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Correct shoulder/scapula placement help
I have kinda crappy posture and use a proper corset (steel boned etc) a few times a week to help remind me how it feels to sit straight but my shoulders are still rounded (it’s amazing how my abs and back work whilst wearing the corset, it has helped a lot over the last year but I need to be more consistent using it).
I know a lot of my posture problems are to do with pelvic tilt, sway back and scoliosis, which obviously throws everything out of whack, but I’m trying to improve things where I can.
Anyway, I am doing the scapula front, neutral and back exercises to try and get the feel for correct shoulder/scapular position but every time I do a spin or anything like that I can feel my shoulder pull forward and overextend outwards and it’s making my shoulders ache (plus my elbows are aching a bit too).
So what else can I do to get my body not only used to the feeling of a neutral scapula but able to keep that position when poling?
Ta,
Emma -
22 Replies
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I’ve had similar issues with posture…. If you look back in my profile somewhere I have a post with a pic asking questions about posture. Most of it has been corrected by just strengthening my core.
I’m not THAT informed on the subject but I’ve traditionally been anti-corset. But again, don’t take my word for it.
Anyway, back to the question regarding the scapula. I’m not sure posture is 100% at fault. I think it takes time to build the muscles to hold your scapula in that correct position while supporting your weight. And spins can be notoriously hard on the shoulders, even for experienced dancers.
I’m sure someone else can advise better, but I’d recommended some of veenas conditioning exercises and just taking it easy with spins. Limit yourself to a certain amount per side. :)that’s what I would do anyway.
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You probably need to strengthen the back muscles and stretch the chest muscles. I’ve struggled with an over developed front body and have been lifting weights to help balance it and it is helping. Reverse Flys and Rows have really helped. I’m also working to really open the chest with Stretching.
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I would avoid wearing the corset! Doing so will actually cause the core to become weak, because it doesn’t need to support it’s self when wearing it. The best thing you can do for posture is practice and be diligent with conditioning work everyday, maybe even several times a day. You will find great stuff here in the conditioning section and veena’s tips section as well. You will need to continue to work on strength building moves like pole climbs, holds and such to build the muscle memory and strength to be able to properly perform static spins, this is why I have spins placed last in the beginner section.
Here are a few other things that will help with core and overall posture:
Don’t use the back of chairs, sit up and away, using the core to hold you instead of the chair.
If you sit at a desk try taking breaks to stand up and do some posture exercises a few time every hour.
Work on your breathing, working on becoming aware of your breathing can help relax the upper body and relive stress and muscle pain.
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I’m not going to get into a debate about corsets but the vast majority of the info out there is incorrect 1900’s rubbish. Lucy, from bisonenrancher on youtube, is one of the best sources of reliable science based info out there for anyone interested.
I used to wear a brace to help my scoliosis, my corset does the same thing. I specifically do core exercises (normally, not the last few years obviously with a fractured pelvis etc) to maintain my core strength.
I also have huge lats from lifting- i used to deadlift over 240lbs. So I have experience with back strength, just not shoulder neutral strength. -
Also, my corset helps a lot with anxiety (you feel contained, physically wrapped) and it can even help with rectus distatsis or even worse- there are quite a few medical applications aside from helping with scoliosis.
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my upper back posture used to be terrible and I have all sorts of neck issues that go along with that. I have found alot of benefit from doing exercises like Veena’s lying superman exercises. where you lay belly down on the floor and lift your upper body. and doing cobra like that too. do cobra just working on the upper back then lift your hands off the floor and keep your upper back up only using your upper back mucsles and abdominals. those strengthened my upper back and help to pull my shoulders back. Also, I have really tight pecs, and shoulders. so I really focused on stretching my shoudlers and pecs. that combined with strengthening my upper back help pull my posture into correct alighment. its not perfect, but much better than what it was. also just being aware of it during the day helps alot. before I was just not aware that there was a problem so I would let my body sag. now I engage that part of my back and it sometimes just engages without me thinking about it . its starting to become automatic and more natural. now…..I need to work on my lower back! suck in my abs and tuck my pelvis. that, feels so unnatural!
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skrammamme, I am a tight lacer as well. although not so much now. getting a corset custom made so I can wear it regularily. I’ve cinched down in my current corset but because its not made to my measurements I cant comfortably go any further. I dont wear it 24/7 . at the most I had worked up to about 40-50 hours a week. I also wear one for “emotional/security” reasons. but I also actively do some sort of core work almost daily without my corset on of course.
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Thanks Phoenix- I reckon some of it is bound to be tightness.
I haven’t had a massage in over 10+ years (I’m not very touchy-feely and just forget they’re good for you) even when I was doing crossfit and during my surgeries- I’m sure 1 1/2 years on crutches probably screwed up things a bit too.
I have really big lats and a naturally strong back but have always had a hard time building my shoulders (although my triceps always build up easily). I guess we all have a couple of areas that are slower to develop than others. -
Oh Hai fellow tightlacer! Hey 🙂 I have a couple of mesh cs-411’s from orchard corset and they’re great, but my dream is a handmade one from contour corsets because she specialises in asymetrical designs.
I also really like a cupped rib rather than a connical rib, like sugar kitty’s corsets (she doesn’t make them any more though). Madame Sher also has some stunners. But $400+ is a lot of dough.
Cool, glad I’m not the only one here -
My gut reaction to corsets has always been somewhat negative, and it has to do with a lot of reason… This post I saved a while ago kind of summed it up. (See attached)
Now I’ve learned that my gut isn’t always right and things aren’t always as they seem, and what’s good for one person isn’t necessarily good for another… So I’m not trying to put anyone down.
I also did admit I’m not really researched on the current state of corsets, I just find them to be like medieval torture devices and not sexy to me.
But I also like the idea of taking back something that use to be a source of pain or oppression and totally “owning” it and letting it empower you.
Live and let live. 💕
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yes, that upper back has been very hard for me to develop. its the same muscles that are used to open your upper back when backbending. very hard to isolate. my pecs are probably the tightest muscles on my body. its crazy! yes, I’m sure crutches contribute to the front of your body leaning forward and all those front muscles are shortened and tight because of it. to open those chest muscles you stretch them and also strengthen the opposing back muscles. just keep working on it. do the conditioning exercises here and it will get better and better with time. i have winged scapula that are very hypermobile, it has been a struggle but I’ve seen lots of improvement with strenghthening.
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I love the contour corsets! would love to get one of those one day too! 🙂 corsets are not uncomfortable when you wear one made to your measurements. no fainting, nothing like that although it is something you gradually have to progress in. the ideal corset is one that fits your measurements perfectly when it is cinched down except the waist is smaller. so no compressing the hips or ribs really. just squishing the fat in your waistline. Im not saying its healthy or not. it is body modification much like tattooing or piercings or implants. these are not always the healthiest things for you. yes, it does weaken the core with long term wear. especially those that wear 24/7 for many years. I starved myself to weigh about 105 pounds once. my hair was falling out and my period stopped. my belly did not get very small. corseting for me is not really about trying to shrink my waist although that is a side effect. there is just a look that can achieved with a corset that can never be achieved with clean eating, exercise, and all that. i eat clean and exercise daily and I do honor my body. Im not trying to get down to a 15 inch waist with a corset although some people do that. I want cinch down 4 inches. maybe 6 inches in a few more years if I lose weight also. wearing a corset makes me feel good, much the same way wearing a push up bra makes others feel confident. okay, explanation over. 🙂 I do agree that they are not tools to correct your posture unless you do have something like scoliosis. regular spines need to rely on their own strength for correction. scoliosis sometimes needs both bracing and self muscular regulation. and corsets will not permanently shrink your waist like some people think.
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skramamme, my first was a cotton corset from orchard corsets but I cant find any off the shelf corsets that fit my measurements so I’m getting one made. I can wear some ready made ones but cant fully cinch down. the hips are always a problem when doing so. I got big hips! 🙂 so right now I’m wearing the cotton corset just not fully closed. my ribs are very small and my hips big so I have a huge gap in the ribs. 🙁
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Phoenix- I have big ribs, so I’m lucky most OTR fit ok. I’m just not squishy which makes cinching harder.
But I’m the same in that no matter how small I get I don’t get a waist- my current waist s only 2″ smaller than my underbust and, even when I was anorexic (I also had no period for 2 around years) I still never had a curvy torso, very straight up and down. I’m like 38/32/36… hardly hourglass.When people ask me if I have trouble breathing when I wear my corset I point out that a) my lungs aren’t in my waist and b) pregnancy moves the internal organs around far more than corsets, so our internal organs are designed to move and shift.
Also, corsets weren’t a way of oppressing women, they developed from Stays which helped to support the very heavy weight of the clothes women wore back then, which put an enormous amount of stress on the back.
They also helped to support the breasts as bras weren’t invented yet.
Tightlacing or cinching in the waist significantly didn’t start until much later (the Victorian era IIRC) and again, corsets actually helped women with the weight of all those layers.
Also, fainting rarely comes about as a result of corset wearing. Back in the day it was the done thing to be seen as fragile and it was a handy way to either gain attention from a beau or to avoid confrontation by having a ~fainting spell~.
The move against corsets was started, in part, by manufacturing businesses who were trying to introduce the girdle, so there was a conflict of interest and those famous x-rays weren’t particularly precise as even the Dr acknowledged that the women was wearing the corset much higher than she normally would.
As for broken ribs and split livers, pish posh- it’s all urban legends (as is the myth that you can have your floating ribs removed to get a smaller waist). -
Aesthetically based corsets are obvs each to their own and I totally get liking that look, and the way modern ones are now they have more give while still creating the shape. However, claiming they don’t effect your breathing just because they’re not necessarily directly compressing your lungs seems faulty….they body needs some give to move…(healthy/non distressed) breathing initiates in your diaphragm which is basically exactly where the corset is tightest and outside of that the organs need to be displaced to allow movement of the diaphragm which a rigid corset would hinder. As for the pregnancy thing…I’ve encountered many a-pregnant woman who was having difficulty breathing because the baby was all kinds of restricting her ability to breath. While I fully support anyone’s right to do whatever they want as long as it’s not hurting anyone, I do disagree with those postulations as being reasoning for why there are no ill effects from corseting. Even in progressive spinal cord injury treatment patients are prompted to move away from their abdominal bindings because it hinders their ability to build core strength. If you wear it for a short while and as an occasional reminder of posture I’m sure it’s safe, especially with more modern fabric. But I’m sorry, it absolutely effects the ability to build core strength and breath optimally and healthfully. Buddha’s image with a round belly to indicate a relaxed way and full way of breathing.
I find it hard to believe that weight lifters wear belts to increase intraabdominal pressure but corsets have no effect. The tendon, or really more accurately the connective tissue that is an extension of the tendon to the diaphragm is attached to the first three lumbar vertebrae, which is exactly what a corset is restricting. Heels are just as much a “restrictive” symbol for women as corsets are, and are incredibly unhealthy as well, so I don’t care about that part. Women should be able to do whatever the eff they want, social constructs or not, but to say there is no ill effect from wearing corsets seems erroneous. As erroneous as saying high heels are totally healthy. There are different levels of healthiness for each but none are ideal from a physical/physiological health stand point, although I don’t know about mental health. The compression being comforting makes sense and is the case in a lot of anxiety disorders, autism, sensory integration issues, etc
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