How to Improve Shoulder Posture & 13 Tips for a Healthier Back
Dec 7, 2024
Do you often feel like you’re constantly fighting against gravity? If so, you’re not alone. Poor shoulder posture can leave you feeling defeated, both physically and mentally. Slumped shoulders can make you look tired and sad, even if you’re neither. They can cause discomfort and pain. And as poor shoulder posture worsens, it can affect your confidence and performance in daily activities. The good news? You can learn practical strategies to improve your shoulder posture,posture exercises reduce discomfort, and maintain a healthier, more confident long-term posture. This article will teach you how to improve shoulder posture to start feeling and looking better today.
Posture AI’s posture correction app is a valuable tool for achieving goals. With easy-to-follow instructions and personalized feedback, improving shoulder posture is simple and effective.
Table of Content
What Causes Bad Shoulder Posture?
Poor shoulder posture is a common condition that describes the position of the shoulder blades when they protrude away from the back rather than resting flush against it. This position can cause various issues, from discomfort and pain to physical deformities. Understanding this condition’s causes and risk factors can help you prevent and treat it effectively.
A Brief Overview of Rounded Shoulders
Rounded shoulders, also known as “mom posture,” are a typical example of poor shoulder posture. This condition can arise from various factors and leads to an abnormal resting position of the shoulder blades.
With rounded shoulders, the shoulder blades protrude away from the back instead of resting flush against it. Several stretches and exercises can help to fix or prevent rounded shoulders, but it’s best to address the condition as soon as possible.
Causes and Risk Factors of Poor Shoulder Posture
Like any example of poor posture, rounded and hunched shoulders result from poor habits. Regarding shoulder posture, these habits can lead to profound changes in how the muscles function around the:
Upper back
Neck
Shoulders
Daily tasks that may contribute to rounded shoulders include:
Using a smartphone or tablet
Using a computer or laptop
Sitting for long periods
Driving a vehicle
Bending over repeatedly
Carrying heavy objects all day
By inadvertently training the body to be hunched forward over time, the muscles interpret this slumped position as the body’s natural state. If left untreated, this can be very harmful for the body. Increased stress on the shoulder joints can cause pain around the neck and upper back.
What to Know About Hunched Shoulders
Hunched shoulders are one of the most common musculoskeletal disorders. Instead of an upright posture with a straight spine, hunched shoulders are consistently in an “upward” position. People often group this condition with rounded shoulders, another common disorder of the upper spine.
Rounded shoulders push the shoulders forward instead of upward. Often, rounded or hunched shoulders result from slouched posture during computer or cellphone use. Methods are available to improve posture and prevent hunched shoulders in the future.
The Causes of Hunched Shoulders
The leading cause of hunched shoulders is poor posture. Several factors contribute to poor posture:
Modern habits: Spending many hours slumped on the sofa, looking down at a phone while texting, or long workdays in front of a computer can lead to hunched shoulders over time.
Heavy lifting: Spending a lot of time carrying heavy objects at work, such as packed grocery bags or a heavy backpack or purse, can lead to stooping.
A sedentary lifestyle: Weak core muscles in the back and abdomen can lead to leaning forward. These muscles play a key role in maintaining an upright posture.
Weak, overstretched muscles can develop in the back of the shoulders if a person spends too long in positions that involve poor posture. At the same time, the muscles at the front of the shoulders and in the chest may shorten. A hunch in the shoulders develops when the muscles at the back become too weak to lift the shoulders all the way.
Other Causes of Hunched Shoulders
Poor posture is not the only culprit for shoulder hunching. The following health conditions may also cause hunched shoulders:
Scheuermann’s Kyphosis
Parents can pass on this condition to their children, although it is still determined how. Usually, the symptoms of a curved spine and hunched or rounded shoulders become clear in people aged 12–17. Around 1–8% of people in the United States are born with Scheuermann’s kyphosis, and twice as many men have it than women.
Osteoporosis
This condition causes bones to weaken and break easily. It can also lead to hunched shoulders. If the bones in the back are too weak to support the load of the upper body, the bone may collapse on the front side, closest to the chest. These bones may stack, causing a condition known as thoracic kyphosis or “dowager’s hump.”
Scoliosis
Around 2–3% of people in the United States have a spine with an abnormal curvature. Most people with scoliosis show symptoms between 10 and 15 years of age.
Spine and Neck Injury
Trauma or fractures can also lead to deformities in the spine, especially if a person does not receive prompt treatment for spinal injuries.
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How to Improve Shoulder Posture
Undoing Rounded Shoulders: Your Roadmap to Recovery
While hereditary factors play a role in rounded shoulders, experts agree that environmental factors, specifically prolonged sitting and excessive phone use, are the leading causes of this postural issue. The good news? You can improve rounded shoulders with simple stretches and exercises to help ease tension and strengthen the upper back.
The more you do these moves, the better your posture will get over time. Let’s look at how to improve shoulder posture and relieve associated symptoms.
Keep Your Head Up
Unsurprisingly, the first step to improving rounded shoulders is to stop doing what caused them. “I tell my patients to keep their heads up and avoid looking down at their phones and computers,” says Smith. “Instead, make an effort to keep your devices at eye level. To reverse the stress of looking down, look up for five seconds for five reps every 30 minutes. If practiced enough, this can become a lasting habit you can do in short increments throughout the work or school day.”
Practice Good Posture
“Good posture is more than standing up straight, which might improve the position of the spine but doesn't affect your shoulders,” says Mallory Behenna, PT, DPT, doctor of physical therapy at Brooks Rehabilitation in Jacksonville, Florida. "To truly correct rounded shoulders, we need to change the position of the shoulder blades on the rib cage." she says. "The best way to do this is to gently roll the shoulders up, back, and down, squeezing the bottom angles of the shoulder blades lightly together without lifting the chest or breastbone."
This will move the shoulder blades from the sides of the rib cage to lying flush on the ribs and engage the muscles intended to hold them in place. "Once we get the shoulder blades positioned down and back, we have to work to keep them there," Behenna says. "This requires a multi-faceted approach, including not only stretching and strengthening, but retraining the brain.”
Retrain Your Brain to Assume the Correct Position
"Repositioning the shoulder blades on the rib cage will feel abnormal at first," Behenna says. "But the brain is amazing and can be retrained to rest in the more efficient 'normal' position. The more you do it, the easier it will feel." Behenna advises her patients to set their phone to alert them once an hour while working at their desks. That serves as a reminder to correct the shoulder blades and resume working, holding that more efficient position.
Mastering the Shoulder Blade Repositioning Exercise for Better Posture
Another retraining exercise Behenna recommends is repeatedly performing the shoulder blade repositioning movement, doing the gentle shrug up, back, and down, and holding that position for 5 seconds.
How to:
To increase muscle activation in this position, bend the elbows, keeping them by the sides and palms up
Then, move the hands apart until you feel the lower part of the shoulder blades squeezing together.
Do two sets of 30 with a 3- to 5-second hold.
"Over time, as the body continues to feel this more neutral position and feels decreased stress in other areas, this position will become more normal," Behenna says. "Eventually, you will find yourself sitting in this neutral posture without thinking about it."
Engage Your Shoulder Blade Muscles
When your shoulders curve forward, it often signals (or worsens) weakness and underuse of the upper back and posterior shoulder muscles. In other words, your body mechanics are out of balance.
You can start to reverse this by activating and strengthening the small muscles in the upper back with very subtle exercises, including I’s, T’s, W’s, and Y’s (here’s more on that specific routine). Middleton shares two favorite ways to activate the shoulder blades and offset rounded shoulders.
Wall Angels
How to:
Stand [with your back] against a wall, feet hip-distance apart, and your head, upper back, and tailbone touching the wall.
Raise your arms to shoulder height [like you’re making a snow angel], keeping your elbows and wrists aligned with your shoulders.
Squeeze your shoulder blades together [without puffing out your chest] as you bring your arms down the wall until they’re at hip level.
Repeat 15 times.
Remember to keep your head, upper back, and tailbone points touching the wall the entire time.
Shoulder-Blade Squeeze
How to:
Stand upright with feet hip-distance apart.
Elongate through the spine and then (without arching the chest forward or splaying the ribcage out) draw your shoulder blades close together, squeezing them downward and inward as if you were trying to make them touch.
Hold for five seconds, then release.
Repeat 10 times.
Strengthen Your Core
Developing good core strength can significantly reverse the curse of rounded shoulders, but Smith says it’s essential to understand precisely what and where your core is. “Your core is not just your abs. It’s any muscle between your shoulders and knees,” she explains. “If you're not strong in these supportive muscles, your head and shoulders won’t have a foundation to hold them up.”
The result? You may become more prone to rounded shoulders. Exercises like planks, squats, lunges, and push-ups are excellent, multi-muscle strengthening moves that build up your core to alleviate this risk. The best part about these exercises is that you don’t need equipment or a gym membership to try them.
Create an Ergonomic Desk Set-Up
Your desk or work setup can easily create a trap for developing rounded shoulders. Smith says Adding some ergonomics to the mix can help prevent and ease pain.
First, ensure that your computer or monitor is just about eye level or that your gaze falls 2 to 3 inches below the top of the screen.
Your monitor/device should be an arm’s length away, with your elbows bent at about a 90-degree angle.
Your knees, thighs, and feet should have plenty of space below your desk (these joints should be at roughly 90-degree angles, too), and your feet rest flat on the floor or on a footrest.
Smith recommends incorporating movement in your work area to prevent further or reverse rounded shoulders. “This can be standing while working or using an exercise ball,” she says. “Exercise balls force your hips and shoulders into a better position and are fun to sit on.”
Sleep on a Contoured Pillow
Our posture doesn't affect us only while we’re awake but throughout the night, too. If rounded shoulders are a concern, Smith recommends sleeping on a contoured pillow that promotes healthy neck curvature. “These pillows typically have one to two humps that support your neck to restore its natural reverse-C shape,” she says.
Use a Foam Roller
Athletes and the general public love foam rollers thanks to their tension-relieving benefits. If rounded shoulders plague you, Smith advises getting yourself a foam roller and using it regularly to massage and mobilize your mid- and upper-back areas. “This not only feels good on your shoulders, neck, chest, and lower back, but it helps reverse the effects of sitting,” she says.
Upper-Back and Neck Stretches Throughout the Day
A simple exercise routine can be followed to support correct shoulder position and posture in many people. Dedicating 20-30 minutes daily to these exercises, at least twice a week, can help an individual improve their posture and alleviate any associated symptoms.
It may take time to notice the adjustment to the shoulders, but it is better to avoid rushing or forcing the body into a position that is not comfortable.
Lateral Neck Flexion Stretch
Martinez said this stretch targets the trapezius and scalene muscles, which play a role in posture and breathing throughout the neck and shoulders.
How to:
Stand or sit upright in a chair with your shoulders down and back.
Gently pull your left ear toward your left shoulder to get a stretch in the right side of your neck.
Repeat on the other side.
Complete 1 to 2 sets on each side, holding for 15 to 30 seconds.
Chest Doorway Stretch
John Gallucci, Jr., DPT, MS, ATC, physical therapist and CEO of JAG-ONE Physical Therapy, recommends the doorway stretch for rounded shoulders. This move opens the chest while gently stretching the shoulders.
How to:
Stand with a doorway about 1 to 2 feet before you.
Bend your elbows to 90 degrees and raise your arms so your upper arms are parallel to the floor. Place your forearms on either side of the doorway.
Step forward, placing one foot on the other side of the doorway.
Slowly shift weight onto the front foot until you feel a stretch in your chest. Hold.
Complete three sets for 15 to 30 seconds each, two to three times daily.
Reverse Shoulder Stretch
The reverse shoulder stretch opens the chest and stretches the shoulders and biceps. It requires shoulder flexibility, so shorten the range of motion if you feel pain while performing this stretch.
How to:
Stand looking straight ahead, feet shoulder-width apart, and arms by your sides.
Clasp your hands behind your back with your thumbs pointing toward the floor.
Stand tall, open your chest, and move your hands toward the ceiling. Stop when you feel a stretch in the shoulders and biceps muscles.
Hold this position for 20 to 30 seconds.
Release the stretch and return hands to the starting position.
Complete two sets, holding 20 to 30 seconds each, once or twice daily.
Prone I, T, Y
The prone I, T, and Y exercises help strengthen the smaller stabilizing muscles in your shoulders and upper back.
Lie on your stomach, forehead touching the ground, arms straight above your head, and hands in a thumbs-up position.
Raise your arms as high as possible, pause, and slowly lower them back down.
Move arms into a “Y” position, raise them as high as possible, and slowly lower them back down.
Move arms into a “T” position, raise them as high as possible, and slowly lower them back down.
Return to the “I” position and repeat.
Complete two sets of 10 reps once or twice daily.
Handclasp
The handclasp stretch is simple and can be done every day.
How to:
Standing up straight with the hands by their sides, a person reaches their hands behind them to clasp them together.
Gently, they pull the shoulders back while not allowing the neck to push forward.
The shoulders should be pulled back until the chest opens and a deep stretch is felt.
The position should be held for 30 seconds.
Shoulder Blade Squeeze
This essential exercise reminds the body of good posture and helps build strength throughout the day.
How to:
Sitting up tall, a person should move both shoulder blades together as if trying to hold a tennis ball between them.
The shoulders should move down and away from the ears as they flex.
This position should be held for 10 seconds and repeated 10 times.
The T Stretch
The T stretch is best done in the morning, just after waking, or at night, just before sleeping.
How to:
The person lies flat on their back with their feet on the floor.
Their knees will be bent and facing up.
The arms should be extended out to the sides of the body, palms facing up.
When done correctly, this position will slightly stretch the back and shoulders.
It can be held for up to 10 minutes daily for the best results.
Band Pull-Apart
The band pull-apart exercise opens the chest and strengthens the upper back and rear shoulder muscles. You’ll need a resistance band, the strength of which depends on your strength level.
How to:
Stand upright with your back straight, your feet shoulder-width apart, and your knees slightly bent.
Hold the band with an overhand grip and your arms straight before you.
Slowly pull the hands apart by squeezing your shoulder blades together. Focus on the squeeze by imagining a small ball between your shoulder blades.
Slowly return the band to the starting position.
Complete two sets of 10 to 12 reps once or twice daily.
Wall Angels
To do a wall angel, a person stands with their back to a wall.
How to:
Position your feet slightly forward, keeping the arms pulled back to remain in contact with the wall at all times.
The arms start in a ‘W’ position, which resembles a person flexing both of their biceps. Both arms are against the wall.
The hands are then extended towards the ceiling while keeping the shoulders down and flexed.
Then, the arms are returned to the starting ‘W’ position.
This move is one repetition. Ten such repetitions should be done during each training session.
Scapular Wall Slides
Scapular wall slides help restore scapula alignment and improve muscle strength, mobility, and flexibility. They also train you to hold your shoulder blades back.
How to:
Stand with your back against a wall and arms at your sides. Ensure your head, upper back, and glutes are in contact with the wall. Your feet should be slightly away from it.
Raise your arms overhead and press them into the wall, palms out with knuckles touching the wall.
Bend the elbows to 90 degrees while keeping your arms against the wall. This is the starting position.
From this position, slowly slide your arms up the wall as high as you can go without your back, shoulders, elbows, or wrists coming off the wall.
Pause at the top of the movement.
Slowly lower your arms by sliding them down the wall to the starting position (elbows bent at 90 degrees). This movement is slow and controlled.
Complete two sets of 10 reps once or twice daily.
Other Exercises
Other positions that can help with rounded shoulders include:
Planks
How to:
A person lies on their front, propped up on the forearms and toes.
The legs are straight, and the hips are raised, creating a straight and rigid line from head to toe.
Planks work the core and lower back muscles.
Pull-ups or seated rows
People with access to gym equipment can benefit from doing pull-ups or seated rowing with moderate weights. These exercises build strength in the shoulders and chest.
Ensuring Safe and Pain-Free Posture Exercises: When to Seek Professional Advice
All of these exercises are designed to be gentle on the body. They should not hurt or make any back or shoulder pain worse. If any of these exercises cause pain, a person should contact their doctor or physical therapist to diagnose further and improve poor posture.
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13 Incredibly Useful Tips to Maintain Better Posture
1. Learn What Proper Posture Looks & Feels Like
Start by educating yourself on what good posture is. The perfect cliff note description version of identifying ideal standing posture is articulately prescribed by Canadian kinesiology expert and posture specialist Rob Williams.
Understanding Good Posture and How to Self-Assess with the Wall Test
“Posture is the position of the body at rest. Good posture is having the body in a position that minimizes stress and strain on the body’s musculoskeletal system. Simply put, with good posture, the bones, joints, and soft tissues (i.e., muscles, tendons, ligaments, etc.) are correctly aligned so that no one structure is overworking to maintain the position.
With good posture, the body’s alignment is optimally organized so that the least amount of energy is used to maintain the position.” Williams also uses his “wall test” to allow clients to self-assess their posture.
Using the Wall Test to Evaluate and Improve Your Posture
You can efficiently utilize this assessment to see if this (plus the other 12 tips) improves your posture:
How to:
Stand with your back against a wall so that your head, upper back, and buttocks touch the wall. Your heels should also be about six inches away from the wall.
Assume a comfortable position. This is your starting point.
Perform the following steps:
Without forcing anything, see if you can arch your lower back so there is a fist’s width distance between your lower back and the wall.
If you can’t, or if this position feels uncomfortable, you likely have poor posture.
The goal is to reduce this distance as much as possible by actively engaging my abdominal muscles and correcting any postural deviations. In other words, improving your posture will help reduce this distance until it is nearly eliminated. The smaller the distance, the better your posture. You can also perform a similar test lying down on a flat surface to assess your posture.
2. Posture Is a Habit
This is going to be the most critical point on this list. Habitually sitting and standing in more efficient positions is more important than improving your posture through training when you consider the sheer amount of time we spend working, sitting, driving, texting, eating, reading, and doing everyday living/working activities that are inherently performed in a little “internally rotated box” directly in front of us, that overall accumulated time trumps the time spent in the gym performing the lifts.
Building Better Posture Habits with the 20/20 Rule and Positional Cues
Improving your posture is the product of overhauling your habits towards posture in general. You must realize that improving your posture habits will take time, much like anything worth doing. It will be difficult, but it is very possible. An excellent protocol to follow regarding actively improving posture during the day is Kelly Starrett’s 20/20 rule. This involves keeping the abdominals braced at 20% max effort and the shoulder blades retracted at 20%.
Although it is incredibly taxing to maintain this posture for 100% of your waking day, it is an excellent way to gauge if you are putting enough into your “posture practice.” Combine the 20/20 rule with the above-mentioned positional cues, and you will have the perfect series of modalities to emulate ideal posture. Even though this will be difficult, it is much easier than walking around with dictionaries in your head. It will be impossible to maintain these cues all day at first.
Turning Good Posture into a Habit: Building Awareness and Consistency
Priority must be made towards consciously engaging in correct posture. Correcting your posture when you realize you are slacking is a good start. If you are lazy, immediately fix and maintain your posture for as long as possible. Over time, your awareness will improve, and you will accumulate more and more time in a more optimal position.
Eventually, you’ll exhibit better posture more frequently than poor posture. At this point, you’ve effectively made “good posture” your default. Of course, this isn’t the time to quit. You should continue reinforcing your new habits and strive for even better posture.
3. You Don’t Have To Be In An Ideal Posture All The Time
Perfect posture is physically impossible to maintain due to fatigue accumulation. To avoid frustration, you should try to change positions frequently.
4. Breathe with Your Diaphragm
Most people breathe incorrectly. Diaphragmatic breathing is key to improving posture. Diaphragmatic breathing involves actively engaging the diaphragm during the inhalation phase and allowing the diaphragm to relax during the mechanical exhalation phase. Too many people are chest breathers, meaning they rely too much on chest, rib, and neck breathing muscles relative to the diaphragm.
How do you know which type of breathing you default to?
Try this:
Sit or stand up straight, take a deep breath, and observe.
Do your shoulders rise, and does my chest expand? If so, this is chest breathing.
Do your shoulders remain at the same height, and does my rib cage only expand subtly? Do you feel your lower torso expanding outward from within in all directions? If so, this is diaphragmatic breathing.
Mastering Diaphragmatic Breathing: Tips for Better Posture and Relaxation
If you can’t get the diaphragmatic breathing technique down, here are some tips:
Focus on the bottom area of your ribs.
Breathe deep. Pretend you’re trying to draw in air and fill up a balloon near the bottom of your stomach (that’s basically what the diaphragm is anyway).
Allow your mid-section to expand and fill with air. Don’t simply push your gut out.
Pretend you wear a belt around your lower torso, like a weight belt.
When inhaling, imagine the internal pressure pushing outward 360 degrees against the belt. Don’t allow your shoulders to elevate.
Relax your shoulders and traps; do not contract your muscles to prevent your shoulders from elevating.
If you’re a chronic chest breather, making diaphragmatic breathing your new default breathing pattern can take a ton of practice. As you already know, practice and posture go hand in hand.
5. Sleep Better
Postural Sleep Hygiene is probably the easiest thing to fix because it is the most passive cue on the list. We are trying to avoid sleeping on our stomachs and improve the quality of our mattresses. Your posture should rest on your back (unless you have or are likely to develop sleep apnea). If you’re currently a stomach sleeper, it’s time to change! Trust me, once you do, you’ll not only contribute to better posture but you’ll also:
Sleep better with fewer interruptions, toss and turn less
No longer wake up with a sore neck
Mastering Diaphragmatic Breathing: Tips for Better Posture and Relaxation
Whether you sleep on your side or back, you’ll still have to make sure your neck is positioned correctly on your pillow, as shown here:
Proper neck position when sleeping on the back
Proper neck position when sleeping on the side
Now you know the basic positions you should be in while sleeping. One significant factor to consider will determine whether you’ll be able to keep your spine as a whole (i.e., not just your neck; the thoracic spine and lumbar spine) in a neutral position with proper curvature. And that factor is your mattress.
The adverse health effects of a lousy mattress are innumerable, and they extend beyond simply contributing to bad posture. Everything from aches and pains to higher anxiety and general sleeplessness can all be signs of a bad mattress. Chances are you need to upgrade your mattress if you consistently can’t fall asleep within 20-30 minutes due to tossing and turning and trying to find a comfortable position.
6. Cut Down on Repetitive “Bad” Movements
Earlier, I mentioned the “internally rotated box” in which many daily activities occur. If the demands of our jobs require some of these tasks, there will be no way to avoid them. As I mentioned, this is where the practice and awareness come in.
Other things, like excessive texting and web surfing outside of work hours, can be cut down for most people. The more time we spend outside the internally rotated box, the better.
7. Be Smart! Use Better Posture with Your SmartPhone
We live in a society where “text neck” is an actual medical issue. This is due to the posture in which most people use their smartphones. The best action here is to spend less time using your smartphone. If that is unrealistic, focusing on a better posture while using your phone is best.
One huge key to ensuring you’re utilizing smart posture with your smartphone is to simply hold your phone higher when you use it while keeping all the previous posture cues in mind. Another common cause of excessive kyphosis is excessive laptop/computer use. Forward head posture due to poor workstation setup can cause postural issues. This is a perfect segue into our next point.
8. Improve the Ergonomics of Your Workstation
Although this tip mainly applies to those who spend most of their workday behind a computer, anyone who spends significant time in front of a computer screen can benefit from this section. A standing desk is the best option here. If a standing desk isn’t possible, here is an excellent diagram showing the ideal ergonomic setup for a seated desk.
If a standing workstation is available, this is the best option. Your needs and price points will limit you, but luckily, many options will help you get precisely what you need/can afford.
9. Check Your Keyboard
An ergonomic design keyboard will ensure proper wrist and hand
position to limit overuse of hand and wrist injuries and will also ensure your shoulders, thoracic spine, cervical spine, and head remain in a neutral/optimal position.
If you strain your hands and wrists, you will develop compensatory patterns elsewhere due to the hands’ high nervous activity and tactile responses. Compensating for poor positioning is the bane of perfect posture.
10. Muscle up Your Mouse
We live in a world plagued with hand/wrist/elbow/forearm issues. Most of this can be attributed to the poor hand ergonomics of most commercially available mouse options with prepackaged computers.
11. It Doesn’t Hurt To Ask
So far, many of these points have discussed ways to improve posture outside of the gym. Some of us work in environments where these ergonomic changes might not be well received. It does not hurt to ask your boss or HR manager. Unfortunately, I am sure some of you will be in situations where change will not be well received.
If this is the case, you can still implement the following:
Get up every hour to stand up, walk around, and stretch.
Improve your posture with your current workstation set-up.
When you realize you’re not in good posture, try to change positions frequently so as not to let your body get used to any particular lousy posture.
12. Left or Right Dominant? Just Be Dominant
We have a natural movement bias due to our anatomy’s natural set points. Some heavy organs are set to the left, some organs to the right, and even our dominant hand causes a great deal of muscular imbalance that can negatively affect posture.
Here are some tips to practice offsetting these movement biases to help improve posture:
Lean to the opposite side when standing.
Cross your arms with the opposite arm on top.
Cross your feet/legs with the other foot/leg in front/on top.
Brush your teeth with the opposite hand.
Shave with the opposite hand.
Lean to the opposite you usually do when driving.
These are only a couple of tips to help correct natural movement bias. The biggest thing here (basically the entire take-home point of the article) is to make a new habit that eliminates movement bias that may negatively affect posture.
13. Inhibit Overactive Muscles and Activate Weak Postural Muscles
Poor posture when sitting and standing annihilates a couple of muscle groups. Getting sucked into the internally rotated box that I mentioned before wreaks havoc on the muscles of the upper body. The pec minor and pec major all become overactive due to folding forward at the shoulders and letting the muscles responsible for scapular retraction and external rotation go lax.
The pecs take on more of a stability role and maintain tetany even when not in a seated texting or typing position. Couple this with the hip flexors shortening, the hamstrings going lax, and the muscles responsible for hip extension balling up into the contractility of a cold grilled cheese sandwich. Poor hip angle negatively affects these muscles when seated for long periods.
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