Hunchback: Fix your posture and free yourself from back pain

Understand the spine’s 24 vertebrae from neck to lower back, its curves, and how posture and scoliosis affect mobility, discs, joints, and ligaments, with exercises to improve movement.

Discover how myofascial lines—back, front, spiral, and lateral lines—link muscles to support movement and mobility, while stretching and yoga address kyphosis and balance these antagonist chains.

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.

Conduct a postural assessment of the pelvis, spine, and head to identify kyphosis and forward head posture, then test mobility. Mobilize stiff areas and strengthen key muscles to improve posture.

Explore how the side view of the spine and kyphosis affect shoulder mobility. Stretch the front, contract the back, and improve upper back posture to reach higher.

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.

Explore the theory of stretching, debunk myths, and leverage short-term flexibility for mobility and strength through passive, active, gravity-assisted, and breathing-based methods.

Explore the pectoralis major, its upper, sternal, and clavicle parts, and learn passive and active wall stretches to target different fibers and improve chest and shoulder posture.

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.

Front line stretching with a long foam roller deepens chest opening via gravity, progressing from the towel to longer, softer rollers with light weights; keep pelvis up and neck supported.

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.

Explore the bow pose, an advanced yoga position, by gripping feet below the ankles to stretch ankles, while the feet push away from hands and breathing supports back relief.

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.

Practice the cat cow extension exercise to mobilize the whole spine, from a tabletop position, coordinating pelvis tilts and neck initiation while breathing through the movement.

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.

Perform upper back extension on a chair by pushing elbows forward to move the shoulder blades away, then lean over the edge and squeeze the shoulder blades.

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.

Practice seated rotation at your desk with pelvis and chair fixed, keeping the head and spine aligned as you move from cervical to lower back.

Perform a pelvic-stabilized rotation, keep the knee fixed, and exhale as you rotate from front to side and back to build 180-degree mobility with 6–10 reps per side.

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 three shoulder dislocation options—from a simple resistance band to a broomstick—emphasizing warm-up, chest opening, and controlled mobility to target rotator cuff and scapular stabilizers.

Strengthen your posture with at-home exercises focusing on the upper back and shoulders, using resistance bands and floor moves for shoulder blade coordination and chest-up alignment.

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.

Improve posture with Theraband sitting arm raises, unfolding the upper back into a big V and Y position, while keeping a neutral pelvis and performing controlled, high-quality reps.

Improve posture and relieve back pain by performing a door pull with a resistance band, focusing on scapular retraction, shoulder blade initiation, and a chest-forward upper back extension.

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.

Anchor a resistance band at the upper door and perform a face pull, pulling back with elbows high and thumbs facing you to squeeze shoulder blades and engage external rotators.

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.

Perform the broomstick prone overhead press as an equivalent to wall angels, engaging the pelvis to work the shoulder blades and back while keeping the neck straight and shoulders up.

Practice overhead weighted squats with a broomstick to keep the upper back extended while arms stay overhead. Widen your arms for easier reach and maintain knee alignment over the ankles.

Strengthen the abdominals by maintaining a neutral pelvis and stable lower back, and practice controlled 1990 position with leg and arm variations for quality over reps.

Improve posture and back pain by prioritizing quality movement and technique in gym workouts, starting light with higher reps, using video feedback, and focusing on mobility and stretching for results.

Perform Y's and W's on a gym ball to strengthen the upper back, shoulders, and core, with wall support, knee alignment, and controlled movement using one kilo to increase leverage.

Master scapula pull ups to train the lower traps and pack minor, using hanging scapula roll technique to improve shoulder blade control and posture.

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.

Perform the pullover to stretch the thorax, ribcage, and upper back with emphasis on technique and breath, not weight, while keeping elbows straight and blades engaged.

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.

focus on an upright upper back during the squat by keeping elbows forward, externally rotating the shoulders, and gazing above the camera to align the bar and stabilize posture.

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.