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Published: 5/19/2025💡 Tips|🏋 Fitness|🤸 Training plans
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3 exercises to fix dowager's hump
Do you have a curve in the neck area, near the base of the neck? Find out which exercises for dowager's hump are worth doing to tackle this deformity. Although they are not complex, they yield good results. Done regularly, they can help you reduce and even get rid of your dowager's hump.
In this article:
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A dowager's hump is a thickening in the C7-Th1 vertebral region resulting from atypical spinal curvature.
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Most common causes: sedentary lifestyle, phone use, lack of physical activity, degenerative changes.
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Recommended exercises include: stretching exercises (e.g. yoga), aerobic training (swimming, cycling), functional and strengthening techniques (hip bridges shoulder raises).
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Examples of three recommended exercises: hip bridges, knee push-ups, shoulder raises with weights.
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Yoga for dowager's hump combines stretching and strengthening techniques.
Short summary:
How does the dowager's hump form?
The dowager's hump is a thickening that develops where the neck and back meet, more specifically around the C7-Th1 vertebra. This is an outdated term referring to the posture and appearance of widows who, having lost their husbands, would adopt in mourning a closed posture, leaning their shoulders heavily and hunching forward. In the 21st century, we know that such deformity has nothing to do with one's marital status, but is a consequence of atypical curvature of the spine in the thoracic and cervical sections.
The most common causes of dowager's hump include:
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Sedentary lifestyle - promoting poor posture.
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Frequent use of a mobile phone - causing the head to be pushed forward and increasing tension in this area. It overloads the cervical region, causing the fatty tissue to accumulate near the neck.
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Physical inactivity - muscles that are not exercised become weaker, making it more difficult to keep the desired posture.
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Degenerative changes - are associated with deformities in the cervicothoracic region of the spine.
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What exercises for dowager's hump should you do?
Wondering what exercises for dowager's hump will help you correct it? Activities that increase movement in the neck and thoracic area will be the best choice. Techniques that improve the strength of weakened body parts and the functioning of the diaphragm are equally effective.
Experts mention the following among the recommended exercises for dowager's hump:
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Stretching exercises - such as yoga for dowager's hump. Especially the child's, cat and cobra poses. These exercises increase the flexibility of the back, neck and chest; they relax tense areas and positively influence the range of movement.
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Aerobic workouts - swimming, cycling and even walking are also exercises for dowager's hump. Their greatest advantage is that they involve the entire body, not just selected parts.
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Functional techniques - systematic walking on all fours, workouts with a stability ball and planks translate into better fitness, mobility and balance.
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Strengthening techniques - hip bridges and shoulder raises improve posture. Just as importantly, they reduce uncomfortable tensions.
The way to tackle dowager's hump - 3 exercises
Don't wait until the problem exacerbates, and do the exercises that will help you tackle it. To begin with, you can do these 3 exercises for dowager's hump:
1. Hip bridge
Aims: to strengthen the back and buttocks, improve posture and increase pelvic stability.
Execution:
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Lay out an exercise mat on the floor.
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Lie on your back with your legs bent at the knees. Keep your feet at hip width.
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Lift the hips upwards, remembering to tense the glutes. Make sure that your knees are aligned with your shoulders.
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Hold the position for a few seconds.
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Slowly bring your hips down to the mat.
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Do 10-15 repetitions.
2. Knee push-up
Aims: to strengthen the muscles of the back, shoulders and also the glutes.
Execution:
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Kneel on the floor and support your bodyweight with your arms. Place your hands under your shoulders, slightly wider than shoulder-width. Leave your feet on the floor and make sure your elbows are not hyperextended.
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Bring your body down towards the floor by bending your elbows. Your chest should almost touch the ground. Ensure that your head and knees are aligned.
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Bring your body back up, straightening your arms.
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Do 15 repetitions.
3. Shoulder raises with weights
Aims: Strengthening the upper back and interscapular muscles, improving posture.
Execution:
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Sit or stand up straight, hold dumbbells or water bottles in your hands.
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Place your feet hip-width apart, bend your knees ever-so-slightly.
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Grab the weights with both hands and position them along your body.
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Raise your arms to the side, but do not bend your elbows. Your arms should remain parallel to the ground. Do not raise your arms higher than your shoulders.
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Pull the shoulder blades together. Then bring your arms down - slowly, not abruptly.
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Do 3 sets of 10-15 reps.
Try yoga for dowager's hump too
Other exercises? Yoga for dowager's hump, which blends stretching, strengthening and relaxation techniques. Many asanas help to improve posture and prevent hunching. By practising them, you stretch the spine and open up the chest. The warrior and plank poses activate back muscles, the cobra pose supports the shoulders and the child's pose relaxes a tense neck. Importantly, these are gentle exercises for dowager's hump - moves that put no strain on either the joints or the spine.
Effects of exercises for dowager's hump
The key to success is regularity. Exercises for dowager's hump bring the best results if you do them systematically. How often? If you have the opportunity, every day; in any other case, at least 3 times a week. When exercising, avoid rushing. Remember that your workouts are meant to be thorough, not necessarily fast. It is a good idea to consult a specialist - a physiotherapist or trainer. They will tell you which exercises for dowager's hump will be most beneficial for you.
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