Posture correction exercises

Effective posture correction exercises that are truly suitable for ordinary people are never a fixed template of "improve rounded shoulders and hunchback in 7 days" that is common across the Internet, but a combination of low-threshold movements that match your personal posture causes and exertion habits and can be easily integrated into your daily routine.

Last year, I helped two girls with the same complaints about round shoulders adjust their posture. The list of exercises they gave me in the end was almost completely different: One was a front-end programmer for 5 years and spent many years typing code at his desk. His trapezius muscles were so thick that they were almost connected to his neck. When he turned his head, he could feel the muscle pulling pain.； The other is a teacher who has practiced children's ballet for three years. She habitually sinks her shoulders and presses her thoracic spine. Her back is as stiff as a piece of cardboard, and her chest feels tight even when she takes a deep breath. If the same set of Internet-famous shoulder-opening exercises were given to both of them, the former would only get thicker with more oblique exercises, while the latter might directly restrict the mobility of the thoracic spine even more, making it difficult to even raise the head.

It’s no wonder that many people now say that posture correction is an IQ tax. A friend of mine followed the short video and practiced for half a month. Instead of getting better, his rounded shoulders tore his rotator cuff, and it hurt even to lift his arms to put on a sweater. To put it bluntly, most people practice incorrectly. Essentially, they don’t understand what their problem is. The rounded shoulders you think may be upper cross syndrome, the curvature of the thoracic spine may be straightening, or it may even be an anterior pelvic tilt that causes the entire upper body to lean forward. The causes are all different, so how can using the same prescription be effective?

In the rehabilitation circle I have been in contact with, there has been debate about the idea of ​​corrective exercises for almost two years, but there is no conclusion: one school is the "relaxation school", which believes that if the tense muscles are not relaxed, no matter how much you train the weak muscles, they will be compensated, just like if you pull the rubber band to the tightest point and still pull the other end hard, it will definitely break.； The other school is the "functional school", which believes that special efforts to relax are useless. As long as you change the correct way of exerting force in your daily standing, sitting and walking, the tense muscles will naturally relax, and there is no need for additional foam rollers at all. I have tried both methods myself, and there really is no distinction between high and low. If your shoulders and back are usually so stiff that your neck makes a rattling sound when you turn your neck, roll on the foam roller for two minutes and then do it. It will definitely be much more comfortable. ； If your mobility is okay but you just habitually hold your breasts, then just deliberately remind yourself to lower your shoulders and tighten your core in your daily life, which will be more efficient. There is no need to stand on one side.

In the past two years, I worked on a project for three months, and I also suffered from the problem of round shoulders. At first, I followed the video and practiced the "10-minute shoulder-opening and back-beautifying exercises", which made my trapezius muscles so sore every day that I couldn't lift them. Later, I found out after seeing a rehabilitation practitioner I knew well that I subconsciously shrugged my shoulders when doing movements, and all my strength was used on my shoulders. The rhomboids in my back didn't even exert half of their strength, so all the training was in vain. Later, the movements he modified for me were all those I could do when fishing at work: when sitting, put your feet flat on the ground, slowly reach back the back of your head, and feel a thread pulling up on the top of your head. Hold it for 3 seconds and then release it. You can do 10 reps in the gap between catching water. ； Stand up every 40 minutes, clasp your hands behind your back and lift slowly. Stop when you feel a pulling sensation on your chest. Don't force it. Just keep it for 5 seconds and do it 5 times. ； Go home at night and roll in the middle of your shoulder blades for 5 minutes. Don't roll your waist and don't hold your breath. I have been doing these three movements with little technical content for two months. Now I can stand up straight without pushing my shoulders forward. Even the migraines I often had before are much less.

Don’t believe the nonsense that “10 minutes a day can cure round shoulders in a week”. Postural problems are accumulated over many years. How can it be corrected in a few days? I have seen one of the most anxious students who gritted his teeth and practiced for half an hour every day. His back hurt so much that he couldn't sleep and strained his muscles. In fact, you really don’t have to work so hard. Don’t push your neck forward every time you check your phone on the subway, and don’t hunch your shoulders as fast as your ears when typing. These inconspicuous little habits are much more effective than practicing hard once a week.

Anyway, to put it bluntly, posture correction exercises are to help you regain the feeling of correct muscle exertion. There is no need to pursue any fancy movements. After practicing, you will feel comfortable, your shoulders and neck will not be stiff, and you will not subconsciously hold your breasts when you stand slowly. That is a good exercise for you. Oh, by the way, if you already have numbness in your hands, dizziness, or back pain that makes you unable to sleep well, don’t practice blindly yet. Go to the hospital to take a X-ray to see if there are any organic problems with your cervical and lumbar spine. Follow the doctor’s advice before moving. This is a red line, so don’t take it seriously.