Desk work constantly pulls our body forward. All too often the allure of the monitor, mouse, keyboard, and the reports spread out on your desk pulls your head forward and your shoulders around toward the front of your body.
You can help undo this pattern with this exercise that strengthens the muscles between your shoulder blades (mainly the rhomboids and the middle part of the trapezius muscle), pulling them back closer to where they belong.
- Stand with your feet shoulder width apart.
- Hold your arms out straight in front of you and let them drop about halfway toward the floor. Maintain this 45-degree angle of your arms from your midline throughout this exercise.
- Make a loose fist with both hands, leaving your thumbs out and pointing toward each other.
- Inhale and as you exhale slowly more your arms backward, rotating your wrists and arms as you go so that your thumbs end up pointing at each other behind your back.
- At the end of this motion you will almost feel your shoulder blades touching each other.
- Inhale and more your arms forward again, back to your starting position.
- Repeat 15-20 times.
About the Author
Larry Swanson is a massage therapist in downtown Seattle, WA. His practices focuses on the unique needs of office workers and also includes injury treatment for sports and car-accident injuries as well as massage for wellness and athletic performance.