By Tiffany Chen

Because of the COVID pandemic our country is showing signs of Upper Cross Syndrome. “Upper-Cross Syndrome;” is an overly fancy way to describe a forward hunching posture or “texting neck”. This posture tends to develop over time and puts unnecessary stress on your spine.

With the progression of the Pandemic, many folks are having to find forms of entertainment indoors. Leading to increased television viewing and surfing social media on our mobile devices. Because we spend long periods of time looking down at our devices we are putting increased stress on our neck muscles.

This prolonged posture creates a ripple effect, where our neck and shoulder muscles become over active trying to keep our head up. We begin to develop tight neck, chest and shoulder muscles. In addition, our back muscles have to work harder to maintain straight posture causing weakness. This can impact our breathing by causing tightness in our chest muscles and limiting our lung capacity. Restricted breathing patterns can lead to poor core strength as well as increased anxiety and other physiological consequences.

Luckily, there are methods to correct this syndrome by combining a practice of strengthening the weakened muscles and gentle stretching of the shortened muscles. Lifestyle changes such as, minimizing time spent for screen time and taking regularly scheduled movement breaks can also be of benefit.

Here are some simple yoga poses and exercises you can begin to implement on a daily basis to benefit your posture and prevent/treat Upper Cross Syndrome. Please note, individuals with pre-existing conditions or injuries should always check with their physician prior to beginning any new exercise regimen. If you are interested in learning more or having a fitness specialist assist you with these programs call and schedule an appointment today.