“Shoulders back and down.”

How many times have you heard that? Maybe it was your mom, your yoga instructor, maybe even a healthcare provider.

It’s the gold standard of “good posture,” right?

Here’s what I see in my physiotherapy practice: patients who are doing exactly what they’ve been told—pulling their shoulders back, sitting up straight—and wondering why they’re MORE tense, MORE tired, and their neck hurts MORE than ever.

You’re not failing at good posture. The advice itself is the problem.

Why “Shoulders Back and Down” Backfires

When you pull your shoulders back and down, three things happen that actually make your body work harder, not easier:

👉 Your neck gets compressed. There are a number of muscles from the shoulder that attach to the neck. Pulling the shoulder blades can actually add increased strain on the joints of the spine, creating the very tension you’re trying to avoid.

👉 Your rib cage shifts. Your rib cage will naturally tilt when you pull your shoulders back and down which changes the position of your diaphragm—your primary breathing muscle—making it harder for it to work efficiently.

👉 Your deep stabilizers shut off. With the change in your rib cage, deep stabilizing muscles of your torso have a hard time working properly requiring you to use surface muscles to hold your position. That’s why “good posture” feels exhausting.

You’ve been stuck in a pattern that’s working against your body, not with it.

The Real Answer: Do the opposite

Rather than pulling your shoulders back and down, let the ends of your shoulders lift up ever so slightly. Picture yourself as a marionette with strings attached to your shoulders raising them up ever so slightly.

Try it right now. Then take a full breath. Notice how much easier that is?

It will feel different. It will feel weird. But your neck will feel better.

Posture Fatigue is Real

When we feel ourselves slouching, that’s our cue that our body needs to move. Think about your body needing a reset. Your body is designed to move, shift, and adapt—not hold a single “correct” position all day.

If you’ve been fighting your posture for years—tensing up through the day and ending up with a tight neck and shoulders—it’s time to get unstuck from the old advice.

Ready to Get Unstuck?

If you’re dealing with:

Exhausting “good posture” that never feels sustainable
Constant neck and shoulder tension
Catching yourself holding your breath at your desk
Doing all the “right” things but still feeling stuck in tension

…it might be time for a fresh perspective on what your body actually needs.

At BodySolve Physiotherapy in Vernon, BC, I help active adults figure out why their body feels stuck—and create personalized solutions to get them moving freely again. A posture and movement assessment can identify the specific patterns keeping you tense and exhausted, so we can work with your body instead of against it.

Ready to move better? Book an assessment online or call/text (778) 506-2277.

“Shoulders Back and Down” Makes Neck Pain Worse – Here’s Why