The four most effective stretches for rounded posture from sitting at a desk
If you work a desk job and find yourself slouching forward, break up your day with these movements, recommended by a physical therapist
Have you noticed your posture changing, inching closer to your screen when you’re concentrating hard on something? You’re not alone.
I often end up hunched like this when crafting headlines, catching myself looking like Gollum with the one ring before I realize it.
While this rounded posture may feel involuntary, holding it for extended periods could end up causing shoulder pain, according to Daniel Kline, a physical therapist for ATI Physical Therapy.
“While every person's shoulder soreness can be attributed to numerous causes, overall, the majority of people with shoulder soreness present with similar impairments of rounded and anterior [forward] shoulders, and weakness in the posterior [back] aspect of the upper back,” he says.
He explains that if your shoulder is sore on the front but it doesn’t hamper your daily life or workouts, then your desk posture is probably the culprit.
To help remedy this, Kline recommends the following four stretches.
Perform them throughout the day spent at your desk to break up long periods of sitting and help you sit in a way that puts less strain on your shoulders.
If you have felt any type of popping or clicking in your shoulder during a workout or activity, or experience significant pain with lifting your arm, you must seek advice from a physician.
1. Pec stretch
Sets: 2-3 Time: 30sec each side
“With the majority of people having desk jobs, driving to work, and using phones, we see rounded shoulders,” says Kline.
“This leads to closure of bony spaces around the rotator cuff, which can lead to impingement. Impingement presents with a pinching sensation on the front of the shoulder when raising the arm.”
“This stretch helps to lengthen the pec muscles on your chest, allowing for your shoulder blade to move efficiently.”
How to do it:
- Stand in a doorway with one foot in front of the other, hips facing forward.
- Raise your right arm, bending your elbow to 90° and lifting it to shoulder height, so your forearm is vertical, palm facing forward.
- Place your right forearm and elbow on the doorframe at roughly shoulder height.
- Lean forward slightly to feel a stretch through the right side of your chest.
- Hold for time, then switch sides.
2. Prayer stretch
Sets: 2-3 Time: 30sec
“The latissimus is another muscle that limits the ability of your shoulder blade to move overhead, restricting shoulder overhead motion,” says Kline.
“This stretch will also help with upper-back mobility and stiffness.”
How to do it:
- Kneel in front of a bench, low table or bed, with your knees a torso’s length away from the surface.
- Place your elbows on the surface with your forearms vertical.
- Hinge at your hips to lower your chest toward your knees, without moving your elbows.
- Hold for 30 seconds, feeling a stretch along the back of your upper arms and behind your armpits.
3. Shoulder external rotation with squeeze
Sets: 2-3 Reps: 10-15
“This exercise focuses on rotator cuff recruitment and shoulder blade squeezing to the spine,” says Kline.
“The combination of these motions helps to open up your shoulder for improved overhead reaching, improves the strength of the (often forgotten) rotator cuff in gym workouts and improves posture.”
How to do it:
- Stand holding a resistance band with both hands shoulder-width apart in front of your thighs, palms facing up. There should be light tension in the band
- Bend your elbows to 90°, lifting the band to elbow height—this is your starting position.
- Keeping your upper arms pinned to your torso, pull the band apart, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
- Return to the start with control.
4. Shoulder extension
Sets: 3-4 Reps: 10-15
“This is another great exercise to help reinforce the mobility gained by the pec stretch and prayer stretch,” says Kline.
“This one emphasizes the recruitment of your shoulder blade, and helps to create better posture and thoracic extension.”
How to do it:
- Loop a resistance band around an anchor point in front of you at roughly waist height.
- Hold the ends of the band in front of your hips and step back so the band is taut.
- Pull the band behind you, keeping your arms straight, and squeezing your shoulder blades together.
- Return to the starting position with control.
Form tip: Keep your arms about six inches away from the sides of your body to recruit your rhomboids and trapezius muscles.
