How is your posture? Would you say you can comfortably sit up for long periods of time without hunching over? Personally, I feel that posture is something I need to continuously work on. Lately, I’ve found myself leaning forward a lot more, thus, putting pressure on my upper back. Specifically, my shoulder blade area on my back is where I’ve been getting a lot of tension build up.
If you’ve followed me on Instagram for a while, you know I’m a big yogi. Though, I can’t say I have been as dedicated to my practice the past few months. I go through phases where I really get into other forms of exercise so yoga has taken a backseat. It is evident to me that my body is asking for more yoga and stretching because my posture has really gone downhill.
Instead of being upset about my upper back pain, which is likely a result of looking down at too many screens, I’m going to work on it. I have the tools of yoga and some key stretches that have really been helping.
Today, I’m going to share with you the stretches that I have been doing to alleviate my upper back pain. This quick upper back stretching routine is great to do on its own or after a workout. You can also do this routine at your desk because it only requires the space you’re standing on.
You can watch the quick video demonstration of the moves over on my IGTV profile on Instagram. I’ve also included a gif here which shows a breakdown of the stretches. (My apologies for the lousy quality of the gif–I highly recommend watching the video for better instruction!)
Reach for the sky– Lift both arms straight up and reach as high as you can. Repeat 2x.
Crossover arm– Cross the right arm across your body, keeping it straight, and lightly tug it towards your body. Repeat on the left side.
Elbow to the sky– Reach your right hand up and bend at the elbow, reaching your hand towards your shoulder blades. Keep your elbow pointing towards the sky and, using your opposite hand, tug your elbow towards the left side. Repeat on the other side, with your left arm up, tugging with your right hand.
Shoulder blade tug-backs – Lift your arms straight up and then slowly bring your arms down behind you. Draw your shoulder blades together while doing so. Repeat 3x.
Hands behind your back – On your third shoulder blade tug-back, keep pulling your hands down until they connect behind your back. If your body is comfortable with it, a slight backbend would feel excellent right here.
Bend forward – Keep your hands connected behind your back and lean forward. Make sure you keep your back straight while bending forward, bending at your knees to propel yourself forward.
Reach for the sky – To come out of the forward bend, press your feet firmly on the ground. Use your feet to press against the ground and lift you back to a straight position. Release your arms and take them straight up to the sky one more time.
And if you have access to some floor space, I highly recommend this bonus stretch.
Thread the needle – Bring your hands and knees to the ground in an all fours position. Slightly separate your knees and connect your feet to create a triangle-like position. Press firmly with your hands on the ground before raising your left hand to the sky. Reach as high as is comfortable before bringing your hand back down and underneath the right side of your body. With your right arm propping you up, lean slightly on your left side to stretch out the upper back. Do what feels natural with your right arm but here are two suggestions: 1) keep your right hand pressed against the ground to prop you up or 2) lift your right arm and reach behind your back, towards your left hip. Choose whichever motion feels most comfortable for you.
I hope this stretching routine helps you out. If you give it a try, let me know what you think!
Do you want to see more quick routines like this? Drop me some comments down below or on Instagram!
Have a great day, friends!
Xoxo,
Melanie