Many people worry about rounded shoulders. Rounded shoulders refer to a condition where the back is hunched and the shoulders are pulled inward.

The appearance makes the shoulders look narrow, and the posture also looks slouched. In severe cases, it can even cause pain.

Still, strengthening the muscles can improve round shoulders to some extent. Let's learn about methods to correct round shoulders.

When lying down, the shoulders do not touch the floor.

The presence of rounded shoulders can be easily checked with a simple method. If, when lying down, your shoulders do not touch the floor and are raised, you may suspect rounded shoulders. Additionally, when standing upright, if your palms are not facing your torso but turned outward, it may also indicate this condition.

If you tilt slightly backward, there is a high probability of round shoulders. Especially when grabbing the nape of the neck, if the elbows are in front of the ears, it can be seen as already having progressed to round shoulders.

◇ Frequently looking at your smartphone makes it worse

The cause of rounded shoulders is poor posture. It commonly occurs in people who sit for long periods or frequently use smartphones. When the shoulders are hunched forward, it causes excessive use of neck muscles and leads to a significant backward tilt of the neck.

As a result, myofascial pain syndrome, which can cause neck disc problems or pain around the neck and shoulders, may occur. The pectoralis minor muscle, a chest muscle, also contracts. The pectoralis minor refers to the muscle that extends from around the 3rd to 5th ribs to the shoulder blade.

The longer you maintain poor posture, the shorter the subclavius muscle becomes. As the subclavius muscle shortens, the shoulders are pulled more toward the chest.

◇Consistently perform shoulder-stretching exercises

To improve rounded shoulders, you need to consistently do stretching exercises.

Lie down with the foam roller placed under your back, place your hands on your head, and lean your upper body backward.

If you hold this position for 30 seconds, your chest muscles will relax. In addition to this,

Pressing the chin

Tilt back the neck

▲Wall push-ups

Climbing over a light bar

▲You can do this by twisting your torso while sitting.

Additionally, there is a method to strengthen back muscles using elastic bands.

Fix the elastic band on one side and pull with both hands.

Quickly tighten the band, then slowly loosen it, repeating this process three times a day for 15 repetitions each time.