Most of us are living with unwanted tension in our back and shoulders. We work overtime, stress about various life situations, and just about everything we do throughout the day is in a forward motion, which weakens and then subsequently tightens up our backside. There are many things you can do to help reduce this tension, including getting yourself on a regular exercise routine and releasing this tension.

If you can imagine for a moment the upper body posture of an elderly adult who is hunched over, with shoulders internally rotated and head jetting forward. You may not realize it, but most likely you are slowly moving into that same position. Everything from brushing your teeth, making breakfast, driving, sitting on the computer, looking at your phone, doing laundry, etc. is all movements in the forward posture with shoulders internally rotated and head forward. 

This situation is not entirely hopeless, if you can start to realize this and add a new routine to your weekly workout plan. All you need to do is release the muscles that are getting tight from working more than then need to, and release the muscles that are weak and starting to brace themselves because they are not strong enough to hold optimal posture.  And lastly, you must strengthen the  weaker muscles so they hold your posture efficiently. 

So, the basic plan is release the chest muscles and upper trapezius (muscles that run along the top of your shoulders to you neck) through massage and stretching, because they are working overtime. Release the mid-back trigger points that have been created from weakness, and start strengthening your rhomboids, lower trapezius, and serratus anterior (all muscles that connect through your mid-back to help stabilize your shoulder blades to improve posture and reduce unwanted tension build up).

So, how do we release the tension? I don't know about you, but it's not all that easy to massage out my own back. The backnobber is an amazingly simple product that can help you reach those essential hard to get spots on your back and shoulders with minimal effort. The key to using the backnobber is leverage. Use the hand closest to you to pull slightly towards you and the hand furthest from you pushes away to create the perfect amount of leverage for you to release the trigger points that are bothering you. 

I recommend lying down for releasing some of the tough spots at the base of your neck. It will allow you to relax your upper body and neck while leveraging the backnobber into the nooks and crannies that hold tension for you. Keep in mind, simply releasing the tension will not keep the tension from coming back. Exercise, particularly for the mid-back is essential for preventing the shoulder and upper back tension from returning. This combination of releasing and strengthening will help your posture and reduce your upper body pain if you're consistent and patient. 

Check out the backnobber and all of our other helpful fitness accessories that will help you stay in the best shape possible. Living a happy, healthy, holistic lifestyle!

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