The Rounded Shoulder Syndrome

Typing, mousing, and reaching for the keyboard often cause our shoulders to round forward and elevate towards our ears. This "hunched" position shortens the muscles in the front of your chest (pectorals) and often leads to tightness.

• The Muscles Affected: Your chest muscles become tight, pulling your shoulders forward. Simultaneously, the muscles in your upper back (rhomboids, lower trapezius) that are supposed to pull your shoulder blades back and down become weak and overstretched from being in a constantly elongated position. This creates a muscular imbalance that perpetuates the slouch.

Pilates excels at opening the chest, strengthening the mid-back muscles, and improving scapular (shoulder blade) stability, helping to pull those shoulders back and down into a healthier alignment.

To reverse the rounding of the shoulders, I find the most effective movements to do with clients is over an Overball (the one we usually use in class) or you can do it over a rolled up towel. You place either ball or towel between the shoulder blades, or (the towel) horizontally across the shoulder blades, whilst lying on your back with your feet hip distance apart. You want to feel your head tipping back, but not so it's uncomfortable; a stretching sensation across the chest, but no excessive arching in the lower back. Then try a few of these exercises:

• Arm flies - arms up towards ceiling and then send both out to the side into a T position, in line with shoulders & then back up towards ceiling. Repeat.

• Backstroke Arms - arms up towards ceiling, then send one arm overhead behind you and the other down towards the floor, and swap. Repeat

• Ribcage Closure - both arms start by your side, then send both up towards ceiling and then overhead and behind you (without over arching your lower back)

• Diagonals - one arm down by your side, the other arm crosses over your body towards opposite hip, then you 'draw the sword' or make a diagonal line over and behind your head - but think diagonal!

Once you've done a few of these, roll off the ball, and feel how grounded your shoulders feel against the floor. Feels great!

If you'd like to start off your day positively and do a half hour session with me online on Fridays at 8.15am (uk time), or 9.15am (spanish time), it costs just £5 for a single session! Or check out my Facebook or Instagram page if you'd like to see some more exercises to help with neck and shoulders.

Sore neck and rounded shoulders?!