Fitness
Fix your neck once and for all.
Ever feel like you cant quitefix your postureeven when you have a go at sit up straight?
Dont stress if this is something you deal with, though there are plenty of exercises that can help.
Heres everything you’re gonna wanna know about dowagers hump.
What Causes A Dowagers Hump?
According to the Cleveland Clinic,osteoporosismay also be to blame.
The loss of bone mineral density can cause compression fractures in your spine and anincreased forward curve.
Matt Tanneberg, DC, CSCS, a chiropractor and owner ofBody Check Chiropractic & Sports Rehabilitation.
Camilla Moore, DC, a chiropractor and founder ofWellness Cabinet.
Here, experts share 11 of the best exercises for dowagers hump to get you started.
Start by sitting in an upright position.
Relax your shoulders and jaw.
Hold for 3 to 5 seconds.
Do chin tucks 3 to 5 times a day.
Sit or stand with good posture.
Draw your shoulder blades directly back, attempting to squeeze them together.
Hold this position for 3 to 5 seconds.
Do this exercise multiple times per day, especially if youhave a desk job.
Cat-Cow
Kehoe also recommends this staple yoga stretch as it improves themobility of the upper back.
It also aids in maintaining a neutral posture and improving flexibility of the spine, she explains.
Get into an all-fours position with your wrists under your shoulders and your hips stacked over your knees.
Inhale and drop your stomach down as you look up.
Exhale and arch your back as you drop your head down.
Repeat this motion 10 times.
Do cat-cows 1 to 2 times per day.
These are great exercises for shoulder blade and upper back strengthening, he tells Bustle.
And they also improve upper back posture.
Lie on your stomach.
Reach your arms out to your sides to create a T shape, thumbs toward the ceiling.
Reach your arms out at an angle overhead to create a Y shape.
Reach your arms straight forward to create an I shape.
Each time you reach, keep your thumbs pointed up and your arms off the floor.
Do 1 set of 10 reps.
Progress to 3 sets of 10 per day.
Wall Angels
Tanneberg is a big fan of wall angels.
Strengthening and creating mobility through those areas will help to normalize the posture over time.
Stand with your back up against a wall.
verify your heels are touching the wall, as well as your back and head.
Bring your arms up overhead with elbows bent at 90 degrees.
Slowly push your arms up overhead, keeping your forearms in contact with the wall.
Repeat 2 sets of 10 reps every other day.
Stand or sit in front of a mirror.
Assess whether you are slumped forward.
Take a deep breath in.
Raise the top of your head towards the ceiling.
Pull your shoulder blades back and down.
Repeat 5 times every day.
Serratus Anterior Push-Up
Moore suggests this push-up move to flatten your back.
The serratus anterior push-up isolates theserratus anterior, one of the main stabilizers of the shoulder, she explains.
Get into apush-up positionand straighten your arms without locking your elbows.
Carefully slide your shoulder blades inward towards each other, then outwards away from each other.
Keep your neck neutral.
Mid-Fly Back Exercise
Moore also likes this exercise to strengthen andstretch the muscles in your back.
The stronger your back muscles, the easier itll be to keep your neck in alignment.
Stand or sit in a chair with your feet on the floor and your back straight.
Loop anexercise bandaround both hands.
Hold arms out in front of you with a little slack in the band.
Relax your shoulders as you pull your arms out to the side.
Squeeze your shoulder blades.
Slowly return to the middle.
Kneel on the floor with your arms in front of you on the ball or a chair.
Place your forehead on your arms.
Slowly open your arms and allow your head to fall towards the floor.
Think of the area between your shoulder blades as sagging towards the floor.
Keep your neck neutral with no strain.
Take a breath and feel a stretch in your upper back.
Repeat 10 to 15 times.
Raise your shoulders up.
Roll them back.
Squeeze your shoulder blades together.
Continue to move your shoulders in a circular pattern, up and back.
Repeat 10 times.
Do 3 sets every day.
Doorway Stretch
Morris also recommends doing doorway stretches toopen your chest and shoulders.
Stand in a doorway or near a corner.
Place both arms up on the door frame.
Keep your arms perpendicular to the ground.
Step one foot forward through the doorway.
Bend your front knee until you feel a stretch in your chest and/or along your shoulders.
Hold for 10 seconds.
Repeat 10 times on each side once a day.
Studies referenced:
Cutler, WB.
Prevalence of kyphosis in a healthy sample of pre- and postmenopausal women.
Am J Phys Med Rehabil.
Yoga for Women With Hyperkyphosis: Results of a Pilot Study.
Am J Public Health.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1447294/.
Age-related hyperkyphosis: its causes, consequences, and management.
J Orthop Sports Phys Ther.
The Clinical Relevance of Hyperkyphosis: A Narrative Review.
Front Endocrinol (Lausanne).
The Dowager’s hump: an early start?
