Hunchback: Fix your posture and free yourself from back pain

Explore a comprehensive exercise checklist from the course appendix to tailor your training, track progress with yes/no notes, and focus on spine mobilisation and posture to ease back pain.

Develop pelvic awareness to neutralize the spine by practicing pelvic tilt on floor, chair, and standing, reducing lower back pressure and improving upper back alignment.

Protract the shoulder by the pectoralis minor and tilt the shoulder blade forward, then interlace your hands behind your trunk and pull the shoulders down to stay neutral.

Release the pectoralis minor with a trigger ball, locate the muscle against a wall, apply pressure, and perform arm lifts to mobilize the shoulder and improve upper back range.

Examine the sternocleidomastoideus as part of the superficial front line, its role in head control, and how neck tension links to headaches. Learn neutral neck posture and targeted stretches.

Sit on a gym ball and walk forward to touch the floor with your thumbs, stretching the front line from chest to pubic bone, while breathing and relaxing.

Master the shoulder wall stretch to release tension in the upper back and chest, using a pelvis tilt, a straight lower back, and six breaths to deepen the stretch.

perform a yoga low lunge to stretch the front line with a neutral pelvis, breathe deeply into the stomach, and lift the arms while relaxing the neck.

Practice puppy pose, close to a child's pose, lengthening the upper back while keeping hips over the knees and using breath to deepen stretch, with forehead block or wall support.

Improve spine mobility with rotation and extensions, the core of physiotherapy exercises. Practice home-friendly routines—on the floor or in a chair—to support posture and prepare for later strengthening.

Perform extension foam roller segmental routine, keep pelvis down, move the spine vertebra by vertebra, exhale to deepen each mobilization; if no roller, substitute with a towel or bottle.

Practice chair-based cat-cow extension to warm up, improve posture, and keep the pelvis stable while squeezing the shoulder blades and looking upward.

Side-lying rotation teaches stacking the shoulder, keeping the left leg on the floor, and rotating into the left side with breathing and light resistance to enhance thoracic rotation and extension.

Improve upper back rotation from table top by rotating shoulders, lifting and reaching the left arm while diving under, alternating sides for ten reps and mindful breathing to increase range.

Perform a floor rotation with a Thera band, starting overhead, push into the floor and rotate the spine to extend the upper back, finishing with side-to-side rolls.

Explore ergonomic setup and practical chair-based exercises to maintain a neutral spine, reduce upper back strain, and strengthen postural core using a sitting cushion and armrest adjustments.

Learn scapula push-ups to boost shoulder mobility and scapular stability, coordinating the shoulder blade with the rib cage while strengthening the muscles to address winging and support bench press performance.

Perform scapula push ups against the wall to move the shoulder blades with minimal elbow motion, then use a foam roller to boost coordination and strengthen the lateral rotator cuff.

Perform scaption with light weight to engage scapular and rotator cuff muscles for better posture and shoulder stability. Use thumbs up, 20-degree scapular plane, 1–2 kg, 15 reps × 3.

Strengthen the rotator cuff by training the lateral rotators with resistance bands through controlled external and internal rotations to improve shoulder stability and prevent impingement.

Master scapula dips to depress the shoulder blades with minimal elbow movement, building strength in the lower traps and stability by pushing down on a chair with shoulders back.

Learn to use upper trapezius shrugs to target the traps, with arm elevation at 30–40 degrees, to improve posture, reduce stiffness from office work, and strengthen the neck and shoulders.

Master the cable tower facepull to strengthen the shoulder blades, upper back, and lower traps with elbows out and elevated arms for improved shoulder health and lifting performance.

Master training principles across four categories, stretching, mobilisations, mobility, and strength, with guidance on sets, repetitions, frequency, and safe progression for home or gym workouts.