Need tips and tricks for eliminating a hunchback

[Anonymous]

Has anyone had success? What exercised have worked for you? I do a lot of crunches and feel like that makes it worse.

[Anonymous]

Crunches are not going to help your back. You need to lift weights - preferably heavy weights - that focus on your back. Rows, pulls, etc. If you don't go to a gym, get a TRX and use that for rows.

[Anonymous]

Pilates. You need to strengthen your core and back muscles.

Lay on a foam roller

Yoga esp heart opening poses.

[Anonymous]

STanding rows with bands. It will take about 6 months.

[Anonymous]

How old are you? Do you have osteoporosis, arthritis in your spine?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Crunches are not going to help your back. You need to lift weights - preferably heavy weights - that focus on your back. Rows, pulls, etc. If you don't go to a gym, get a TRX and use that for rows.

Will someone please link a TRX? I got multiple hits on Amazon and didn’t know which one to buy.

[Anonymous]

This is actually something that has a lot of components that usually involves the whole body.

Without seeing you stand and move, plus assuming you have a healthy spine, there are a few broad strokes:

Work on flexibility of your thoracic spine. It likes to live in that forward rounding. Work on rotation, lateral (side) flexion, and extension (arching the upper back. Or to begin with, bringing it more upright).

Strengthen back extensors as well as serrated anterior, mid/low traps and rhomboids.

Open the chest.

Watch the upper traps - they are likely overactive.

But this really goes down to the feet… how you bear your weight, what compensations your pelvis/low back may be making, etc.

Pay attention to your daily habits. Strength training can only do so much to counteract always being hunched over the phone, slumped while driving, etc.

Sessions with a good trainer/Pilates instructor/etc, will help identify what’s fully going on and how to correct for it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is actually something that has a lot of components that usually involves the whole body.

Without seeing you stand and move, plus assuming you have a healthy spine, there are a few broad strokes:

Work on flexibility of your thoracic spine. It likes to live in that forward rounding. Work on rotation, lateral (side) flexion, and extension (arching the upper back. Or to begin with, bringing it more upright).

Strengthen back extensors as well as [b]serrated anterior, mid/low traps and rhomboids.

Open the chest.

Watch the upper traps - they are likely overactive.

But this really goes down to the feet… how you bear your weight, what compensations your pelvis/low back may be making, etc.

Pay attention to your daily habits. Strength training can only do so much to counteract always being hunched over the phone, slumped while driving, etc.

Sessions with a good trainer/Pilates instructor/etc, will help identify what’s fully going on and how to correct for it.

Serratus

[Anonymous]

Pp again. Good grief I know how to correct for poor posture but apparently can’t bold a single word.

[Anonymous]

I really think you need a physical therapist if you're talking about a real hunchback. Some of it may not be correctable. Some of it may require surgery.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is actually something that has a lot of components that usually involves the whole body.

Without seeing you stand and move, plus assuming you have a healthy spine, there are a few broad strokes:

Work on flexibility of your thoracic spine. It likes to live in that forward rounding. Work on rotation, lateral (side) flexion, and extension (arching the upper back. Or to begin with, bringing it more upright).

Strengthen back extensors as well as serrated anterior, mid/low traps and rhomboids.

Open the chest.

Watch the upper traps - they are likely overactive.

But this really goes down to the feet… how you bear your weight, what compensations your pelvis/low back may be making, etc.

Pay attention to your daily habits. Strength training can only do so much to counteract always being hunched over the phone, slumped while driving, etc.

Sessions with a good trainer/Pilates instructor/etc, will help identify what’s fully going on and how to correct for it.

Thank you! Immensely helpful!

[Anonymous]

A Dr may have to fuse your spine

[Anonymous]

I would work on overall flexibility first, beginner yoga light stretching. Rather than doing 1 hour a day do it 3x a day for 20 min each. Then I would add in some beginner core exercises like alternating bird dogs, donkey kicks, fire hydrants, kneeling leg crossover, ab/plank roll outs on inflatable ball.

And as others have said, lay with foam roller down the length of your back arms extended out to side with palms up and deep breaths. I do this with a mediation app going in the back ground or in earbuds. You could also add in some very light dumbbell presses with concentration on squeezing your shoulder blades around the foam roller.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Crunches are not going to help your back. You need to lift weights - preferably heavy weights - that focus on your back. Rows, pulls, etc. If you don't go to a gym, get a TRX and use that for rows.

Will someone please link a TRX? I got multiple hits on Amazon and didn’t know which one to buy.

Just buy on the TRX website. trxtraining.com

A popup for 10% off when you provide your email address should show up.

You can also but the real TRX at BestBuy and Dicks.

[Anonymous]

Do you actually have a hunchback or just poor posture? Obviously, see your Dr if the first. If the latter, like other PPs have said: work your back body. I love my TRX -- have one at home and also use the one at the gym. Even if I do nothing else for my upper body at the gym on leg days, I do inverted rows which feel amazing. I've seen a difference in how easily my shoulders now stay back due to how I now train my upper back. I also am sure to stretch my chest muscles regularly and passively by lying over yoga blocks or an exercise ball. When my chest is tight, I hunch more frequently.