How to Fix Rounded Shoulders and Improve Posture: An 8-Week Plan

To fix rounded shoulders, strengthen the muscles that pull your shoulder blades back and hold your head over them, three times a week for at least eight weeks. Keep a few stretches for comfort. In trials, strengthening changed posture and stretching alone did not, and most measurable change took about eight weeks.

Most posture advice tells you to “stand up straight.” That is about as useful as telling someone with insomnia to “just fall asleep.”

Rounded shoulders are a training problem, not a willpower problem. They respond to the same things any adaptation does: the right exercises, enough load and enough weeks.

The evidence has also moved. The classic posture routine is mostly stretching, and a 2024 meta-analysis found that stretching on its own did not change posture while strengthening did.¹ This guide to improving posture is built on that finding: the plan, the exact sets, three home checks, how long it takes, and what it can and cannot do for pain.

How to fix rounded shoulders: the 8-week plan at a glance

To fix rounded shoulders, strengthen three days a week and do a short mobility routine on most days. Weeks 1-4 learn the movements with light bands or no weight. Weeks 5-8 add load or reps. Recheck your posture photo at weeks 4 and 8. Each session takes about 20 minutes, plus a 4-minute desk break on workdays.

Exercise	What it targets	Dose	When
Prone Y-T-W raises	Lower and middle trapezius, rear shoulder	2-3 x 8-10 of each letter	Strength days
Side-lying external rotation	Rotator cuff, lower trapezius balance	2-3 x 10-12 per side	Strength days
Band pull-aparts or band rows	Middle trapezius, rhomboids	3 x 12-15	Strength days
Deep neck flexor holds	Deep neck flexors (forward head)	10 x 10 s	Strength days
Wall slides	Shoulder-blade control overhead	2-3 x 10	Strength days
Glute bridges and dead bugs	Glutes and deep abdominals	3 x 10-15 / 2-3 x 8 per side	Strength days
Pec doorway stretch	Pectoralis minor and major	2-3 x 30 s per side	Most days
Chin tucks	Neck position awareness	10 x 5 s	Most days and desk breaks
Thoracic extension over a foam roller	Upper-back stiffness	2 x 10 across 3-4 segments	Most days
Half-kneeling hip flexor stretch	Hip flexors	2-3 x 30-45 s per side	Most days

After week 8, keep two or three strength sessions a week. One trial found the gains held four weeks after stopping, and another held them for sixteen.²³

Can you actually fix rounded shoulders?

Yes, for the common postural kind. A 2024 meta-analysis of 22 studies found that exercise improved rounded shoulders, forward head posture and upper-back rounding in people with upper crossed syndrome. Expect changes of several degrees over weeks. A rigid, structural curve is a different problem that needs a clinician.

Sepehri and colleagues pooled exercise trials for upper crossed syndrome, the pattern of rounded (forward) shoulders, forward head and upper-back rounding (hyperkyphosis) that long hours at a desk encourage.⁴ All three measures improved. The studies varied a lot, and the authors warn that some publication bias is likely, so read it as “exercise works” rather than as a precise effect size.

An earlier meta-analysis of seven randomised trials reached the same verdict for the head: strong evidence that exercise improves the craniovertebral angle, the standard measure of forward head posture.⁵

What exercise changes is the position your muscles habitually hold you in. It does not reshape bone. If your upper back will not straighten when you lie flat, or the curve comes with numbness, tingling or a diagnosis such as Scheuermann’s disease, see a physiotherapist or doctor first.

What causes rounded shoulders and forward head posture?

Rounded shoulders come from the positions you hold most. Hours of sitting and screen use keep the chest muscles short and leave the upper-back and deep-neck muscles underused. The shoulders drift forward, the head follows, and the muscles that should pull them back stop doing their share.

Vladimir Janda, the Czech neurologist and rehabilitation physician behind the “crossed syndromes,” described this as two diagonals of imbalance.⁶ Tight chest muscles and upper trapezius sit opposite weak deep neck flexors, lower trapezius and serratus anterior. Phil Page, PhD, PT, and colleagues later turned the model into the assessment and treatment approach many physiotherapists learn.⁷

Forward head posture changes how your shoulder muscles work. Using surface EMG, Weon and colleagues had 21 healthy volunteers sit with a forward head while holding one arm raised against a load. Upper and lower trapezius activity rose and serratus anterior activity fell.⁸ The serratus anterior is one of the main muscles that rotates and steadies the shoulder blade, so a forward head makes the shoulder do the same job with a different strategy.

The head is also heavy. Kenneth Hansraj, MD, a New York spine surgeon, used a computer model of the neck to estimate the load. A head that weighs 10 to 12 pounds in neutral loads the cervical spine with an estimated 27 pounds at 15 degrees of forward tilt and 60 pounds at 60 degrees.⁹ These are modelled numbers, not measurements, but they show why the position adds up over a day.

The same pattern can show up lower down: tight hip flexors pull the pelvis forward, which is why the plan includes hip work.

How do you check for rounded shoulders at home?

To check for rounded shoulders at home, use three quick screens: stand against a wall, take a side photo to see where your ear sits relative to your shoulder, and test hip-flexor length on a table edge. They take two minutes and give you a starting point to compare against at weeks 4 and 8. They are observations, not diagnoses.

1. The wall test (rounded shoulders and upper back)

Stand with your heels, glutes, upper back and head against a wall. Notice whether your head touches without tilting your chin up, whether the backs of your shoulders reach the wall, and whether your lower back stays within a hand’s width of it.

2. The side photo (forward head and shoulder position)

Have someone photograph you from the side, standing relaxed. Imagine a vertical line running up from the bony point of your shoulder (the acromion). If the small flap in front of your ear canal (the tragus) sits forward of that line, the photo shows a forward head position. Researchers measure this as the craniovertebral angle: the angle between a horizontal line through the bony bump at the base of your neck (C7) and a line from there to the tragus. A bigger angle means the head sits further back.¹⁰

3. The Thomas test (hip flexors)

Sit on the edge of a table, pull one knee to your chest and lie back, letting the other leg hang. If the hanging thigh rises above horizontal or the knee straightens, your hip flexors may be short.

Repeat the photo and wall test at weeks 4 and 8, in the same place and at the same time of day. Treat the results as a record of your position, not a pass-or-fail score, and see a professional if any position causes pain.

Does stretching fix rounded shoulders, or do you need to strengthen?

Stretching alone does not fix rounded shoulders; strengthening does. In a 2024 meta-analysis of 23 trials, chronic strengthening produced large posture improvements in the upper back and neck, while stretching alone produced no meaningful change. Stretching still has a job: it restores range of motion, so keep a few stretches as support, not as the fix.

Konstantin Warneke and colleagues pooled trials in 969 healthy people. Stretching had no significant effect on posture, while strengthening was clearly better than stretching, and its effect was largest in the thoracic and cervical spine, exactly where rounded shoulders live.¹ Their conclusion was blunt: “therapists should focus on strengthening programs targeting weakened muscles.”¹

A 2025 Delphi consensus of 20 international stretching researchers agreed. The panel did not recommend stretching to change posture, said strengthening weak muscles seems advisable instead, and kept stretching for range of motion, at 2-3 sets daily of 30-120 seconds per muscle.¹¹

The chest stretch is still worth doing. In a motion-capture study, a one-arm doorway-style self-stretch lengthened the pectoralis minor by 2.24 cm, more than two therapist-applied stretches.¹² A short, tight pec minor pulls the shoulder blade forward, so that length gives the strengthening work room to hold the shoulder back.

What are the best exercises for rounded shoulders?

The core exercises are prone Y-T-W raises, side-lying external rotation, band pull-aparts or rows, deep neck flexor holds and wall slides, done three days a week. They train the lower and middle trapezius, rotator cuff and deep neck flexors. Ghent University EMG research favoured side-lying and prone exercises for this.

Ann Cools, PT, PhD, and colleagues at Ghent University measured muscle activity in 45 healthy adults across 12 shoulder exercises. Side-lying external rotation, side-lying forward flexion, prone horizontal abduction with external rotation and prone extension best activated the middle and lower trapezius while keeping the upper trapezius quiet.¹³ That is the balance rounded shoulders lack.

Warm up with one set of each mobility drill below before every session.

Prone Y-T-W raises

Lie face down on the floor or a bench. Raise your arms into a Y (thumbs up, arms angled overhead), hold 2 seconds and lower. Repeat with arms straight out to the sides and thumbs up (T), then with elbows bent and shoulder blades squeezed (W). The T is close to the prone horizontal abduction with external rotation that Cools rated highly.¹³

Dose: 8-10 reps of each letter, 2-3 sets. Add light dumbbells in weeks 5-8, and log the weight each week, in a notebook or in SensAI’s set tracker, so you know when to progress.

Side-lying external rotation

Lie on your side with a rolled towel between your top elbow and your ribs, elbow bent to 90 degrees. Rotate your forearm up toward the ceiling without letting the elbow lift, then lower slowly.

Dose: 2-3 sets of 10-12 per side, light weight, building slowly.

Band pull-aparts or band rows

Hold a resistance band at shoulder height with straight arms and pull it apart by squeezing your shoulder blades together, without shrugging. Rows with the band anchored in front work too. In a trial of 39 women with upper crossed syndrome, four weeks of elastic-band scapular stabilisation exercises improved neck and shoulder angles, pectoralis minor length and scapular muscle strength compared with no exercise.¹⁴

Dose: 3 sets of 12-15.

Deep neck flexor holds

Lie on your back with knees bent. Tuck your chin as if making a double chin, then lift your head barely off the floor, an inch at most. Hold 10 seconds. If the muscles at the front of your neck bulge or shake, you have lifted too high.

Dose: 10 reps of 10 seconds.

Wall slides

Stand with your back, head and arms against a wall, arms in a goalpost shape. Slide your arms up as high as you can while keeping wrists, elbows and upper back on the wall, then slide down.

Dose: 2-3 sets of 10.

Glute bridges and dead bugs

Bridge up until your body forms a straight line from knees to shoulders and hold 2 seconds (3 x 10-15). For dead bugs, lie on your back with arms up and knees at 90 degrees, then lower opposite arm and leg while keeping your lower back flat (2-3 x 8 per side). The lower back pain exercise guide has full progressions.

Which stretches help rounded shoulders?

Keep four: the pec doorway stretch, chin tucks, thoracic extensions over a foam roller and a half-kneeling hip flexor stretch. Do them most days and before strength sessions, about 5-8 minutes. They restore range of motion and make the strengthening work easier, but on their own they do not change posture.

Pec doorway stretch

Stand in a doorway with your forearm on the frame and your elbow at shoulder height. Step through with the same-side foot and turn your chest away until you feel a stretch across the front of the shoulder. Keep your ribs down.

Dose: 30-second hold, 2-3 sets per side.

Chin tucks

Sit or stand tall and draw your chin straight back, not down. Hold 5 seconds and release. In a trial of adolescents with neck pain who used computers at least three hours a day, four weeks of chin-tuck-style deep neck flexor training alone did not change forward head posture, though neck disability improved.¹⁵ Use chin tucks as a reminder and a warm-up, and let the strength work drive change.

Dose: 10 reps of 5 seconds; also during desk breaks.

Thoracic extensions over a foam roller

Lie with a foam roller across your mid-back and your hands supporting your head. Extend gently backward over it without flaring your ribs, then move it up a segment.

Dose: 10 reps across 3-4 segments, 2 sets.

Half-kneeling hip flexor stretch

Kneel on one knee with the other foot forward. Tuck your pelvis by squeezing the back glute, then shift your hips forward until you feel it at the front of the hip.

Dose: 30-45 seconds per side, 2-3 sets.

The 4-minute desk break

Chin tucks, the doorway stretch and the hip flexor stretch fit in any office in under 4 minutes. Do them two or three times a workday to break up long sitting.

How long does it take to fix rounded shoulders?

Plan on about eight weeks of three sessions a week for a measurable change, and longer to lock it in. Some four-week programs moved shoulder angles, but most trials that changed posture ran eight weeks or more, and an exploratory analysis in a 2026 meta-analysis suggested programs of at least eight weeks may work better.

Study	Who	Program	Length	What changed
Nitayarak 202114	39 women, 18-25, upper crossed syndrome	Elastic-band scapular stabilisation	4 weeks	Neck and shoulder angles, pec minor length and strength improved
Sikka 202015	30 adolescents with neck pain, regular computer users	Deep neck flexor training only	4 weeks	No significant change in forward head posture
Gunaydin 202216	39 desk workers with rounded shoulders	Home exercise program	4 weeks	Rounded-shoulder measures improved within groups; taping added nothing
Heydari 202210	103 boys, mean age about 12	Strengthening plus stretching	8 weeks	Craniovertebral angle 46.2° to 53.1°
Lynch 201017	28 college Division I swimmers	Strengthening and stretching	8 weeks	Forward head and forward shoulder position improved
Seidi 20202	24 men, 18-28, upper crossed syndrome	Comprehensive corrective program	8 weeks	Forward shoulder angle 54.4° to 45.5°; held 4 weeks after stopping
Ruivo 201718	130 adolescents, 15-17	Resistance and stretching in PE class	16 weeks	Neck and shoulder angles improved; shoulder pain unchanged
Ruivo 20163	Adolescents, 15-17	Resistance and stretching	32 weeks	Angles improved and held after 16 weeks off

The two Ruivo papers appear to report the same school program, measured at 16 and 32 weeks, so count them as one line of evidence.

The pattern is consistent. Strength-based programs of eight weeks or more changed posture in children, adolescents, students, athletes and adults. Xing and colleagues’ 2026 meta-analysis of ten trials in people with neck pain found that exercise improved the craniovertebral angle by about 3.4 degrees on average, and their exploratory analysis suggested larger effects for combined programs lasting at least eight weeks.¹⁹

The Seidi trial is a useful benchmark because it reports the numbers: in eight weeks, the forward head angle went from 46.7 to 39.5 degrees and the forward shoulder angle from 54.4 to 45.5 degrees, and both held after four weeks off.² Phil Page, the Janda-approach co-author, was one of its investigators.

What does the 8-week rounded-shoulder schedule look like?

The 8-week rounded-shoulder schedule: strengthen on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, warming up with the mobility routine. Do the mobility routine alone on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, and rest on Sunday. Weeks 1-4 use light bands or bodyweight; weeks 5-8 add weight or reps. Desk breaks run every workday.

Day	Weeks 1-4	Weeks 5-8	Time
Mon	Strength (light) + mobility warm-up	Strength (add load or reps) + warm-up	20 min
Tue	Mobility routine	Mobility routine	5-8 min
Wed	Strength (light) + mobility warm-up	Strength (add load or reps) + warm-up	20 min
Thu	Mobility routine	Mobility routine	5-8 min
Fri	Strength (light) + mobility warm-up	Strength (add load or reps) + warm-up	20 min
Sat	Mobility routine or rest	Mobility routine or rest	5-8 min
Sun	Rest	Rest	—

Checkpoints: repeat the side photo and wall test at the end of weeks 4 and 8.

After week 8: keep two or three strength sessions a week. No trial has tested a minimum maintenance dose, but this keeps the muscles working. If you track these sessions in SensAI, they sit on the same timeline the Coach uses when it builds next week’s program.

Do rounded shoulders cause neck pain?

Not reliably. In adults, people with neck pain tend to have a more forward head, but in adolescents there is no clear link, and a study that followed teenagers to age 22 found that slumped posture did not predict later neck pain. Fixing posture may help pain, but it is not a guaranteed cure.

A 2019 meta-analysis by Mahmoud and colleagues found that adults with neck pain had more forward head posture than adults without it, while adolescents showed no difference.²⁰ In Yip’s clinical study, a more forward head was linked to more neck disability, but not to pain intensity once age was taken into account.²¹

The strongest counter-evidence comes from the Raine Study in Western Australia. Researchers photographed 1,108 17-year-olds sitting and found no difference in neck pain or headaches between posture groups.²² When they followed 686 of them to age 22, slumped or forward-head sitting at 17 did not predict persistent neck pain. In young women it went with lower odds than upright sitting.²³ The authors, including senior author Leon Straker, PhD, a Curtin University physiotherapy professor, wrote that “the practice of generic public health messages to sit up straight to prevent neck pain needs rethinking.”

Exercise can still help. Pooled trials show moderate evidence that exercise programs for forward head posture reduce pain,⁵ and in the 2026 meta-analysis pain fell alongside the posture change.¹⁹ The likeliest reason is that stronger, better-used muscles help, whatever the photo shows. If neck pain is your main problem, start with the neck pain exercise guide. If the front of your shoulder hurts when you lift your arm, see the shoulder pain and rotator cuff guide.

I sit at a desk all day: what fixes rounded shoulders long term?

For desk workers, the long-term fix for rounded shoulders is strength training two or three times a week plus a better desk setup. Put the top of your screen at eye level, keep your elbows near 90 degrees and break up long sitting. Programs of eight and 32 weeks kept their gains four and sixteen weeks after training stopped.

Posture reflects the positions and loads your body sees most often. Twenty minutes of exercise three times a week is the intervention; the eight-plus hours at a desk are the dose you live in. In a four-week trial of desk workers with rounded shoulders, shoulder position improved over four weeks of a home exercise program (the trial had no no-exercise group), and adding kinesiology tape did nothing extra.¹⁶

The long trials are encouraging. Adolescents who trained for 32 weeks kept their posture gains after 16 weeks without training,³ and Seidi’s adults held theirs for four weeks.² Keep a maintenance dose anyway. Strength fades when you stop using it, and so will the position it supports.

For a broader flexibility base on rest days, the full-body stretching routine pairs well with this plan.

How can SensAI fit posture work into your training week?

SensAI’s Coach builds your weekly program from your SensAI sessions plus the workouts, heart rate and sleep it reads from Apple Health. Track your posture strength sessions in SensAI so they sit on that same timeline. Nothing SensAI reads describes your posture, so your photos and wall test are the progress check.

SensAI reads workouts, heart rate and sleep from Apple Health on your iPhone, including data that Garmin, Oura, WHOOP and other devices write there. Apple Watch is the only device that also shares HRV.²⁴ To set that up, follow the Help Center guide to connecting your wearable through Apple Health.

When the Coach builds next week’s program, it sees your SensAI sessions and your device workouts on one timeline. Sleep and overnight heart rate from your device shape how hard it asks you to push on a given day.²⁴ Track the strength sessions in SensAI so they sit on the same timeline as the rest of your training.

Nothing SensAI reads from Apple Health describes your posture, so the photos are your measurement. SensAI keeps the sessions you log next to the rest of your training, so your plan reflects what you actually did.

Rounded shoulders FAQ

Is it possible to fix rounded shoulders?

Yes, for postural rounding, which is the common kind. Exercise improved rounded shoulders, forward head posture and upper-back rounding in a 2024 meta-analysis.⁴ A rigid, structural curve needs a clinician’s assessment.

How long does it take to fix rounded shoulders?

Most trials that changed posture ran eight weeks or more, at about three sessions a week.¹⁰¹⁷² Some four-week programs helped,¹⁴ but plan on at least eight weeks.

Which exercises should I start with for rounded shoulders?

Strengthening exercises for the upper back and neck: prone Y-T-W raises, side-lying external rotation, band pull-aparts or rows, deep neck flexor holds and wall slides. EMG research favours side-lying and prone exercises for the lower and middle trapezius.¹³

Does stretching fix rounded shoulders?

Not on its own. Stretching alone did not change posture in a 2024 meta-analysis, while strengthening did.¹ Keep the pec doorway stretch for range of motion, but put the strength work first.

Can you fix rounded shoulders and forward head posture at the same time?

Yes. They usually come together, and the same plan addresses both. Programs that combined upper-back and neck work improved both the head and shoulder angles.²¹⁰

Do rounded shoulders come back if you stop exercising?

Not straight away. Gains held four weeks after an eight-week program and sixteen weeks after a 32-week program.²³ Two or three sessions a week is a reasonable maintenance dose.

What do rounded shoulders look like before and after exercise?

In measured terms, a few degrees. In Seidi’s 8-week trial the forward shoulder angle went from 54.4 to 45.5 degrees and the forward head angle from 46.7 to 39.5 degrees.² In Heydari’s trial the craniovertebral angle rose from 46.2 to 53.1 degrees.¹⁰ Your side photos at weeks 0, 4 and 8 are your own before-and-after record.

Do posture correctors or tape fix rounded shoulders?

Taping added nothing to exercise in a trial of desk workers with rounded shoulders.¹⁶ A brace or tape may remind you of your position, but the change comes from training the muscles.

When should I see a professional about rounded shoulders?

See one if you have pain that persists, numbness or tingling in your arms, a curve that will not straighten when you lie down, or a known spinal condition.

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References

Footnotes

1. Warneke K, Lohmann LH, Wilke J. “Effects of Stretching or Strengthening Exercise on Spinal and Lumbopelvic Posture: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis.” Sports Medicine - Open, 2024; 10(1):65. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38834878/ ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

2. Seidi F, Bayattork M, Minoonejad H, Andersen LL, Page P. “Comprehensive corrective exercise program improves alignment, muscle activation and movement pattern of men with upper crossed syndrome: randomized controlled trial.” Scientific Reports, 2020; 10(1):20688. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33244045/ ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸

3. Ruivo RM, Carita AI, Pezarat-Correia P. “The effects of training and detraining after an 8 month resistance and stretching training program on forward head and protracted shoulder postures in adolescents: Randomised controlled study.” Manual Therapy, 2016; 21:76-82. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26028408/ ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

4. Sepehri S, Sheikhhoseini R, Piri H, Sayyadi P. “The effect of various therapeutic exercises on forward head posture, rounded shoulder, and hyperkyphosis among people with upper crossed syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis.” BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, 2024; 25(1):105. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38302926/ ↩ ↩²

5. Sheikhhoseini R, Shahrbanian S, Sayyadi P, O’Sullivan K. “Effectiveness of Therapeutic Exercise on Forward Head Posture: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.” Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, 2018; 41(6):530-539. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30107937/ ↩ ↩²

6. Janda V. “Muscles and motor control in cervicogenic disorders: assessment and management.” In: Grant R, ed. Physical Therapy of the Cervical and Thoracic Spine. 2nd ed. Churchill Livingstone, 1994:195-216. ↩

7. Page P, Frank CC, Lardner R. Assessment and Treatment of Muscle Imbalance: The Janda Approach. Human Kinetics, 2010. ↩

8. Weon JH, Oh JS, Cynn HS, Kim YW, Kwon OY, Yi CH. “Influence of forward head posture on scapular upward rotators during isometric shoulder flexion.” Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, 2010; 14(4):367-374. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20850044/ ↩

9. Hansraj KK. “Assessment of stresses in the cervical spine caused by posture and position of the head.” Surgical Technology International, 2014; 25:277-279. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25393825/ ↩

10. Heydari Z, Sheikhhoseini R, Shahrbanian S, Piri H. “Establishing minimal clinically important difference for effectiveness of corrective exercises on craniovertebral and shoulder angles among students with forward head posture: a clinical trial study.” BMC Pediatrics, 2022; 22(1):230. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35477430/ ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

11. Warneke K, Thomas E, Blazevich AJ, Afonso J, Behm DG, Marchetti PH, et al. “Practical recommendations on stretching exercise: A Delphi consensus statement of international research experts.” Journal of Sport and Health Science, 2025; 14:101067. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40513717/ ↩

12. Borstad JD, Ludewig PM. “Comparison of three stretches for the pectoralis minor muscle.” Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery, 2006; 15(3):324-330. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16679233/ ↩

13. Cools AM, Dewitte V, Lanszweert F, Notebaert D, Roets A, Soetens B, Cagnie B, Witvrouw EE. “Rehabilitation of scapular muscle balance: which exercises to prescribe?” American Journal of Sports Medicine, 2007; 35(10):1744-1751. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17606671/ ↩ ↩² ↩³

14. Nitayarak H, Charntaraviroj P. “Effects of scapular stabilization exercises on posture and muscle imbalances in women with upper crossed syndrome: A randomized controlled trial.” Journal of Back and Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation, 2021; 34(6):1031-1040. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34151819/ ↩ ↩² ↩³

15. Sikka I, Chawla C, Seth S, Alghadir AH, Khan M. “Effects of Deep Cervical Flexor Training on Forward Head Posture, Neck Pain, and Functional Status in Adolescents Using Computer Regularly.” BioMed Research International, 2020; 2020:8327565. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33083487/ ↩ ↩²

16. Gunaydin OE, Ertekin E, Gunaydin G. “Four weeks of exercise regimen for sedentary workers with rounded shoulder posture: a randomized controlled study.” São Paulo Medical Journal, 2022; 141(3):e2022257. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36102464/ ↩ ↩² ↩³

17. Lynch SS, Thigpen CA, Mihalik JP, Prentice WE, Padua D. “The effects of an exercise intervention on forward head and rounded shoulder postures in elite swimmers.” British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2010; 44(5):376-381. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20371564/ ↩ ↩²

18. Ruivo RM, Pezarat-Correia P, Carita AI. “Effects of a Resistance and Stretching Training Program on Forward Head and Protracted Shoulder Posture in Adolescents.” Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, 2017; 40(1):1-10. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27842938/ ↩

19. Xing Y, Wang R, Zhao X, Xu A. “Therapeutic Exercise for Forward Head Posture in Neck Pain Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” Journal of Pain Research, 2026; 19:614524. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42445930/ ↩ ↩²

20. Mahmoud NF, Hassan KA, Abdelmajeed SF, Moustafa IM, Silva AG. “The Relationship Between Forward Head Posture and Neck Pain: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” Current Reviews in Musculoskeletal Medicine, 2019; 12(4):562-577. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31773477/ ↩

21. Yip CH, Chiu TT, Poon AT. “The relationship between head posture and severity and disability of patients with neck pain.” Manual Therapy, 2008; 13(2):148-154. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17368075/ ↩

22. Richards KV, Beales DJ, Smith AJ, O’Sullivan PB, Straker LM. “Neck Posture Clusters and Their Association With Biopsychosocial Factors and Neck Pain in Australian Adolescents.” Physical Therapy, 2016; 96(10):1576-1587. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27174256/ ↩

23. Richards KV, Beales DJ, Smith AL, O’Sullivan PB, Straker LM. “Is Neck Posture Subgroup in Late Adolescence a Risk Factor for Persistent Neck Pain in Young Adults? A Prospective Study.” Physical Therapy, 2021; 101(3):pzab007. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33444448/ ↩

24. SensAI Help Center. “How to Connect Garmin, Oura, WHOOP, Strava, or Any Wearable to SensAI Through Apple Health.” Last updated September 25, 2026. https://www.sensai.fit/help/connect-wearable-to-sensai-apple-health ↩ ↩²