Let's face it - rounded shoulder posture seems to be one of the most common challenges in our quest for confident, efficient alignment. The downward pull on our shoulders is almost impossible to avoid in our modern day world of vast accessibility to connect anytime anywhere.
Googling everything from wondering if penguins have knees to researching the best place to get a pina colada on your long awaited trip to Aruba.....not to mention hours pecking away at work.....has our Instagramed, Facebook, Pinterest pinwheel of endless intrigue hunched over our devices.
Extreme conditions call for extreme measures and it's time to call upon your angels.
Angels?
Yep! We have 3 exercises that will help pull your wings back and give you more energy to fly through your days.
- Angel Wing Slides - Have wall, can slide. This fabulous exercise not only helps to open your chest, but it effectively strengthens the muscles between your 'wings' (shoulder blades). It even helps you connect better with your core - triple score!
How to Fly :
Stand with your back against the wall.
Walk out a few steps so that your bum , rib cage , shoulders and head are in contact with the wall and your chin is level to the floor.
Bring your elbows, bent at 90 degrees, shoulder level in front of your face.
Open to sides so back arms touch the wall (cactus shape).
Slide back arms as far as you can overhead while maintaining contact with the wall.
Slide back to start position.
Goal - try to remain contact with sacrum, ribs, shoulders and arms with wall through entire exercise.
Repeat 10x
- Angel Wing Lifts - Now that we have stretched the pectoral chest muscles and strengthened those lovely mid back muscles, it's time to work the little stabilizing muscles in your shoulder joint to keep your wings rolled back in place.
How to fly:
Face the wall standing tall in a neutral spine
Create a cactus shape with your arms and open both arms about 10 degrees more to make a W' shape.
Place the outer edge of your arm from elbow to pinky on wall, fingers straight in 1/2 prayer position.
Try to lift your hands and forearm off the wall without elbows loosing contact.
Make sure to not cheat by lifting just hands off wall. The forearm must be in line with hand as try to lift 'wings' off wall.
You will feel the top of the arm bone roll back in the shoulder joint.
Repeat 15x
Note - experiment with how open your 'W' shape, wider the harder. Elbows must stay 'glued' to wall.
- Angel Wing Openings - have pillows, can release. The absolute beauty of this exercise is that you can do it in bed! Or watching tv or even carving away a few minutes in your day to meditate to keep your stress at bay. Yep - it's that easy.
How to fly:
Line up a yoga bolster, firm pillows or foam roller in a vertical line long enough for your head down to your tail is supported.
Knees bent 90 degrees hip distance apart with feet on floor.
Reach straight arms directly above chest, palms together.
Open arms out to a 'T' position allowing back of arms to touch floor if that range feels good.
Lay here and just breathe, feel front chest opening.
Bring arms back together above the chest and repeat
Repeat 6x taking plenty of time in between to passively open up the chest and shoulders
Note - Experiment with making a cactus shape and reaching arms over head. Same exercise as angel wing slides on wall.
There you have it, 3 easy peasey ways to reverse the slump and dump the drain that rounded shoulder posture can have on your body and ultimately your brain! Supercharge these corrective exercises with some extra shoulder support for maximum results!
Fly, fly away.......
