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Chest Up and Shoulders Back - The WORST POSTURE CUE THAT DOESN'T WORK - (Do this instead!)
I spent 7 years as a personal trainer before I became a physical therapist. During that time, I wanted to improve posture so I gave the popular cue: "Chest up, shoulders back."
And not only did I give it. I lived it. And while the intention was to improve posture... It not only didn't work but it also made my posture WORSE.
It took a long time to figure out why this was and to start to actually make progress, but now that I understand why this cue not only is ineffective, but can also make posture worse, I want to share it with you!!
Here's the quick and dirty:
Rounded shoulders and slumped posture are usually blamed on tight chest and weak back muscles. You'll hear people talk about Janda's upper crossed syndrome...
This is a red flag. It means they don't know shit. Don't listen to them. They are regurgitating information they heard in school. They are not thinking critically.
The real cause of rounded shoulders and slumped posture is the position and shape of the rib cage.
Here is the sequence of events:
1. Lower rib cage compresses forward
2. Center of gravity shifts forward, center abs start to counteract this motion. This compresses the sternum to cause the initial slump/slouch.
3. The upper rib cage shifts back relative to the forward shift of the lower half. This compresses the upper chest (rib cage shape) and expands the back (rib cage position) in between the shoulders. This promotes forward head and rounded shoulders.
4. The shoulders follow the contour of the rib cage to appear rounded.
The reason squeezing shoulders back and lifting the chest doesn't work is because this is 1) pushing the rib cage further into the position that initial caused the problem; 2) adding an additional layer of compensation in between the shoulder blades
Instead, to fix this:
1. Shift back in space to relax lower rib cage (and allow the upper rib cage to come forward from a relative sense)
2. Exhale long and gentle delaying ab tension until the end (this helps the diaphragm relax and ascend)
3. Inhale against gentle ab tension to expand the rib cage, allowing the sternum and front of the chest to expand. This allows the shoulder blades to naturally rest back without tension.
For more on how to improve posture, join my group movement coaching program starting the week of July 3rd, 2023.
00:00 - Intro
00:20 - Why I'm Making This Video
01:04 - Why Chest Up and Shoulders Back?
01:46 - Why Doesn't This Cue Work?
02:05 - The Real Cause of Rounded Shoulders and Slumped Posture
03: 56 - How to Improve This Posture
05:10 - Additional Cues for Better Diaphragm Position
06:36 - Guided Breathing Practice
08:12 - Recap
08:52 - Next Steps