As soon as I mentioned the word posture, you sat up taller and pulled those shoulders back, didn’t you 👀.
You know where I am going with this. I am sure that you are familiar with that daily slow, unconscious descent into a slouch: shoulders rolling forward, chest closing in, head down. I find this happens equally when I am intensely typing on my laptop and when I am just exhausted and done with the day.
Interestingly, posture can express our emotional state too. There is something almost universal about the shoulder slump as a physical expression of how we're doing. When we are at our lowest, the body caves inward. And conversely, the shoulders-back, chest-open, chin-up posture can read as "who invited that woman into the room?"
Which feels more like you right now?
Our bodies weren't designed for this.
There is something else that I've been noticing lately. Take a look around the next time you are on the subway, waiting for a coffee and, worst of all, just regular people walking down the street. Everyone has their heads down, eyes staring intently at their phone screens. First of all, this is inherently dangerous (!) but also, those rounded shoulders get no breaks.
I am shocked at how different this screen dependence is from even ten years ago. It's no longer just people with desk jobs. Now, we are all prisoners of our screens, walking and sitting. And the screen does not discriminate whether you are working on closing a big deal, researching new health treatments for your aging parent or looking for a recipe.
Our bodies are remarkably adaptable. Over the past century, we have adapted to an increasingly sedentary lifestyle, but this is a next-level demand. Our bodies weren't designed to spend so much of their time hunched over.
It is time to fight back.
Slumping is natural…to an extent.
I am not advocating being rigidly upright all day, but the antidote does include moving more, changing positions and building the strength and mobility to balance all that forward-hunching.
Slumping is actually a relaxed position. But when you spend hours at a computer or looking down at your phone, you spend a lot of time with your arms reaching forward, your shoulders rounded and your shoulder blades spread apart. This is called shoulder protraction.
Over time, if we don't balance all that forward-reaching with other movements and strengthening work, we can lose strength, endurance and mobility that help us maintain good shoulder positioning. It is time to give your upper back some love.
Where this impacts performance
If you play tennis, golf or any overhead sport, this is particularly relevant.
Your tennis serve and golf swing rely on what's known as the kinetic chain: the coordinated generation and transfer of force through your body, from your legs and trunk, through your shoulders and out through your arms. Your shoulder blades need to move freely and have the muscular support to provide a stable base for your arms. If your upper back is stiff, or your shoulder mobility and muscular control are limited, it can affect how freely and efficiently you move (ie. limit performance on your otherwise killer serve).
And you are here because you want more options, not less!
🏋️ The mini protocol: Do the Y-T-W
The answer isn't to spend all day wearing that shoulder back contraption sold on Black Friday. Here is a simple series of moves that can be done as a mini-break any time in your day.
These three movements target the muscles that help stabilize and control your shoulder blades, including the interscapular muscles (the muscles between your shoulder blades).
Start with bodyweight. Eventually, add weights.
Watch the demo on Instagram → [link]
Hello! Is that you who just walked into the room? 😉
And meanwhile,
When I was at The National Menopause Show a few weeks ago, I bought a great pyjama set that was designed for hot women 🔥🔥🔥.
Check out Hotness Intimates. I bought the cheeky bottoms and the ribbed top (tops run small). Love these. Why was I wearing flannel to bed??
