The way you stand changes how fit you appear. A common issue many people have is shoulders that are internally rotated or rounded forward. It happens when the shoulder joint is turned inward, causing the upper arm to face forward. This issue can occur if you don't move much, have muscle imbalances or have poor ergonomic habits. The results can cause problems ranging from chronic pain to restricted mobility.

There are a couple of ways to see if you have internally rotated shoulders. The first is to stand in front of a mirror and observe your posture. Key indicators include:

There's also a simple test.

Grab a couple of pens, one in each hand. Then stand with your shoulders relaxed and arms hanging down at your sides. If the pens are turned inwards, you've got internally rotated shoulders.

If you have shoulders that are rounded forward, here are a few exercises you can use to improve your posture and start mitigating discomfort.

Shoulder Internal/External Rotation with Towel

1. Take a towel in your hands, palms up, and hold the towel about shoulder length apart.

2. Now you rotate the towel.
   
   
3. First, move to the right, pulling with your right arm and resisting with your left arm. Then move in the other direction, pulling with your left arm and resisting with your right arm.
   
   
4. Most people feel a burn on the back of their shoulders. Do this 5-10 times in each direction first thing in the morning, then again in the middle of the day to keep proper posture in your mind.

Here are five more exercise options.

Doorway Pectoral Stretch

1. Stand in a doorway with your forearms resting on the doorframe, elbows at a 90-degree angle.

2. Put one foot in front of the other. Then lean forward slightly, feeling the stretch in your chest muscles.

3. Hold the stretch for 20-30 seconds and repeat 2-3 times.

Supine T-Spine Rotation

1. Lie on your side with your top leg bent at 90 degrees and your arms extended in front of you

2. Slowly rotate your upper body, moving your top arm to the opposite side.

3. Keep your hips and legs stationary throughout the movement.

4. Hold the stretch for a few seconds, then return to the starting position.

5. Repeat 8-10 times on each side.

Shoulder Blade Squeezes

1. Stand or sit upright with your arms at your sides.

2. Pull your shoulder blades together as if trying to hold a pencil between them.

3. Hold for 5 seconds, then release.

4. Perform 3 sets of 12-15 repetitions.

Tubing/Band Exercise for External Rotation

1. Stand straight up, with your head level and your eyes looking forward.

2. Bend the elbow that's on the injured side to 90 degrees and keep your hand pointed straight out. (Put a small roll under the arm you're exercising to keep it hanging down straight.)

3. Grasp tubing or a band that's connected to something stable at waist level. Keep your elbow at your side and rotate your arm outward, away from your waist. Keep your elbow bent at 90 degrees and your forearm parallel to the floor.

4. Return to starting position and repeat 10 times.

Bank Robber

1. Sit against the wall, bend knees, place butt, low back and shoulders against wall.

2. With elbows shoulder height against wall, rotate forearms up until wrists touch the wall and pull shoulder blades together and down.

3. Slide arms up and down without losing skin contact with the wall.

4. Rotate forearms back to starting position. Repeat 10x. (If tight, do two sets of 10.)

Perform these exercises at least once every other day to address muscle imbalances and promote better posture. Over time they will help you change how you stand, moving your shoulders back and improving your look.

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1/13/2023
Updated 7/4/2023