Through personal experience, when traveling, teaching classes, which include T’ai Chi, Qi Gong, herbal information, martial arts, and other medical techniques, which are included, have been collected and compiled. The article also contains feedback from students and anecdotal information from friends and readers of my columns. These are my opinions and deductions from those sources.
As with any exercise, you’ll want to consult with your doctor, especially if you’re dealing with an illness.
It is difficult to know whether you have rounded shoulders. When you turn your head in the mirror, the shoulder you are looking at will automatically move back and up, and your posture will change. Having another perspective can help but it is almost impossible for someone else to guess your progress correctly.
Do you have round shoulders, a wall, a candle measure and about two minutes. Sit on the floor with your legs straight in front of you and your back up against a wall. If you feel the top of your shoulder, you can find where the bony part of the shoulder ends and the path of the shoulder blade begins. The end of the bone is where you want to take your measurement. It can be easier to measure if you have help.
Sit in a normal position with your legs straight in front of you and your arms down at your sides, don’t pull your shoulders back, you’ll only mislead yourself. Relax for thirty seconds making sure you are in a normal position/shoulder position. If it helps you, look at them and see if you think your shoulders are where you usually hold them. Then measure where the end of the shoulder bone ends and the top of the arm begins. You are looking for the distance in open space, the distance between the wall and your body. The measurement should be between one and three inches. Write down the measurements so you can compare them later. Make sure you take the same measurement every day. If you know or suspect that you have round shoulders and your measurement is within the lines, you are probably measuring too close to your spine.
The following exercise will strengthen and help remedy rounded shoulders plus tone and tone the muscles, arms and upper back muscles. It also helps to open the chest and lift the sternum. Elevating the sternum and opening the chest aids in increasing lung capacity and breath control. Proper breathing control can help lower stress levels.
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, feet parallel and pointing straight ahead. Make sure you are up and ready. Straighten your arms, then raise them to shoulder height and parallel to the floor. Palms can be down or up. Start by making small arms and hands. I lean forward with the usual emphasis on the circle towards the rear. Start with ten circles on one side and then change directions and repeat the same amount on the other side. Then, if the sums have gone down, turn them over and repeat the above steps. If you bend your knees while exercising, you can work your quadriceps. Standing on toes with bent knees will help improve balance and strengthen the calf and other leg muscles. It starts slow and elaborate.
