This blog post contains the best exercises, stretches and strategies to fix your rounded shoulders.

In this blog post:

• What is Rounded Shoulders?
• Causes
• Symptoms
• Test for Rounded Shoulders
• Exercises To Fix Rounded Shoulders
• Common Questions

What are Rounded shoulders?

Having Rounded shoulders is when the resting shoulder position is in front of the mid line of the torso.

This type of poor posture generally involves the shoulder blade being in a position of Protraction which involves a combination of Lateral glide/Anterior tilt/Internal rotation of the scapula.

Causes

The hunched postures you continually adopt throughout the day disrupts the normal balance of muscular activity in your shoulders.

In Rounded Shoulders, there is an imbalance of tension between the muscles that pull the shoulder blades forwards and the muscles that pull the shoulder blades backwards.

The following muscles will be addressed specifically in the exercise section of this blog post.

a) Tight and/or Overactive muscles:

The following muscles PULL the shoulder blades into the forward position.

(We need to Stretch/Release these muscles!)

b) Weak and/or Inhibited muscles:

The following muscles ARE NOT PULLING the shoulder blades backwards into a more neutral position.

(We need to Activate/Strengthen these muscles!)

Symptoms

As the shoulder blades are pulled into the forward position, this can place more pressure on the structures at the back (See above).

Rounded Shoulders may be associated with issues such as:

• Neck pain
• Pain in the Trapezius muscle
• Shoulder Impingement
• Upper back pain
• Rotator Cuff issues
• Long Head of Biceps tendon strains
• Difficulty lifting arm above shoulder height
• Tennis Elbow

how to tell if you have Rounded shoulders

Try these quick tests to determine if you have rounded shoulders.

a) Position Of Palm

Instructions:

• Stand up right with your normal posture.
• Have a quick glance at the position of your hands.
• … Which way are your palms facing?

b) Shoulder Position When Lying Down

Instructions:

• Lie down with your back flat against the floor and arms by your side.
• Do the back of your shoulders naturally rest on the floor? Or do they sit in a forward position?
• (DON’T CHEAT! Make sure that you are not over arching your lower back!)

c) Side Profile:

Instructions:

• Get someone to take a photo of your posture in side profile.
• Draw a vertical line along the mid line of your torso.
• Draw a vertical line along the mid line of your shoulder.
• Compare these 2 lines.

d) Only one shoulder rolled forwards

If you have a twisted spine, it can give the appearance of having one shoulder rolled forwards.

(For example – if the torso is rotated towards the right, this will place the left shoulder in a more forwards position.)

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Exercises for Rounded shoulders

STEP 1: Releases
STEP 2: Stretches
STEP 3: Improve Internal Rotation
STEP 4: Improve Extension
STEP 5: Scapula Control
STEP 6: Lower Trapezius Activation
STEP 7: Strengthening Exercises
STEP 8: Eccentric Exercises
STEP 9: Posture Taping
STEP 10: Shoulder Brace
STEP 11: Correct Shoulder Position
STEP 12: One Shoulder Rolled Forwards
STEP 13: Other Areas To Address

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1. Releases

Tight muscles can lock the shoulders in the forward position.

It is important to release these muscle first as to enable the shoulders to be re-positioned correctly.

(Note: If you are not familiar with where the exact location of the following muscles, it will be a good idea to Google them.)

a) Chest

Target muscles:

• Subclavius
• Pectoralis Major
• Pectoralis Minor
• Anterior Deltoid

Instructions:

• Lie facing downwards on the floor.
• Place a massage ball underneath the chest region.
• Apply an appropriate amount of your body weight on top of the massage ball.
• Perform a circular motion over the massage ball.
• Make sure to cover the entire chest region.
• Continue for 2 minutes.

b) Side

Target muscles:

• Latissimus Dorsi
• Serratus Anterior

Instructions:

• Lie down on your side.
• Place a foam roller underneath the Serratus Anterior/Latissimus Dorsi muscle.
• Apply an appropriate amount of your body weight on top of the foam roller.
• Roll your body over the foam roller.
• Make sure to cover the entire muscle.
• Continue for 2 minutes on each side.

c) Upper Trapezius

Instructions:

• Stand in front of the corner of a wall.
• Bend forwards towards the wall.
• Place a massage ball in the region between the neck and shoulder.
• Lean your shoulder against the wall.
• Apply an appropriate amount of weight into the massage ball.
• Make sure to cover the entire region of the Upper Trapezius.
• Continue for 2 minutes on each side.

d) Subscapularis

Instructions:

• Sit down on a chair.
• Rest the entire weight of the arm on your lap.
• Completely relax your arm.
• Use the finger tips of the other arm to push into the front surface of the shoulder blade. (This is in the arm pit region.)
• Focus on areas of increased tightness.
• Continue for 30 seconds.

Note: Make sure that you are not causing numbness or tingling down the arm as you apply pressure into the arm pit region. (This means you may be squashing a nerve!)

If any doubts – seek guidance from a health care professional.

2. Stretches

The next step is to give the tight muscles which hold your shoulders in the rounded position a good stretch.

Make sure that you are getting into the correct position so that you can FEEL the stretch.

a) Chest

(Muscles targeted: Pectoralis Major/Minor)

Instructions:

• Place both hands on the door frame.
• Pull your shoulders back.
  • “Open up your chest”
• Lunge forwards.
• Do not arch your lower back.
• Aim to feel a stretch in the chest region.
• Hold for 30 seconds.

For more chest stretches: Stretches for Pec Minor

b) Latissimus Dorsi

Instructions:

• Assume the position above.
• Whilst holding onto the door frame, let your upper arm take the weight of your body.
  • “Let your body hang”
• Whilst anchoring your legs as shown, aim to bend your mid section as much as possible.
  • Use your body weight to sink into the stretch
• Aim to feel a stretch on the side of your torso.
• Hold for 30 seconds.
• Repeat on other side.

For more Lat stretches: Latissimus Dorsi Stretches

c) Upper Trapezius

Instructions:

• Pull your shoulders back and down.
• Tilt your head to the side.
• Using your hand, pull your head further into the tilt.
• Aim to feel a stretch on the side of your neck.
• Hold for 30 seconds.
• Repeat on other side.

Do you have Pain in the Trapezius?

See Post: Trapezius Muscle Pain Exercises

d) Serratus Anterior

Instructions:

• Lie down on your side.
• (The side that will be stretched should be closest to the floor.)
• Prop your torso up with your forearm resting on the floor.
• Make sure to keep your upper arm perpendicular to the floor throughout this stretch.
• Sink the weight of your torso into the shoulder.
• Keep your shoulder completely relaxed.
• Bow your torso towards the floor.
• Take slow and deep breaths into the side of your rib cage.
• Aim to feel a stretch on the side of the rib cage.
• Hold this position for 30 seconds.

Related Post: Serratus Anterior Serratus Stretches

e) Subscapularis

(You will need a stick to perform the following stretch.)

Instructions:

• Lie down on your back.
• Hold onto a stick between your hands.
• Keep your elbow close to the side of your torso.
• Shift the stick towards the side you are stretching.
• Hold for 30 seconds.

3. Improve shoulder internal rotation

If you lack internal rotation in the shoulder, the shoulder blade may compensate by hitching upwards and forwards… Especially when using your hands in front of you.

I have a complete guide on how to address this issue here:

See Post: Improve Internal Rotation of the Shoulder

But for now, here are some exercises to get your started…

a) Release with Massage Ball

(Muscles targeted: Posterior Deltoid, Infraspinatus, Teres Minor, Posterior Capsule)

Instructions:

• Lie down on your side.
• Place your arm out in front of you.
• Place a massage ball underneath the back of your shoulder joint.
• Apply an appropriate amount of your body weight on top of the massage ball.
• Proceed to roll over the ball.
• Pause on areas of increase tightness.
• Continue for 2 minutes.

b) Stretch the Back of Shoulder

Instructions:

• Tie a resistance band onto a stationary object at shoulder height.
• Lightly hold onto the band.
• Move away from the anchor point to create tension in the resistance band.
• Allow the band to pull your arm across your body.
• Place your other hand on the back of the elbow.
• Pull the arm further across the body.
• Turn your body slightly away from the anchor point.
• Aim to feel a firm stretch in the back of the shoulder.
• Hold for 30 seconds.

b)  Internal Rotation Overpressure

(Muscles targeted: Infraspinatus, Teres Minor)

Instructions:

• Place the back of your wrist onto the side of your hip.
• Use a strap (or your other hand) to pull the elbow towards the body.
• Aim to feel a stretch in the back of the shoulder.
• Perform 30 repetitions.

4. Improve shoulder extension

If you lack full shoulder extension, the scapula may sit in the dumped forwards position (Anterior tilt of the Scapula) and lead to slumped shoulders.

For exercises to increase this movement:

See Post: Exercises To Increase Shoulder Extension

Here are 2 exercises to get you started:

a) Stretch Front of Shoulder

Instructions:

• Sit on a chair.
• Place both hands on side the of the chair.
• Pull your shoulders BACK and tip them BACKWARDS.
  • (Lock this position in throughout the stretch!)
• Keep your elbows pointing backwards.
• Slowly sink your body backwards. Your elbows should start to bend.
  • (Do NOT let those shoulders tip forwards!)
• Aim to feel a stretch at the front of the shoulders.
• Hold for 30 seconds.

For more stretches that target the front of the shoulder:

See Post: Deltoid Stretches

b) Practice Pure Extension

Instructions:

• Pull your shoulders BACK and tip them BACKWARDS.
  • (Lock this position in throughout the exercise!)
• Without allowing the shoulder blade to tip forwards, bring your arm as far backwards as possible.
• Hold for 5 seconds.
• Repeat 30 times.

5. Control your Scapula

When fixing Rounded Shoulders: It is VITAL to know how to perform Scapula Retraction and Posterior Tilt.

These scapula movements will help get the shoulder into a more neutral position.

(Note: You will need to know how to do these movements correctly before proceeding to the Strengthening Exercises.)

a) Scapula Retraction

Instructions:

• Maintain wide and long shoulders.
• Keep your arms completely relaxed.
• Perform Scapular Retraction: (see above)
  • “Pull your shoulder blades together”
• FEEL the contraction between the shoulder blades.
• Hold for 30 seconds.
• Repeat 3 times.

b) Scapula Posterior Tilt

(Keep in mind: This movement is not easy to perform initially. It is a subtle (but very important) movement of the shoulder blade that will help improve the position of the shoulders.)

Instructions:

• Maintain wide and long shoulders.
• Keep your arms completely relaxed.
• Perform Scapular Posterior Tilt: (see above)
  • “Rotate the shoulder blade BACKWARDS.”
  • Imagine the bottom of your shoulder blade digging into your ribs.
• Aim to FEEL the muscles contract at the base of the scapula.
• Hold for 30 seconds.
• Repeat 3 times.

If you are experiencing difficulty with performing a Posterior Tilt of the shoulder blade, make sure to focus on the next step.

6. Lower Trapezius Activation

The Lower Trapezius in responsible for tipping your shoulder blade slightly backwards into a more neutral shoulder position.

a) How to Activate the Lower Trapezius

Instructions:

• Lean your torso at approximately a 45 degrees angle.
• Place one hand on something for balance.
• Lift your other arm up with the thumb pointing upwards.
• Aim to feel a contraction in the region between the lower part of the shoulder blade and spine.
• Hold for 5 seconds.
• Perform 20 repetitions.
• Repeat on other side.
• Progression:
  • Hold onto light weights.

For more exercises like this:

See Post: Lower Trapezius Exercises

7. Strengthening Exercises

If you have completed all of the above exercises, your shoulders should be feeling much more flexible.

(… but this is only half of the journey!)

Having the flexibility in your shoulder merely allows the potential to have them in a better position.

You will need to strengthen the muscles that retract the shoulder blades backwards.

a) Elbows Flares

Instructions:

• Place both hands (with elbows forward) on the sides of your head. (see Start position)
• Bring your elbows all the back. (see End position)
• Perform Scapula Retraction and Posterior Tilt whilst pulling elbows backwards.
• Feel the contraction between the shoulder blades.
• Hold for 5 seconds.
• Repeat 20 times.

b) Wall Press and Squeeze

Instructions:

• Place both hands high up on a wall in front of you.
• Lean firmly into your hands.
• Perform Scapula Retraction and Posterior Tilt.
• Lift your hands off the wall without moving your torso.
• Aim to feel the muscular contraction between your shoulder blades.
• Hold for 30 seconds.
• Repeat 5 times.

c) Prone Angel

Instructions:

• Support your chest on a stool.
  • (Keep your torso parallel with the floor)
• Place your arms in the ‘W’ starting position.
• Perform and maintain Scapula Retraction and Posterior tilt throughout the exercise.
• Transition to the arms over head position.
• Keep your hands higher than your elbows.
• Aim to feel the muscles between your shoulder blades activate.
• Repeat 10 times.

e) Wall Angel

Instructions:

• Stand with your back to a wall.
• Keep your back and arms pulled backwards as to remain in contact with the wall at all times.
• Place your arms in the ‘W’ starting position.
• Transition to the arms over head position.
• Remember to perform Scapula Retraction and Posterior Tilt throughout all movements.
• Aim to feel the muscles between your shoulder blades activate.
• Repeat 10 times.

f) Prone Arm Lift (Above Head)

Instructions:

• Lie down on your stomach.
• Have your arms above your head.
• Lift your arms off the floor as high as possible.
• Squeeze your shoulder blades together.
• Aim to feel a contraction in the muscles between the shoulder blades.
• Hold for 10-30 seconds.
• Perform 3-5 repetitions.
• Progression:
  • Hold onto an appropriate amount of weight.

8. Eccentric Exercise for Chest

Once you have achieved a more neutral shoulder position with the mentioned exercises for Rounded Shoulders, the next step is to eccentrically strengthen your chest muscles.

Eccentric training is where you strengthen the muscle as it is lengthening.

(This will help stretch your chest muscles even more!)

The Eccentric Push Up

Instructions:

• Assume a push up position against a door frame.
• Lean your weight into your hands.
• Keep your shoulders pulled back throughout the exercise.
  • Maintain the Scapular Posterior Tilt and Retraction!
• Slowly lower your chest down towards the wall as you bend your elbows.
• Do not let your elbows flare outwards.
• Aim to go as deep as possible so that you feel a deep stretch in the chest muscles.
• Repeat 10 times.
• Progression:
  • Go deeper into the movement.
  • Perform on the floor.
  • Perform a Bench press or dumbbell chest press.

9. Tape your posture

Taping your rounded shoulder posture into a more optimal position can be helpful.

Instructions:

• Perform Scapula Retraction and Posterior Tilt.
  • “Pull your shoulder blades slightly together”
  • “Rotate the shoulder blade BACKWARDS.”
• Place the tape starting from above collar bone and pull back and down to the middle of your thoracic spine.
• Make sure you place firm downward pressure when applying the tape.
• Do both sides.

(Note: Depending on your skin irritability, you can leave the tape on for up to ~2 days. )

10. Brace for Rounded shoulders

Wearing a brace to prevent your shoulders from rolling forward can be helpful in this initial stages of fixing your posture.

My only warning is that you DO NOT become reliant on it!

Excessive use of a posture brace will likely lead to the weakening of all of your postural muscles!

The main thing when using a brace is to make sure that it fits comfortably.

11. What is the correct shoulder position?

This is a quick and easy way to reset your shoulders into a more neutral position.

Shoulder Reset Exercise

Instructions:

• Reach and stretch out your hands as far to opposite sides as possible. (see above)
• Retraction: Slightly bring your arms backwards.
  • Make sure you can feel a gentle contraction between your shoulder blades
• Posterior Tilt: Turn your palms towards the back as far as you can so that your thumbs are almost pointing towards the floor.
• Take note of your shoulder position. Keep this position! And gently lower your arms by your side.
• Think: “Wide and long shoulders”. 
• Do NOT over squeeze your shoulders back together.

12. One Shoulder Rolled Forwards

If you have only one shoulder that is rolled forwards, the first step is to check if your spine is rotated towards one side.

Spinal rotation can lead to one shoulder being positioned more forwards as compared to the other side.

(For example – if the torso is rotated towards the right, this will place the left shoulder in a more forwards position.)

a) How To Check for Rotation In The Torso

Instructions:

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and level with each other.
• Get a helper to take a photo from the above head position.
• Find the line of your pelvis. (Red line)
• Find the line of your torso. (Orange line)
• If these 2 lines are not parallel, then you have a rotated torso relative to the position of the pelvis.

Results:

(Note: Uneven muscular bulk can give the illusion of a rotation.)

If you have determined that you have a rotated torso which has lead to one shoulder being more forwards, I strongly recommend that you have a look at this blog post:

Post: Exercises For A Twisted Spine

This blog post will cover all of the exercises that you will need to perform to address the position of the torso.

By addressing the position of the torso, the forward position of the shoulder should automatically improve.

If you do not have any rotation in your torso but still have one shoulder more forwards, it is likely that you will need to perform the exercises mentioned on this blog post on the one side.

What causes one shoulder being more forwards?

There are certain activities which may encourage one shoulder to adopt a more forwards position such as:

13. Other areas to consider

The following factors mentioned below may predispose one to developing rounded shoulders.

a) Address Hunchback Posture

A thoracic spine (upper back) that is hunched forwards will orientate the shoulders in a forwards position.

For a complete guide on how to address this:

See Post: Hunchback Posture

b) Address Forward Head Posture

A Forward Head Posture is where the position of the head is in front of the mid line of the torso.

If the head is pushed into the poked forwards position, it is common to see the shoulders round forwards as well.

Be aware of the habitual position of your head

(For Example: Think about your head position when you are looking down at your phone!)

For a complete guide on how to address this:

See Post: Forward Head Posture

c) Workstation Setup

If you sit in front of a computer for an extended amount of time, it is important to optimize the position of the computer screen, keyboard, mouse, table and chair.

This can help encourage a better position of your shoulders.

I have written a free eBook which covers how to set up your workstation:

Check it out here: How To Setup Your Workstation

13. Common Questions

Feel free to ask me a question in the comment section.

a) Can it be corrected?

Yes!

Focus on performing all of the suggested exercises as mentioned on this blog post.

Perform them effectively. Be consistent. And most of all…

Be patient!

(You certainly didn’t develop your bad posture over night. It can take time!)

b) How long does it take to fix?

This is a very common question that I receive… but also a very difficult one to answer!

There are many factors that contribute to the shoulder position. As a result, time frame to recovery will vary from person to person.

Generally speaking – I would suggest that you persist with the exercises for at least 3 months.

If there has been a lack of noticeable improvement, it is likely that other areas of your posture will need to be addressed as well. (see section 12: Other Areas To Consider)

c) Does sleeping on your side cause Rounded Shoulders?

Although sleeping on the side encourages the forward rounding of the shoulders, it is not likely the only cause!

If your side sleeping is significantly contributing to your rounded shoulders, I would encourage you to sleep on your back.

In this position, gravity will actually assist in pushing your shoulders back into a more ideal position.

How to sleep to fix Rounded Shoulders:

Note: If sleeping on your back is uncomfortable on the shoulders, consider placing a pillow under the shoulder and arms. (see above)

d) What are some exercises to avoid?

You do not necessarily have to completely avoid any exercises.

The main thing is to avoid performing exercises with the shoulders in the rounded forwards position.

If you are involved with an activity which requires for your shoulder to be in hunched position (eg. Boxing, Cycling, Swimming butterfly stroke, Rock climbing, Driving), then make sure you are following up with your corrective exercises!

e) Is this posture causing all of my pain?

Having rounded shoulders does not inherently mean that you will have pain.

There are plenty of people with poor posture who do not experience any symptoms at all!

In my opinion – the issue associated with rounded shoulders is that if your shoulders become LOCKED in this position where it affects how your body moves.

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Conclusion:

To fix your Rounded Shoulders, you will need to:

• Release and Stretch the tight muscles that are holding your shoulders in the forwards position.
• Activate and Strengthen the weak muscles that are responsible for pulling your shoulders into the ideal position.
• Learn how to control your shoulder blades. (especially with the scapula movements of Posterior Tilt and Retraction)
• Be aware of your posture throughout the day and aim to maintain a good shoulder position.
• Address other aspects of your posture.

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Disclaimer: The content presented on this blog post is not medical advice and should not be treated as such. It is not intended to be used as a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis or treatment. Use of the content provided on this blog post is at your sole risk. Seek guidance from a healthcare professional before attempting any exercise and/or implementing any recommendation. For more information: Medical Disclaimer.