Why Your Shoulders Keep Rounding Forward
You fix your shoulders. But hours later, they're rounded again.
Maybe you've spent hours stretching your pecs or pulling resistance bands behind your back. You've done wall angels. Rows. Retraction drills. Every video promises a fix, but none of it sticks.
By the end of the day, your shoulders are creeping forward again. Your neck feels tight. Your upper back aches. And no matter how hard you work, it feels like your body is stuck in a loop like it doesn't want to stay upright.
If this sounds familiar, you're not alone.
Most people think rounded shoulders are just a strength or flexibility issue. So they keep hammering the same muscle groups. But the truth is, if your shoulders keep falling forward no matter what you do, the root cause might be hidden somewhere completely different.
What if it's not about the muscles at all… but about how your brain controls those muscles?
In this guide, we'll show you why three simple exercises work when nothing else has and why real posture correction starts with smarter input, not more effort. Learn more about our comprehensive approach in our About Posturepro page.
If you're tired of chasing the same symptoms, this might finally connect the dots.
Understanding Shoulder Anatomy
Now that we've addressed the frustration—the endless cycle of fixing and re-fixing your shoulders—it's time to look under the hood.
Your shoulder is one of the most mobile joints in the human body. But that mobility comes at a cost: stability.
At the heart of shoulder function is a complex interaction between joints, muscles, and control systems. Two primary joints drive this movement: the glenohumeral joint, where the arm bone meets the shoulder blade, and the surrounding musculature that supports and guides it.
Everyone knows the rotator cuff—four key muscles that stabilize the glenohumeral joint:
Supraspinatus: Ends at the top of the humerus and is susceptible to impingement.
Infraspinatus: Located below the spine of the scapula and is responsible for external rotation and stabilization of the shoulder joint.
Teres minor: Located right next to the infraspinatus; it helps to externally rotate your shoulder when your arm is abducted to the side.
Subscapularis: The only rotator cuff muscle that performs an internal rotation of the shoulder. It's found on the inside of the shoulder blade.
But here's the problem: most rehab protocols stop here.
What they miss is that the shoulder blade itself—the scapula—is the socket of the joint, and it's controlled by a much larger network of muscles. In fact, 17 muscles cross this region, and several of them play a bigger role in how your shoulder moves than the cuff ever could.
These are your periscapular muscles and they're often the missing link. If these muscles don't activate or coordinate properly, the socket moves out of alignment. That throws off the entire shoulder complex, leading to compensation, impingement, and pain.
So if you've been focusing on isolated shoulder drills, but your scapular control is off, your results won't stick.
What's Really Driving Rounded Shoulders? The Nervous System Connection
It's easy to blame screens or bad posture habits. Yes, looking down all day trains your body into a forward slump. But that's only part of the picture.
What's rarely talked about is how the brain adapts to that slumped position and starts reinforcing it as the "new normal."
Here's what happens:
When your head moves forward, your scapula loses its natural rhythm. The muscles that stabilize your shoulder joint get out of sync. Your brain—always trying to conserve energy—re-maps that faulty pattern into your default.
Over time, the muscles meant to hold you upright get weaker. And the ones compensating? They stay tight, overactive, and strained. This is where neck stiffness, shoulder impingement, and tension headaches start creeping in.
So fixing rounded shoulders isn't about standing up straight or just doing rows and wall angels. It's about resetting the brain's default and restoring balance to the system controlling your posture.
As you can see in the picture on the left, the shoulder is protracted forward. After working on proprioception in conjunction with corrective exercises, you can now see in the picture on the right that the shoulders are now shifted back. By acting on your nervous system, we were able to re-wire his brain to process incoming data in a new way. The end result is the activation of the posterior chain. Here is a list of some of the exercises we performed.
Now that you understand the deeper cause, let's move into the 3 exercises that actually start fixing it from the ground up.
Note that heavy weights are not necessary for these exercises. You'd be surprised how challenging these exercises can be with weights that are lighter than you would think you need.
Three Exercises to Fix Rounded Shoulders Permanently
1. Bent-Over Dumbbell Flys (Rear Deltoid Raises)
Here's how to do it:
- Lower your body at the hips with a slight bend to the knee, keeping your back parallel to the floor
- With your arms holding the dumbbells near your shins, and still in a bent-over position, raise your arms straight out so your arms are parallel to the floor
- Imagine your back as a hinge and use a full range of motion to try to pinch your back together
- Start with light weights (5-10 lbs) and focus on proper form and muscle activation
Safety Note:
Keep your core engaged throughout the movement and avoid rounding your lower back. If you experience any shoulder pain, reduce the weight or range of motion.
2. Barbell Shrugs
Here's how to do it:
- Stand tall holding a barbell with both hands, palms facing towards your legs
- Raise the barbell up by lifting your shoulders, keeping the distance of the barbell to your body the same (the bar should be almost resting against your legs)
- Remember to lift with your shoulders and not with your arms
- Slowly return to the starting position and repeat
- Focus on squeezing your upper traps at the top of the movement
Safety Note:
Avoid rolling your shoulders backward during the movement. Move straight up and down to prevent injury.
3. Barbell Upright Row
Here's how to do it:
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, holding a barbell with an overhand grip, hands about shoulder-width apart
- Pull the barbell straight up towards your chin, keeping it close to your body
- Lead with your elbows and squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top
- Keep your core engaged and avoid using momentum
- Lower the weight slowly and under control
- Stop at chest level if you feel any shoulder discomfort
Safety Note:
Do not pull the bar higher than chest level to avoid shoulder impingement. If you have a history of shoulder problems, consult a healthcare provider before performing this exercise.
Progressive Training Schedule
Week 1-2: Perform these exercises 2-3 times per week with light weights, focusing on form
Week 3-4: Gradually increase weight while maintaining perfect form
Month 2+: Continue consistent training while monitoring posture improvements throughout the day
For a complete posture correction program that addresses all aspects of alignment, explore our comprehensive training programs.
Watch: Complete Shoulder Exercise Tutorial
This comprehensive video demonstrates all three exercises covered in this guide. Watch along to see proper form, common mistakes to avoid, and safety tips.
Video Summary: Learn step-by-step instructions for bent-over dumbbell flys, barbell shrugs, and upright rows with proper form demonstration.
Transform Your Posture and Correct Rounded Shoulders
Struggling with rounded shoulders, upper back tension, or poor posture? The solution starts with your feet. Poor foot mechanics create imbalances that travel up the body, pulling your shoulders forward and straining your upper back.
Our Therapeutic Insoles activate your midfoot and realign posture from the ground up.
By correcting your foundation, you can:
- Reverse rounded shoulders and reset your alignment
- Release chronic tension in your traps and upper back
- Walk, lift, and sit with more confidence and ease
When to Expect Results
Most people notice immediate improvements in posture awareness when they begin these exercises consistently. The neurological benefits of proper shoulder positioning start working within the first week of practice.
Structural changes in muscle strength and shoulder alignment typically become noticeable after 3-4 weeks of consistent training. The key is understanding that you're retraining movement patterns that have been ingrained over years, which takes patience but creates lasting transformation when done correctly.
Frequently Asked Questions About How to Fix Rounded Shoulders
What causes rounded shoulders?
Rounded shoulders aren't a muscle problem - they're a nervous system dysfunction. Your brain is getting faulty signals from three key sources: your feet (which have lost proper sensory input), your eyes (which are stuck in near-focus patterns), and your jaw (which affects head position). When your brain gets these mixed-up signals, it locks your body in a protective forward position. Until you fix these sensory inputs to calm the nervous system, stretching and strengthening are just temporary band-aids.
What are the best exercises to fix rounded shoulders permanently?
Traditional exercises can't fix rounded shoulders because they're treating the symptom, not the cause. Your nervous system is keeping those shoulders rounded as a protective response to faulty sensory signals. The real solution involves retraining your nervous system through proper foot stimulation, eye coordination exercises, and jaw repositioning. Once your brain gets clear signals from these three sources, your shoulders naturally return to their proper position without forcing anything. The exercises shown above help support this process but won't create lasting change without addressing the nervous system first.
How long does it take to fix rounded shoulders?
When you address the nervous system dysfunction causing rounded shoulders, changes can begin immediately. Within days of retraining your foot sensors, many people report feeling their shoulders naturally pulling back. Complete nervous system retraining typically takes 6-12 weeks of consistent sensory input correction. This is much faster than years of exercises that never address the root neurological cause.
Can poor foot alignment contribute to rounded shoulders?
Absolutely - this is the missing link most people never understand. Your feet contain over 200,000 sensory receptors that constantly tell your brain where you are in space. When these sensors send confused signals due to poor foot alignment, your brain panics and locks your entire body in protective patterns - including rounding your shoulders forward. That's where Posturepro's therapeutic insoles come in - they retrain these sensors to send clear 'safe' signals to your brain, allowing your nervous system to relax and your shoulders to naturally realign from the ground up.
How can I prevent rounded shoulders and maintain correct shoulder posture?
Preventing rounded shoulders requires maintaining clear communication between your sensory systems and your brain. This means: 1) Wearing therapeutic insoles that keep your foot sensors sending accurate signals, 2) Taking regular breaks from screens to reset your eye coordination, 3) Being aware of jaw tension that affects head position. When these three sensory inputs stay clear, your nervous system stays calm and your posture maintains itself automatically - no constant correction needed.
Next up: Looking for more ways to improve your posture? Check out these related guides:
Conclusion
Fixing rounded shoulders isn't about doing more exercises—it's about doing the right exercises that address the root cause. These three movements target the key muscles that control scapular positioning and shoulder alignment, but remember that lasting change requires addressing your body's foundation.
When you combine targeted strengthening with proper postural support through therapeutic insoles, you create a comprehensive approach that addresses both the symptoms and the underlying cause of rounded shoulders.
Start implementing these exercises consistently, and consider how your body's foundation might be contributing to your postural challenges. Your shoulders—and your entire body—will thank you for taking this holistic approach.
About the Author
Annette Verpillot, Founder & Chief Posture Specialist at Posturepro
With over 20 years of experience in posture correction and nervous system rehabilitation, Annette Verpillot has helped thousands of people worldwide achieve lasting postural improvement through her innovative brain-based approach. She is a certified Posturologist and the creator of the Posturepro Method, which addresses the neurological root causes of postural dysfunction rather than just treating symptoms.
Medical Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for educational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional before beginning any new exercise program, especially if you have pre-existing conditions or injuries.
Last reviewed: January 17, 2025 | Next review date: July 2025
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