With so many of today’s jobs relying on computers, too much forward rotation in our body’s structure is a common problem.
Surfers are constantly rotating their shoulders forward while paddling or slouching over their boards, waiting for waves. This causes too much forward rotation in our body’s structure, and with so many of today’s jobs relying on computers, the people who work at them have a similar problem. The long-term result is chronic pain the shoulders, upper back, and neck.
Being active in releasing tension in the neck and shoulders allows us to stabilize the shoulders and begin to correct slouching.
1. Interlace your fingers behind your back, starting with the pinky fingers, with your palms facing the body to keep the chest and shoulders open. You know you’re doing it wrong if you are still not able to open your chest without making a grumpy face. Keep the thumbs and index finger open, down and away from the body.
2. If your shoulders are too tight to interlace your fingers, use a strap, belt, leash, or anything that you can hold onto. Lightly hold the strap behind you with the same intentions of opening the shoulders and chest and contracting your shoulder blades and rhomboids.
3. Take a deep breath in while lifting from the pelvic floor. Imagine a balloon is in your ribs and you are blowing up the balloon with your breath. As you inhale, rise up on your toes and contract your back, lifting your chest and head into the sky.
4. On the exhale, lower onto the ground and draw your belly into the spine to stabilize your core. Keep your hands reaching down towards the ground and bring your chin level as the top of your head lifts towards the sky. Imagine a string at the top of the head lengthening the neck.
Repeat a few times
Benefits:
The active breath movement on the inhale and squeezing the muscles in contraction awakens the body through breath, blood flow, muscles, nervous system, and quick muscle response with control.
Balance and control of movement
Strength
Flexibility with stability
Structural alignment begins to be established and awakened.
