Wall-Sitting Postural Exercise

activatethoracic

A video demonstration is coming soon. Follow the step-by-step instructions below.

How to do it

Sit on a stool with your back against a wall.
Place hands up beside the head.
Straighten the upper back, press the head back with chin down and in, and pull the elbows back against the wall.
Flatten the low back against the wall by pulling up and in with the lower abdominal muscles.
Keep arms in contact with the wall and slowly move arms to a diagonally overhead position.

Form cues

Lengthen the upper back tall
Chin down and in while pressing head back

Dosage

Daily; controlled reps, hold the corrected position

Muscles worked

pectoralis minor — anatomical illustration — pectoralis minorAnatomical illustration derived from BodyParts3D, © The Database Center for Life Science, licensed under CC BY-SA.

thoracic spine extensors — anatomical illustration — thoracic spine extensorsAnatomical illustration derived from BodyParts3D, © The Database Center for Life Science, licensed under CC BY-SA.

middle trapezius — anatomical illustration — middle trapeziusAnatomical illustration derived from BodyParts3D, © The Database Center for Life Science, licensed under CC BY-SA.

lower abdominals — anatomical illustration — lower abdominalsAnatomical illustration from Z-Anatomy (derived from BodyParts3D), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Stretches: pectoralis minor

Strengthens: thoracic spine extensors, middle trapezius, lower trapezius, lower abdominals

Target muscles

Pectoralis Minor Thoracic Spine Extensors Middle Trapezius Lower Trapezius Lower Abdominals

Helps with

Forward Head Posture Rounded Shoulders Chin-Up / Chin-Down (Cervical Tilt)

Wall-Standing Postural Exercise Craniocervical Flexion (Deep Neck Flexor Activation)Isometric Cervical Retraction Formation of the Short Foot Corrected Standing Posture & Balance Progression (SMT Static Phase)Chin Tuck (Head & Neck Retraction)

Reference: Kendall, Muscles Testing & Function 5th ed p.116