| If you are slouching your thoracic spine is hunched | | | | will more than likely have been pulled too far apart |
| forwards, your neck is in a protracted position (head | | | | which means problems for your shoulders! At least |
| forward position) and then this leads to muscle | | | | 90% of shoulder problems will have problems with the |
| imbalances and pain. In short, your chest muscles | | | | shoulder blades, they are vital for good shoulder |
| become too tight as do your frontal neck muscles and | | | | mechanics. So to help this problem we need to stretch |
| the opposing muscles become too long and weak. | | | | the tight muscles and strengthen the weakened ones |
| This leads to your shoulder blades rounding around | | | | to get good balance again. |
| your rib cage getting further away from each other at | | | | You need to start stretching out your chest muscles, |
| the spine. If you can imagine that the distance between | | | | both pectoralis major and minor and strengthening your |
| your two shoulder blades should be about three inches | | | | middle back and shoulder external rotators. It makes |
| apart from each other, well they literally drift apart | | | | sense really doesn't it? Your shoulders are too far |
| making that space further as you keep hunching | | | | internally rotated which means that the internal rotators |
| forwards at your computers, steering wheels, eating | | | | are too tight and shortened leaving your external |
| your breakfast etc. | | | | rotators too long and weakened. |
| What's the problem with having my shoulder blades | | | | Therefore, stretch your pec. muscles and do the 'I've |
| drifting apart? | | | | got no money' exercise. |
| So now you have your shoulder blades getting further | | | | The 'I've got no money' exercise |
| away from each other which means the muscles that | | | | Here is a great exercise to strengthen the middle back |
| should hold them in their place are getting lengthened | | | | and external rotators of the shoulder to get those |
| and weaker and the muscles in front of your chest | | | | shoulders working better again. |
| are getting shorter and tighter (the opposing muscles). | | | | Stand upright with your arms by your sides and now |
| This is where things get messy for your shoulders. For | | | | bend your elbows with your palms face up as if you |
| a moment let's forget about the problems slouching | | | | were about to carry a large tray. Have the insides of |
| does to your muscles, ligaments and discs in your | | | | your elbows locked against your ribs. Stand tall and |
| lower back and necks and let's just keep focused on | | | | retract and depress your shoulder blades. In other |
| your shoulders themselves. If your back is now | | | | words, before you start the exercise you want to |
| rounded making your chest too tight this also pulls your | | | | contact your shoulder blades 'down and back'. A nice |
| shoulder inwards. They are now rotated too far | | | | way to think of this is imagine that you have a pencil |
| inwards(internally)! Now you are looking at a head on | | | | between your shoulder blades that you want to keep |
| collision with your humerous (arm bone) mashing your | | | | in place with your shoulder blades. Make sure you are |
| rotator cuff tendons. | | | | not shrugging your shoulder blades though! The motion |
| A quick test to see if your shoulders are rotated | | | | is 'down and back' not 'lifting up and back'. Now that |
| inwards | | | | you have put your shoulder blades in good position you |
| A very easy way to check is to stand with your arms | | | | start by rotating your hands away from each other to |
| at your sides. Now look down at your thumbs. Do they | | | | the sides but keep your elbows on your ribcage! Then |
| point forwards or point inwards at each other? They | | | | return to where your palms are back in front of you |
| should be pointing towards the front. If they are pointing | | | | again as if you are holding a tray. |
| more towards each other, or worse, you are looking at | | | | Do this 6-8 times 3-4 times a day. Remember that |
| the backs of your hands when standing there and | | | | once you have stretched your chest muscles and |
| your thumbs point sideways towards your midline, your | | | | done this exercise you should then attempt to sit and |
| shoulders are too tight and rotated inwards. | | | | stand in good posture throughout your day in |
| What to do to help your internally rotated shoulders | | | | everything that you do. Three minutes of exercises a |
| So now you know that your shoulders are inwardly | | | | day will do little to help you if you spend 10 hours a day |
| (internally) rotated which means your chest muscles | | | | of slouching at the computer! |
| are too tight which means that your shoulder blades | | | | |