
This weekend’s challenge is a postural exercise to help you prevent and get rid of a neck hump. It opens the chest and moves the shoulder blades back, flattening the upper back and correcting Forward Head Posture (FHP).
The Standing Neck Hump Eliminator And Posture Corrector also improves shoulder mobility.
Let’s get started!
Why:
The Standing Neck Hump Eliminator And Posture Corrector is more of a stretch than an exercise, and stretching definitely has a place in your bone-building exercise regimen. While it’s not a high-impact type of move, stretching helps to release tight muscles and bring the skeleton into alignment, both of which are important for bone regeneration and renewal.
A clear sign of poor posture is when the chest collapses inward and the shoulders move forward. Also, the neck typically stretches forward, in a postural stance known as Forward Head Posture (FHP). FHP is best described when the head is poked forward so the neck becomes more horizontal, and the spine follows where the head leads. Thus, FHP affects your entire spine.
This weekend’s exercise is designed to correct both FHP and a “neck hump.”
What Causes The “Neck Hump”?
As pointed out above, a neck hump can result from FHP. The neck muscles strain to hold up the head that’s far out in front (think of balancing a bowling ball on a pole – it’s easy as long as the pole is upright, but becomes impossible if you tilt the pole forward). In fact, your head weighs about the same as a bowling ball – around 10 pounds!
When the head is not aligned with the spine, the neck muscles become tense, in an attempt to bring the neck into alignment and hold the head up. As a result, they become stiff, tight, and strained. Fatty deposits may develop at the base of the neck as the body tries to cushion and pad the spine. This contributes significantly to the dreaded hump.
A neck hump can also be the result of other poor postural habits, such as sitting with slouched shoulders and kyphosis (an extreme curvature of the upper back). It can also be caused by compression fractures and/or poor bone quality in the thoracic vertebrae.
Another significant contributor to the development of a neck hump is a sedentary lifestyle. Movement is essential for your overall health and for the health of your bones.
While FHP, kyphosis, and other postural problems involve mostly the skeleton, the muscular system is the key to achieving good posture. So specific muscles must be strengthened to restore the skeleton, and a great place to begin is with exercises like the Standing Neck Hump Eliminator And Posture Corrector.
How:
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
- Bring your hands straight out in front of you and link your thumbs together. Gently pull outwards, keeping the thumbs linked as you feel the resistance in your arms, back, and shoulders.
- While keeping this pull, slowly raise your arms up. When they are directly over your head, unlink your thumbs and turn your palms inward so they face each other.
- Slowly bring your arms down, palms facing up, drawing your shoulder blades back at the same time. So your arms will not be going straight down, but will be reaching slightly behind your back.
- Bring your hands all the way down. Then reach forward again, link your thumbs, and repeat steps 2, 3, and 4.
- Repeat this exercise about 10 times, adjusting according to your fitness and comfort levels.
Prevent A Neck Hump And Build Your Bones With Targeted Exercises
To accelerate you results, we suggest you combine this weekend’s exercise with these three Weekend Challenges:
For more postural exercises and a program designed to build bone density and strength in all fracture-prone areas, if you haven’t yet, you can try the Densercise™ Epidensity Training System. It contains over 50 targeted moves, and you can ‘Densercise’ anytime, anywhere, because none of the exercises require special equipment.
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.
Please feel free to share your thoughts with Savers by leaving a comment below.
Enjoy the weekend!
This exercise feels so good!! I even breathe better!
Great news, Kimberly! Sounds like this stretch really opened your chest.
Have tried this exercise, its good and can be fitted in several times a day. Thanks Vivien.
You’re welcome, Anne! I like how this exercise can be worked in throughout the day, too.
This exercise hurt my upper arms/shoulders in a bad way.
Am I doing something wrong?
I don’t feel any ‘good’ stretch or movement in this one.
Wendy Sue, if you experience any pain while doing this or any exercise, stop. You don’t want to hurt yourself! This exercise may not be right for you.