest muscles, so a wall slide helps correct both problems by engaging and strengthening the shoulder muscles.įace an unobstructed wall or door and place your hands about shoulder-width apart on it, palms facing each other. Wall SlidesĪ wall slide looks easier than it is, but after just a few rounds of these you’ll start to feel it in your shoulders. Your muscles may get fatigued after this workout, but if you feel sharp pains in your neck or shoulders while doing any of these movements, stop the exercise. These accessories will help you have better form, develop stronger muscles, and see greater results.įinally, remember that exercise should never be painful.
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