Posture & ChestBeginner
Wall slides
Retrains your shoulders and upper back to sit tall instead of rounding forward.
- Primary muscles
- Serratus anterior
- Suggested target
- 3 sets × 10 reps
- Difficulty
- Beginner
Why it helps
Hours at a desk teach your shoulders to round forward and stay there. This retrains them to sit back and up, so standing tall stops taking effort.
How to do it
- 1Stand with your back against a wall, feet a few inches out.
- 2Press your lower back, upper back, and head to the wall.
- 3Put your arms up in a "goalpost" shape, backs of your hands on the wall.
- 4Slide your arms up and down slowly, keeping contact with the wall.
Muscles worked
Primary
- Serratus anterior
Stabilizers
- Lower trapezius
- Middle trapezius
- Rotator cuff
- Transverse abdominis
- External oblique
- Erector spinae
Beginner notes
If your hands won't reach the wall, only go as far as you can without arching your back.
Common mistakes
- Lower back arching off the wall.
- Shrugging the shoulders.
- Rushing the movement.
Progression
Hold the top position for 2–3 seconds, or add reps as your mobility improves.
Safety
This should feel like a gentle stretch, never a pinch; stop if you feel impingement.