The Backless Dress – resolving the protruding shoulder blades
With the party season in full swing there is an opportunity to discuss ‘what to wear’. With the latest releases from Chanel or Valentino this winter, styles and colours can be made irrelevant if we don’t consider posture and body language.
Even the simplest outfit can be made to look exceptional if the smile is right, the hair correct, and the eyes are full of life. It all comes down to postural alignment and body language. Even at the most primitive level we recognise our closest friends and family by their ‘walk’, their expression, and their shape. No one is better at playing on this fact than those who entertain us in the plays and musicals at the West End. The actors will hold and audience with power and charisma not only by their words or tone but also by their body language. So, before considering your outfit for the festive season you need to consider how you carry yourself. The backless dress is an unmistakeable classic that turns heads at any occasion; but the mystery of its success lies in the balance of the musculature around the shoulder girdle and lower back.
Now, before everyone tries to walk around with a rigid upright posture that belongs on Horse Guards Parade, there are a few things to consider. A well-balanced exercise program will sort most postural alignment issues with shoulders responding better to this approach than most other areas of the body.
There are however a few exercises that can make a really impact, and with such a busy routine they can be slotted into your twice weekly gym program. The upside of this approach is that you will slowly notice a change in your whole body’s alignment. You may even find there is a reduced need to ‘click’ the neck or reach for the paracetamol. Added to this you will notice a real difference in you body shape with a smoother neck line and more refined shoulder position. All of a sudden that smooth curve to the spine and shoulders starts to make sense, and there will be smiles all round.
Added to this you will notice a real difference in you body shape with a smoother neck line and more refined shoulder position.
Now for the technical bit: in 90% of us with protruding shoulders, the target muscles are the trapezius and serratus anterior muscle groups. Add to this a little bit of rotator cuff control and most shoulder ailments will tend to resolve.
The other element is to target the lower back and abdominal muscles. This will slightly adjust the pelvic alignment to give a much better curve in both the spine and buttock.
How long would it take to see a change? Provided you can stick to a program by 6 weeks you should be seeing a few changes with a view that by 12 weeks you should see a fundamental improvement in your overall shoulder and spinal alignment.
The first exercise is a simple press up. However, we suggest you try to keep your chest rounded throughout the movement so the shoulder blades don’t squeeze together. This helps to focus the effort through the shoulder and abdominal muscles.
Try 3 sets of 10 repetitions.
Build up to 3 sets of 20 repetitions over 4-6 weeks.
The second exercise is called a ‘reverse – fly’. This will target the muscles between the shoulder blades and down the spine.
Try 3 sets of 10 repetitions.
Build up to 3 sets of 20 repetitions over 4-6 weeks.
Do not try to lift to much weight in the early stages (1-2 kg only).
The final exercise is a side plank coupled with a small weight to load the arm. The exercise is a great ‘all-rounder’ as it targets the abdominal and shoulder muscles together.
Try 3 sets of 10 repetitions.
Build up to 3 sets of 20 repetitions over a 4-6 week period.
Do not start with more than a 1-2 kg dumbbell in the early stages.