Prolonged sitting and poor posture often lead to shoulder and neck pain, affecting daily life and work efficiency. As such conditions are prevalent in today’s society, knowing how to reverse or prevent them with certain exercises is beneficial. Rocky Liao, a classical Chinese dance instructor, introduces several dance movements and basic training techniques that can help alleviate shoulder and neck discomfort.
Maintaining a single posture for an extended period keeps the shoulder and neck muscles tense, preventing them from resting. This can lead to hypoxia (insufficient oxygen in the tissues), poor blood circulation, stiffness, and ultimately, pain. To address these issues, it is essential to relax or stretch the levator scapulae, upper trapezius, pectoralis major, and pectoralis minor muscles while strengthening the middle rhomboid and lower trapezius muscles.
Mr. Rocky offers five classical Chinese dance stretches to first loosen the tight muscles of the shoulders, neck, and upper back, followed by basic exercises to relieve shoulder tightness and upper back discomfort. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
Raise your right arm and turn it to the left. Bend your left arm and grasp your right elbow. Twist your chest to the left while simultaneously twisting your waist to the right.
Hold for three seconds, then lower your arms and relax. Repeat the movement on the other side. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, engage the core, squeeze the buttocks, tense the thighs.