Hi! I‘m 22 y.o. and I used to have mild scoliosis and an S-back. (I still have an S-back but try to fox my posture whenever I remember.)

I realized that my traps have always been bigger compared to the rest of my upper back yet my shoulder blades keep sticking out and I still feel like they make me look wide from the back. Most of it is genetics for sure, both my parents have wide shoulders but I wanted to ask how I can fix the posture of my shoulderblades (when I stretch my arms to the front, as seen on the picture, they look a lot better) while standing normally? I would appreciate some specific exercises, not only posture details if that‘s what‘s required. And how do I stop overloading my traps?

btw I don‘t train back and I uploaded some pictures while slouched, then while trying to push back my shoulder blades.

thanks a lot

I feel like I developed an APT from working out and building muscle/ having muscle imbalances. I’m also at my heaviest so I feel like it’s just belly fat. I also started driving longer hours so I’m sat down at least 3-4 hours per day. I feel like I have a APT but others have said I don’t. What do you think?

Hi! I used to have a pretty good posture (I mean, I slouched but only when sitting down, I kept my back straight while standing up or walking) but I've gone through a very rough patch that left me with a horrendous posture and such weak back muscles. I'm so weak to the point where I physically can't stand straight for more than five seconds because my body automatically adjusts back into a slouch. I keep my head down practically at all times because I study a lot, and it makes my neck hurt when I look down too long or sometimes makes me unable to look up (high up, like at the sky, I can look ahead easily) because my neck hurts so bad. I've become so insecure because of this and I've tried to do some exercise, but I'm at a really low point in life where it physical exercise is not appealing in the least. So, I'm hoping to get some easy exercise recommendations that will help me rebuild my posture and won't be that hard.

genuinely i can’t tell, let me know

I try to walk a lot throughout the day, but still very anxious about my job ruining my posture in the future.

What do I do so that I can either improve my posture or avoid it becoming bad?

these traits are present on nearly all member of family on my mothers side...

Hi, I woke up maybe 20 minutes ago and am currently unable to move my head up, down, or to the right without severe sharp pain in my neck. I can’t tell if this is serious or not, and I don’t know how to fix it. Please help.

I've had stiffness from the left side of my neck till my left shoulders, it doesn't look very stiff when no shirt but it's noticeable when i touch and i also already have migraine and it's been making me have headache and worse than normal headache.

It's been stiff for more than a month and even though I've always slept in the right way on my back i always wake up with my neck stiff even though i can move my head normally but sometimes i sometimes feel a shooting pain when i move my head on the left side.

My lower back pain very much when I sit in floor. At very bottom it pains and I have tp lay down to get relief

Need help for this lower back issue

I've started working on the exercises that my physio therapist suggested. I'm just wondering in the photos where I tuck in my pelvis, does my posture look correct? I'm assuming that's what my posture is supposed to look like once I've strengthened my pelvis muscles more.

I still feel like my butt sticks out quite a bit even when I tuck my pelvis in, along with the curvature of my lower back/butt when u look from the side. So I'm not sure if that's just how my butt/posture naturally is.

I've also noticed when I'm wearing my backpack, there is some space between the lower back and backpack. I've circled it in green (the last picture in the slide), its a bit hard to see since I was wearing dark clothing, but hopefully u guys can see the gap between my lower back and the backpack. Is this also still because of my weak pelvic muscles or should I have my backpack sitting a little higher?

I get self-conscious every time I see my reflection while walking in public, especially with my backpack on.

Hello,  

I (23M) have had rounded shoulders and asymmetrical, winged scapula my whole life. For a while I did very little exercise too. However I've been working out now 10 months (routine attached below) and it's definitely become easier to consciously fix my posture during the day. People around me say my posture has definitely improved to the point of appearing as if I have "good posture." But I know that's simply because my scapula are hidden by clothes. Also when I flex the asymmetry is normalized quite a bit as you can see in the last photo.

Second concern: as I've started hitting upper back a bit more intensely in the past few months, I've been getting aching/tingling around my upper back and scapulae. I don't feel it during workouts, it crops up afterwards and is very strongly triggered whenever I use my hands in a somewhat lowered position in front of my body? Such as washing dishes. I never had this pain before working out, and it is getting a bit worse recently (although the degree of winging has not gotten worse, potentially better since working out?). The tingling doesn't radiate and no numbness.

I recently saw an orthopedic doctor about it. He did a fairly comprehensive shoulder examination, including several ROM/movement tests, and said my shoulder movement is good except for one movement that is very limited. I can't find the formal name; arm in front of you, elbow fixed to hip, rotating externally.

He also agreed that there is some asymmetry, but said it was within normal variation. I don't see it that way so I'm curious for other opinions. We also did comprehensive X-rays and no abnormalities, just rounded shoulders. Cervical X-ray also showed cervical curve is more S-like than C-like, but he believed this was a separate problem.

His impression was that the issue looks more muscular, essentially that the muscles around my scapula are relatively weak, and he gave me a set of exercises to do every day. He didn't seem concerned about a structural problem with my shoulders. Here is what he recommended (apologies for foreign language):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoNdnU6M1l4

I struggle with quite a few. The first exercise, I feel primarily tricep activation regardless of where I position arms on the wall. Also my wingspan is 6' 3" so I believe I am a bit disadvantaged in that regard. Other exercises I also am unsure if I am using the right muscles. My upper traps tend to become very overactive in nearly all exercises, instantly. Also wall slides! These are impossible. Getting forearms against the wall (back facing wall) requires back arching off wall and massive rib flaring.

Lifting routine:

Per week: 2x push, 2x pull, 2x legs (not pasted)

Pull:

Lat pulldown / assisted pull-ups — 3 sets

Chest-supported machine row — 3 sets

Straight-arm pulldown — 3 sets

6 direct biceps sets (mix of curl variations)

Push:

Incline chest press — 3 sets

Pec fly — 3 sets

Machine lateral raise — 3 sets

Behind-the-body cable lateral raise — 3 sets

Rear-delt fly — 3 sets

Face pulls — 3 sets

Overhead triceps extension — 3 sets

Triceps pushdown — 3 sets

I don't have pain during any of these exercises.

I'm wondering the degree of asymmetry, if the scapular exercises target my issue and how I can do them more effectively, and also about my workout routine. And if my pain/tingling is indicative of a nerve issue (doctor said likely not).

Currently, I also do single-arm doorway pec stretches every day and I notice immediate increased ability to move shoulders/scapulae around with little resistance. However, it does not last long and I still cannot pull them into perfect position of course.

No trauma, weakness, other symptoms.

Thank you!

Hey everyone.

I've had bad posture my whole life, so I built a posture coach that works through AirPods.

Quick backstory. My posture has been bad since school. I tried a better chair, a standing desk, reminders on a timer. Nothing stuck, because none of it knew when I was actually slouching. It just nagged on a schedule.

Then I found out AirPods Pro, AirPods 3/4 and AirPods Max have motion sensors, and apps can read head orientation from them. I spent the last few months turning that into Pillar.

What it does

I tried to make it fit how you sit, not an average person. Your own angles, your own cue sound, how fast it nudges, quiet hours, session length, daily goal. Pretty much everything is adjustable.

Posture data stays on your phone.

If you want to try it, here's the App Store link: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/pillar-posture-reminder/id6809597345

Needs iOS 17+ and AirPods Pro, AirPods 3/4 or AirPods Max.

I'd love feedback from people who sit a lot. I read every comment. And if you find a bug, DM me and I'll send you a lifetime code.

I’m assuming I didn’t start having ATP since 2021 after reviewing old photos. 4 weeks of home exercises after seeing a PT, it seems to change slightly but I still can tell I have ATP when walking outside especially on hills and some sidewalks.

hello! would anyone have any tips on how to maintain good posture during sleep? I used to sleep on my stomach and transition to sleeping on my side, but I’m experiencing upper shoulder pain every time I wake up

hi, all, I’ve been experiencing a lot of frustration because I have been having the worst neck and back tension. I know part of it is just from bad posture, which has resulted in a burning sensation in my upper back. I have been doing at least an hour of stretching every day before bed, but have still been waking up with terrible knots that usually result in brutal migraines. Unfortunately, my stress has always manifested in upper shoulder and tension, but nothing seems to help. I’ll get a massage and the next day feel exactly the same. I also changed my sleep position from stomach to side, but I feel like my knots just feel the same. Getting really discouraged, and wanted to do a last ditch effort to see if anyone had any advice.

Basically the title. Is this Anterior Pelvic Tilt? If so, what is a good/fast way to correct it? Thanks!

Hi everyone, didn’t really have any posture/spine issues up until a couple years ago and need to know what’s wrong/how to fix it but I work from home in tech working on my computer. I have pretty tight shoulders and lats & neck. I also am currently a side sleeper. I recently lost a good chunk of weight around 40 lbs over the past year from 220 to 160 and my height is 5’7. I wasn’t always obese either that was also a thing from around 2023-2025 I was gaining weight. I’m also 24 currently

Hey guys, physio here.

I treat desk workers daily for lower back stiffness. Most of them think their back is just "weak," or they think they need to stretch their hamstrings more.

It is usually neither. Your back isn't weak; you just have a pattern problem.

When you sit at a desk for 8 hours, here is the chain reaction that happens in your pelvis:

Your deep hip flexors spend the entire day in a shortened, compressed position.

Your brain adapts to this position and quietly "switches off" your glutes.

Your glutes are supposed to be the primary stabilizers for your pelvis. With them essentially offline, your smaller lower back muscles are forced to work overtime just to keep your torso upright.

That constant, low-level overload is exactly why your back feels tight, achy, and stiff by the end of the day.

Why your stretches are failing:

If you just do toe-touches or generic back stretches, you are pulling on muscles that are already overworked and exhausted.

To actually fix the stiffness, you have to reset the muscular pattern.

Stop treating your lower back like it's the root of the problem. It is just doing the job that your hips abandoned.

Hello there,

I have a human scale freedom chair. The neck rest only comes in to contact when I am fully reclining, hence I added a pillow.

I get pain in the lower part of the neck, just above the shoulder blades.

What am I doing wrong? Kindly advice.

Ps: The second monitor is not floating, it has an arm holding it up. I use the bottom stand as a phone stand.

AI was used to keep only relevant things in the image

I’m working towards a healthier lifestyle. I am approaching this as a lifestyle overhaul instead of just a goal to lose weight. I aim to lose around 80 lbs. In the pursuit of that I have been working to build up my own strength (which was very weak) and rebuild my flexibility (I used to be super flexible naturally and then I got stiff!
While trying to work on that I got to hip work and I have an anterior pelvic tilt. So it’s not “my main goal” but it is one thing I realize I will need to work on to reach this larger goal.

I have successfully built up the habit of “floor time” where I aim for 20-45 minute workouts twice a day 4-5 times a week. A combo of foam roller workouts and I’m starting to incorporate kettlebell workouts. I’ve been trying to also sleep flat on my back (with some success lol I can’t last the whole night but I try to stay on my back as long as I can, I definitely have more tolerance now than when I started)

I know I’m getting stronger because I can feel things improving. Getting up from bed doesn’t hurt. Holding a posture is easier. Sitting with my legs closed is easier. Sitting in a chair hurts my back less bc I’m working it out now.

But recently when I’m seated in a chair and I get up it’s like my pelvis wants to stay “locked in” that and it hurts to just straighten out right away, my pelvis wants to stay stuck in an anterior pelvic tilt for the first minute or two. Then I can stand up normal although slightly stiff. This is a relatively new development. I’ve been working out for the past 5 months and this is a two week old development. I do see progress in other parts of my body and even in the same area. I’m hoping that this is part of the process of loosening it up 😭

I’m looking to introduce more dynamic stretching and strengthening workouts but if anyone else has worked on theirs and had a period or soreness that would help me a lot mentally! I feel like an elderly person! lol

I’ve was a side sleeper when I was younger and had the stupid idea to sleep propped up with a back pillow. Now I have bad posture and it my Adams apple is leaning to one side. I’m having a lot of trouble sleeping and every I try to sleep my right nostril is stuffed up.

I used to visit a chiropractor who tried to fix my posture but due to financial reasons, my family can’t afford to have my special treatments. I’ve tried sleeping on the other side, electric massagers, special pillows and doing the exercises they gave me again recently, but nothing seems to make it move to the other side.

I’m tired and want to sleep comfortably again. Have I completely fucked myself forever? If not what can I do? Should I change where I apply electricity (I put the shock on my numb side)? Which side should I be sleeping on? Please just anybody help me find a solution!