Perfect Your Posture – Lauren Kern Fitness

Do you have neck or upper back pain or neck pain?

Do you have a high-stress career? Are you pregnant or breast-feeding? Many times these circumstances are a result of poor posture. Neck and upper back pain often result from being in a forward-leaning position for long hours. If your job requires traveling or sitting at a computer, then your pain is most likely work related. If you are overweight, pregnant, or breast-feeding, then your pain is likely caused from having additional weight in the front of your body, which pulls your shoulders forward and stretches/weakens your back musculature at the same time. Let’s do what we can now to perfect your posture, decrease your pain, and decrease your chances of developing chronic shoulder injuries.

Why shoulder posture is so important:

The shoulder joint is the most mobile joint in the body, but also the least stable joint in the body. This makes the shoulder the easiest joint to injure. Postural training of the shoulder improves shoulder stability and reduces risks of neck pain, shoulder impingement syndrome, and other postural disorders.
Postural training increases muscle tone around the shoulder cap.
For men, good posture increases the appearance of chest size. I know how important that nice triangulated structure is to all you men out there.
Here is a list of my favorite exercises for postural training of the shoulder. Even better news: You can do them any where using only an exercise band (make sure to purchase on that comes with a door anchor). Exercise bands can be purchased directly from my online store:
Sets and Reps:

Perform 3 sets of 20 reps or more while resting for 1 minute in between each set. You want to take each exercise to exhaustion without sacrificing good form
Perform each repetition in a slow and controlled manner
2 Variations of Wide Grip Lat Pull Downs (chose 1 variation)

1. Kneeling Lat Pull Down

Exercise Tips:

Focus on engaging your lats and the back of your shoulders
Squeeze the elbows in toward your obliques, but do not allow your elbows to move behind you
Lift your chest up and out at the end of each repetition

2. Standing Lat Pull Down

Exercise Tips:

1. Overhand Grip Rows

Exercise Tips:

Focus on engaging the upper middle back and the back of your shoulders
Move the elbows at a 45 degree angle (lower than your shoulders, but higher then your waist)
do not allow your wrists to bend, especially as your hands approach your armpits
Stick your chest out at the end of each repetition

2. Closed Grip Rows

Exercise Tips:

Focus on engaging the middle back and the back of your shoulders
Squeeze elbows in toward your waist
Stick your chest out at the end of each repetition

1. Underhand Grip Rows

Exercise Tips:

Focus on engaging the lower lats and the back of your shoulders
Squeeze elbows in toward your waist
Stick your chest out at the end of each repetitio

2. Straight Arm Front Pull Down

Exercise Tips:

Focus on engaging the lats, pecks, triceps, and core
Keep your arms as straight as possible
Aim to touch your thighs at the end of each repetition
Stick your chest up and out at the end of each repetition

Reverse Flies (Rear Deltoid)

Exercise Tips:

Focus on engaging the back of the shoulders and the triceps
Keep your arms as straight as possible
Aim for a “T-position”

2. Shoulder External Rotation

Exercise Tips:

Focus on engaging the back of the shoulder
Place a folded towel in between your elbow and your oblique. Keep it there to assure for proper form

3. Shoulder Internal Rotation

Exercise Tips:

Focus on engaging the front of the shoulder
Place a folded towel in between your elbow and your oblique. Keep it there to assure for proper form
Stay fit, stay happy, and stay healthy!

XOXO

Lauren