Upper Back Rounding In Midlife? Try The Face Pull Exercise

“I see pictures of myself and I’m shocked how much my posture has gotten.”

“Every day I feel like hunching over and I can’t seem to fix my posture. It’s been getting worse.”

These are two complaints I almost hear daily when working with my clients.

Is it years in front of a PC, looking at the phone or simply aging? Well it’s often a mix of everything but perimenopause can increase what we call thoracic kyphosis, the rounding of the upper back region.

Here’s why a loss of estrogen can accelerate this issue:

1. Estrogen is responsible for bone density, so when it starts fluctuating and decreasing, vertebrae can lose height and even develop small compression changes — accelerating the rounding of the upper back

2. Estrogen also supports collagen, so as it starts declining it can lead to weaker discs, ligaments and fascia

3. Estrogen helps muscle building and maintenance — a decrease can make it harder to build and maintain muscles that support posture

All of it compounded by years of sitting in front of a computer, in the car and looking at our phones, a perfect storm.

The face pull exercise is one of the greatest but also one of the most butchered exercises to address thoracic kyphosis.

It trains the rear delts, mid and lower traps, rhomboids and external rotators of the shoulder, the muscles that counter the forward rounding of the upper back. This exercise is superior to stretching, foam rolling or any other “posture fix” tools as it literally strengthens the muscles that keep your posture upright.

Anchor a band or set the cable with rope at about eye/forehead level height.

Grab the rope so that your knuckles face each other. Put tension on the cable by stepping back. Brace your core

Pull towards your temple with your elbows high. Imagine ripping the rope apart, which will address the external rotators and correct what many people do incorrectly during this exercise.

Control the movement on the pulling as well as the releasing part.

Three sets of 8-12. You can add this exercise to your routine twice a week.

Below you will find the video of me performing the exercise. Paid subscribers will have access to all of my exercise videos as well as the full 21-week strength and endurance exercise plan.

Here’s your video: