How to Fix Rounded Shoulders and Maintain Good Posture All Day
The missing link that makes posture exercises actually work — a simple rule for correct posture and a practical way to hold it all day — from a chiropractor with over 24 years of clinical experience.
There are plenty of good posture exercises online for strengthening and stretching the right muscles. But, as our chiropractor Jasper Hulscher explains, they won’t change anything on their own if you spend the rest of the day slouched at a computer, hunched over a phone, or walking with rounded shoulders. If you exercise for 30 minutes but stay slouched for the other 16 waking hours, posture won’t improve — because bad posture is a habit that has to be broken, much like quitting smoking.
This video shares two things: one simple rule — “stand upright, elbows tight” — that puts you in correct posture by drawing in the lower tip of the shoulder blade and activating the lower scapular stabilisers; and a practical timer method to hold that posture consistently through the day. It also flags the two common mistakes people make (over-arching the lower back, and pulling the shoulders too far back).
Note: this is about self-induced slouch posture, not posture changes from conditions like osteoporosis or Scheuermann’s disease, which are different matters.
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Questions
How do I maintain good posture throughout the day?
Why don't posture exercises work on their own?
What is the "stand upright, elbows tight" rule?
What are the two common mistakes people make fixing their posture?
How do I fix rounded shoulders?
How do I make good posture a habit?
Key Takeaways (timestamped)
[00:00] The missing link — strengthening and stretching exercises are great, but they won’t work unless you also hold proper posture throughout the day.
[01:41] Do the maths — 30 minutes of exercise means nothing if the other ~16 waking hours are spent slouched. Bad posture is a habit to break, like smoking or nail-biting — it takes consistency, not just exercises.
[02:40] The two common mistakes — over-arching the lower back to push the chest out (which causes low back pain), and pulling the shoulders too far back (unrealistic and unsustainable). Focus on neither.
[03:12] “Stand upright, elbows tight” — chin in, hands on the tummy/lower back to keep it neutral, push the chest up at a 45° angle, then draw the elbows in and slightly back. This pulls in the lower tip of the shoulder blade and activates the lower scapular stabilisers — the key muscles for good posture.
[04:44] Stay consistent with a timer — use a phone or smart speaker voice command (“set a timer for 30 minutes”); when it goes off, reset your posture and the timer. Repeating this breaks the vicious circle of slouching.
Transcript
Introduction
There are some great videos on YouTube to help with faulty posture — exercises to strengthen and to stretch the right muscles, on our channel and others. They’re fantastic. I’m talking about the self-induced slouch posture you create sitting in front of a computer, looking at your phone, or walking with rounded shoulders — not posture from osteoporosis or Scheuermann’s disease, which is a different matter. All these exercises are marvellous, but they won’t work unless you sort out one thing: your posture throughout the day. Combine the exercises with proper posture all day and you’re onto a winner.
Today I’ll share my one simple rule — “stand upright, elbows tight” — and some tips to maintain good posture through the day, so you don’t fix it in the morning and forget about it half an hour later.
Posture Is a Habit to Break
Say you do 30 minutes of posture exercises a day and sleep seven and a half hours — that leaves 16 hours. Will your posture change if you spend those 16 hours slouched at a computer, with rounded shoulders, or looking at your phone? Not really. Bad posture is a bad habit you need to break, like stopping smoking or nail-biting — by being persistent and consistent, and getting into the right posture all day long.
The Two Mistakes, and the Technique
Two mistakes I see: people arch the lower back to push the chest out (which leads to low back pain), or pull the shoulders back too far (unrealistic, and it doesn’t even look good). Don’t focus on your lower back or your shoulders — focus on the lower tip of your shoulder blade.
Get into position: chin in, hands on your tummy or lower back so you don’t arch it, and push your chest up and out at a 45-degree angle towards the sky, keeping the lower back neutral. Now “stand upright, elbows tight”: draw your elbows in and slightly back. That pulls in the lower tip of the shoulder blade and activates the lower scapular stabilisers — the muscles that are very important for maintaining proper posture.
Staying Consistent with a Timer
Like breaking any habit, consistency matters — you don’t cut down to one or two cigarettes, you break the cycle. For posture, use your phone or smart speaker’s timer by voice command: “set a timer for 30 minutes,” then get into the right posture and carry on. You’ll slip back into old habits — that’s normal. When the timer goes off, reset your posture and set the timer again. That’s how you break the vicious circle.
Combine this with exercises from our channel — like the neck hump video and the posture-strengthening video — and you’ll make a change. Take care of yourself, take care of someone else if you can, and bye for now.
Summary
Plenty of good posture exercises exist online, but this video addresses the piece that makes them work: holding correct posture throughout the day. If you do 30 minutes of posture exercises but spend the other 16 waking hours slouched at a computer, on a phone, or with rounded shoulders, nothing changes — because bad posture is a habit that has to be broken through consistency, much like quitting smoking. The video shares one simple rule, “stand upright, elbows tight”: chin in, lower back kept neutral (not over-arched), chest lifted at a 45-degree angle, and the elbows drawn in and slightly back, which pulls in the lower tip of the shoulder blade and activates the lower scapular stabilisers that hold good posture. It also flags the two common mistakes — over-arching the lower back (which causes back pain) and pulling the shoulders too far back — and offers a practical way to stay consistent: setting a repeating 30-minute timer by voice command to prompt a posture reset through the day. It’s aimed at self-induced slouch posture, not posture changes from conditions like osteoporosis or Scheuermann’s disease. Combined with strengthening and stretching, this daily consistency is what produces lasting change.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why don't posture exercises work on their own?
Because posture is determined by what you do all day, not by a short exercise session. If you strengthen and stretch for 30 minutes but stay slouched for the other 16 waking hours, the slouch wins. Bad posture is essentially a habit, and habits are broken by consistency throughout the day — the exercises support the change, but daily posture is what drives it.
What is the "stand upright, elbows tight" rule?
It’s a simple way to get into correct posture. Put your chin in, rest your hands on your tummy or lower back to keep the lower back neutral (not arched), and push your chest up at about a 45-degree angle. Then draw your elbows in and slightly back. That last move pulls in the lower tip of your shoulder blade and activates the lower scapular stabilisers — the muscles that actually hold good posture — without you having to think about your shoulders directly.
What are the two common mistakes people make with posture?
First, over-arching the lower back to push the chest out — this leads to lower back pain. Second, pulling the shoulders too far back — it’s unrealistic, unsustainable, and doesn’t even look natural. The fix focuses on neither the lower back nor the shoulders directly, but on the lower tip of the shoulder blade instead.
How do I fix rounded shoulders?
Rounded shoulders come from a slouched posture held over long periods. The “stand upright, elbows tight” technique corrects the position by engaging the lower scapular stabilisers, and holding that position consistently through the day — helped by the timer method — is what retrains the shoulders out of the rounded pattern. Combining it with dedicated strengthening and stretching exercises speeds things up.
How do I make good posture a habit?
Use a timer as a prompt. Set a repeating 30-minute timer on your phone or smart speaker by voice command; each time it goes off, reset into good posture and set it again. Because slipping back into a slouch is automatic, the regular prompt is what breaks the cycle — the same principle as consistently cutting out a bad habit rather than relying on willpower alone.
Is this for all types of bad posture?
This is specifically for self-induced slouch posture — the kind created by sitting at a computer, looking at a phone, or walking with rounded shoulders. Posture changes caused by conditions such as osteoporosis or Scheuermann’s disease are different and should be assessed and managed professionally.
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