Everyone Should Do This Easy Posture Exercise (IT'S SO EASY!!!)

I've previously done a couple posts on the importance of posture.  Yep, here's another one!  Are you starting to get a feel for how important posture is?  :)

This is a simple instructional exercise post.  If you commit a little time to do it every day, it can go a long way for you.

I'm going to instruct you to do wall push-ups.  Obviously, since we're doing push-ups on the wall instead of on the ground like usual, we aren't going for mass/bulk here.  Instead, we're seeking to tone your rhomboids.  The rhomboid muscles are found between your scapulae (shoulder blades) and your thoracic spine. 

• As we tone the rhomboids, they become tighter long-term, pulling your shoulder blades back. 
• This sequentially causes your shoulders to become more rolled back where they are supposed to be.
• When our shoulders are rolled back, our upper trapezius muscles pull the head back.
• As a result, we have better posture!

Here's some specifics on how to do these wall push-ups:

• Have your hands directly in front of your shoulder joints.
• As you allow your elbows to bend, maintain a 45° angle between your arms and your body.
• Keep your feet shoulder width apart.
• Keep your shoulders back AND down; don't let your upper traps pull your shoulders up toward your head!  (As a side-note, you ladies do this a lot, because this is where females tend to hold their stress... my myofascial release treatments will do wonders for you!)
• Most importantly!  Squeeze your shoulder blades together tight!  You should feel the tissue pinching in the middle of your back.  Keep it this way!
• Slowly "lower" yourself toward the wall and come back up.  Once your elbows are straight again, DO NOT ALLOW YOUR SHOULDERS TO ROLL FORWARD!!!  Keep that tissue pinched between your shoulder blades, the whole time!

Try to do this for 10 reps, 3 separate times in your day.  An easy way to remember this would be to do it at breakfast, lunch and dinner.  At the very least, do it once every day, for 10 reps.  Remember, we're just going for tone.  And this works like when you were a kid and you played that "game" with your friends where you stood in a doorway, pushing both arms against the doorway frame as hard as you could for about 30 seconds... when you stepped out of the doorway your arms seemed to just float up.  This exercise relies on the same principle.  Do these exercises to get your rhomboids to naturally pull your shoulders back.  Wouldn't it be nice if your muscles just maintained proper posture without you having to think about it???

Have fun with this, and let me know what differences you see after you've done it for a week!

Get Moving!  Get Performing!

Contact info:

Dr. Kelby Martin
(929) 33-KELBY   [929-335-3529]

South Jordan Chiropractic
10456 S Redwood Road
South Jordan, UT 84095
Office phone:  (801) 446-5100