Welcome to the first Weekend Challenge of 2016! If you’ve resolved to improve your posture or if you have pain in your upper back, then this exercise is perfect for you.
Improving your posture is a great way to start the year, so you can avoid or correct the slumped, hunchbacked appearance (kyphosis) that is so often associated with osteoporosis and upper back pain.
The Upper Spine Aligner works the trapezius muscles, strengthening key areas associated with posture: the shoulders, neck, and upper back. These spots are prone to hurt when you slump forward, engage in forward head posture (FHP), or feel stressed.
And as you practice this move, you’ll find tension and tightness are released and better posture is far easier to achieve and maintain. Plus the entire move is done from a seated position, making it extremely convenient.
Let’s get started!
Why:
It might surprise you to learn that your trapezius muscles cover a lot of territory. The traps, as they are often called, affect every area from the base of your skull to the middle of your back. If your shoulders feel tight and achy, or you have neck and head pain, chances are, your traps are tight and stressed. Here’s why.
Your traps consist of two large muscles on either side of your upper spine. They hold your head, arms, and shoulders in alignment. When stressed, we tend to bring our shoulders up toward our ears without even realizing it. The shoulders almost creep upwards before we’re aware, and the next thing you know, your shoulders and neck ache.
Another cause of trapezius pain is forward head posture, or FHP. This postural mistake is a precursor to kyphosis (aka dowager’s hump), because it pokes your head forward, setting the stage for the rest of the thoracic vertebrae to follow. This results in rounded shoulders and the beginnings of a hump.
In addition to aligning your head, neck, and thoracic vertebrae, here are some other motions and movements your traps facilitate.
- Head rotation
- Deep breathing
- Neck rotation
- Lifting heavy objects
- Lifting your arms (the traps help lift your scapulae, or shoulder blades)
- Arm rotation and twisting
- Stabilization of the shoulder blades
As you can see, the traps have a lot to do! Exercises like today’s challenge help build strength and relieve tension in the traps, thus promoting alignment of the head and spine.
How:
The Upper Spine Aligner is done sitting down, and can be performed with or without weights. You can use two water bottles or cans of food instead of dumbbells if you wish.
- Sit in a comfortable chair that allows your feet to be flat on the floor and your knees bent at right angles.
- Lean forward with your arms hanging down beside your lower legs. If you are using weights, pick them up and hold them with your palms facing behind you and the backs of your hands facing forward. If you are not using weights, your hands should still be in this position.
- Keeping your back straight, lift your arms up to about the height of your ears. Do not bend your arms. Lower your arms again.
- Repeat the arm lift approximately 10 times, or whatever fits your comfort level.
Tips:
- Make sure your elbows stay straight.
- Lift the weights (or your arms) slowly and deliberately. There should be no jerking upward or “heaving” of weights. Try lighter weights if this is a problem.
- Keep your feet flat on the floor throughout the exercise.
Does Your Upper Back Hurt?
Even if you have good posture, you might have pain in the upper back, including the traps. There are several reasons for this, such as carrying a heavy handbag, holding a phone between your head and your shoulder, or tightening and lifting your shoulders when you get stressed.
Another common cause of upper back pain is sleeping in the wrong position.
Mysterious aches and pains can sometimes be attributed to awkward or less-than-optimal sleeping positions, and when you begin to sleep with proper pillow support and spinal alignment, muscles release, bones and joints align, and those aches and pains often disappear.
Savers know that quality sleep is also crucial for bone health. A significant amount of bone remodeling happens during deep sleep, making this an issue of utmost importance. In addition, your sleeping position affects your skeletal alignment and posture.
The best way to eliminate or prevent those aches and pains is to target those same muscles during the day with specific exercises. If you have the Densercise™ Epidensity Training System, then you know that among the 52 moves to build bone density, there are many exercises that work the upper back and neck for excellent posture and stress relief.
Take Exercising For Your Bones to the Next Level!
Learn the 52 exercise moves that jumpstart bone-building – all backed by the latest in epigenetics research.
What better way to stay motivated and keep your resolution to exercise if your bone-building, posture-enhancing workout includes relief from stress? With Densercise™ by your side, you don’t have to live with back pain and you can improve your posture, regardless of age.
Have a great weekend!
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How To Avoid And Eliminate Neck PainComments on this article are closed.
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hi
this exercise is good. you mentioned when lying down you must have spine alignment. is it better to lie on your back or side -
I will take the opportunity this week to try these new exercises and hopefully it will have an impact on my upper back pain. Most of what you talk about with regard to upper back pain and FHP is true in my life including my osteoporosis. Thank you.
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Thank you for sending these helpful exercises, and for all your helpful education.
One suggestion: I think the diagrams would be easier to follow if they were a little slower. -
My comment didn’t appear.
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I want to thank you Vivian for providing these exercises. The situation you describe above is exactly where I am, I have severe osteoporosis (-4.2 T-score) and I am hunched over when I walk and I have a forward head posture. I’m constantly in pain when I stand up, and my shoulder blades hurt when I stand up. I try to bring my head back into the proper position, but it doesn’t take long before it returns to the FHP. If I try to reach for something, either sitting down or standing up, I can feel the pain in my upper back area and traps. I’ve gone to PT for many weeks, but it hasn’t really improved my situation, and they don’t use the exercises you suggest. I will try this exercise and see if it makes my pain better and report back to you. I appreciate your health letters and help with the osteo and muscular exercises. Thanks very much. Rob
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I am so glad that this is the sort of exercise that fits your need, Rob. There are lots of other exercises that address FHP on this site – feel free to use the search feature to find more!
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These exercises are great. thanks, keep them coming
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My comment did not appear. I love your exercises, keep sending them.
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Like usual, I love to get your tips, and exercises. I did this one already. I began a exercise program at gymn, but I will practice your exercises at home.
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That’s a great way to balance your exercise routine, Teresa. 🙂
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Is there somewhere on this website that I can see all the exercises you post on Saturdays?
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Hi Job,
Your best bet is to use the Search feature at the top of the page, and type in “Weekend Challenge.” Then you’ll see a thumbnail list of all the weekend exercises. 🙂
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The excerise is a great help. Great improvement thank you very much.
KPF
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I am glad it is a great help to you, Kathleen!
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Thanks a lot for these very useful tips.
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You are welcome, Sanjay! Enjoy the exercise.
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