By Rita La Rosa Loud, B.S.
A large percentage of elderly and young adults suffer from some form of upper back/neck issues resulting in poor posture. Malalignments like humped shoulders (dowagers hump), rounded upper back (kyphosis), and a forward head lean (swan neck) has become evident particularly nowadays with the general population texting on cellphones and pouring over computers. Other problems which cause pain/discomfort from spinal deformities like congenital issues (scoliosis), everyday activities (reading books/magazines), even positional sleeping habits, plus sports injuries, accidents, stress, tight/weak muscles, being inactive, or overweight can contribute to straining the neck/upper back muscles.
Fortunately, these muscles respond very well to proper strengthening exercises that can help correct or improve posture. For instance, in our posture and balance study conducted with senior men/women on 10 basic strength equipment, they improved not only their posture, but also balance and strength (November 2023 article, “Strong Muscles and Bones Equals Better Posture and Balance”).
Along with the well-designed resistance equipment found in our health and wellness center, we instruct posture exercises that also develop strong upper back/neck muscles and keep your head on your shoulders.
Posture exercises
The chin tuck exercise helps one get into better upper body alignment, especially if the shoulders are rounded and the head drops forward. For example, our participants are coached to pull their chin in slightly while performing strength training on the resistance machines. When done correctly, the back of the head will pull straight up and over the shoulders, relieving tension in the upper back/neck. Our participants also tighten their abdominals, sit upright with their spine pressed against the back pad to support and reduce stress on the lower back.
The shrug and upright row coupled together strengthen the upper back (trapezius, rhomboid) muscles, which enables to keep the head up and in good posture alignment.
Perform the shrug exercise standing or sitting erect, chest lifted, chin tucked, shoulder blades back and down. Hold a light-moderate dumbbell in each hand. With arms straight down by your sides, palms facing the outside of each thigh, slowly elevate the shoulders towards the ears. Pause momentarily, then slowly lower the shoulders back down. Use resistance as you lift and lower. Repeat 10-15 times.
Next, execute the upright row exercise. Stand or sit using identical upper body alignment as the shrug. Place arms straight down in front of the body with palms facing the front of the thighs. Lead with the elbows and slowly lift your arms toward, but not past, the sternum. Pause momentarily, then slowly lower the arms back down. Repeat 10-15 times.
Quincy College’s Wayne Westcott, Ph.D. Center for Health, and Fitness offers a supervised group exercise program, located at Presidents Place, 1250 Hancock St. To tour or to try a class, call 617-405-5978. Street parking and a parking garage are available.
About the Author: Rita La Rosa Loud holds a B.S. in Exercise Physiology with additional education in Sports Medicine and Athletic Training. She is NASM Certified and has been actively involved in the fitness industry for more than 35 years. She is also an author and writes
fitness-related articles for various publications. Currently, she is a fitness researcher and directs the Wayne Westcott, Ph.D. Center for Health and Fitness at Quincy College. She can be reached at 617-405-5978.
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Maureen McDonnell, age 78, seen stretching on the chest press machine, significantly improved her posture by strengthening the major muscles of the upper/lower body, including the chin tuck and shoulder dhrug. She will add the upright row in our next session to further improve her upper body alignment. Maureen lost weight, reduced inches from her waist and hips, and is stronger due to engaging twice weekly in regular resistance training.
