Should I Pull My Shoulders Back? Why You Should Stop Pulling Your Shoulder Blades Down

“Pull your shoulders back and down”. “Anchor your shoulder blades down”. “Keep your shoulders away from your ears.” If you regularly attend Pilates classes then you’ll know these phrases well because they are all popular cues in Pilates.

And they’re all well-intentioned. They’re designed to correct postural issues that result from our modern lifestyles. Issues like a hunched upper body, tight chest and tense shoulders.

But the truth is, these instructions rarely produce the desired result. In fact, telling people to pull their shoulders down and back only creates more tension and restrictions.

We don’t want you to dismiss these corrections for no good reason, though. So here are the anatomical reasons why we should give these cues a miss – along with what you should do for your posture instead.

Key Takeaways

• Your shoulder blades are designed to move, not stay fixed. Healthy shoulders rely on the shoulder blades gliding freely across the rib cage to provide both stability and mobility throughout arm movements.
• Constantly pulling your shoulders 'back and down' can do more harm than good. Holding this position creates unnecessary tension, restricts natural shoulder movement and can alter normal movement patterns over time.
• Good shoulder function depends on dynamic stability. Rather than forcing the shoulder blades into one position, Pilates teaches them to move efficiently with the arms and trunk, improving posture and reducing unnecessary strain.
• Free-moving shoulder blades help your whole body move better. Many Pilates exercises, from Roll Down to overhead arm work, require the shoulder blades to glide naturally to allow smooth spinal and shoulder movement.
• Small changes in movement awareness can make a big difference. Learning to let your shoulder blades "float" on the rib cage rather than gripping them in place can improve comfort, movement quality and long-term shoulder health.

Shoulder blades - The Technical Bit:

Your shoulder blades are two bones that make up part of the shoulder girdle. This structure is attached to the muscles of the neck and rests on the rib cage.

The shoulder blades themselves are two flat, triangular bones that float on top of the rib cage. They attach to the upper arm bone (humerus) through a ball and socket joint.

Interestingly, the only “true” joint between the entire shoulder girdle, shoulder joint and the rest of the skeleton is where the collar bone joins the breast bone. This means that only muscles and ligaments hold each shoulder blade in place.

These factors are what allow the shoulder joint to be so mobile. It’s also what makes this area so vulnerable to injury.

What Do The Shoulder Blades Do?

The main functions of the shoulder blades include stabilising the arm and providing movement at the shoulder.

Of course, the latter doesn’t happen without support from the surrounding structures. In fact, the coordinated motion between the scapula and the head of the humerus is essential for movement. It’s so important there’s even a name for it: the scapulohumeral rhythm.

At the same time as facilitating movement, the scapula is also responsible for anchoring the arm to the trunk.

This is why dynamic stability of the scapula is needed. So, rather than fixing them in place by forcing them down, we need to be encouraging our shoulders to be stable yet still mobile.

Should I Pull My Shoulders Back - The Problems with Forcing Our Shoulders Back and Down

Contracting any muscle all of the time is a bad idea. The same is true in this instance; there are negative side effects of constantly holding yourself in this way.

Firstly, keeping your shoulders in a fixed position is tiring! Doing so repeatedly makes muscles in the upper back tense and this creates pain and discomfort. Secondly, interfering in the normal function of the scapula disrupts the scapulohumeral rhythm. This then results in restricted movement at the shoulder joint.

For example, when the arms lift overhead the scapula need to be able to move freely around the ribcage. This is because they upwardly rotate to allow for this motion of the arms.

Keeping the shoulder blades down while the arms move up can prevent them from reaching that overhead position. This means that when the arms get to a certain point, the rest of the body has to compensate to achieve the action. Aside from being an inefficient way to move, over time this can lead to injuries.

Thirdly, pulling your shoulders back and down activates the muscles of the chest, back and shoulder. This restricts thoracic flexion – the rounding of the upper spine – which makes Pilates exercises like Roll Down impossible. Your shoulder blades need to move during this exercise to facilitate the rounding of the spine.

Finally, keeping your shoulders back and down repeatedly can leave you with depressed shoulders – shoulder fixed in that position –, which can cause longer-term movement restrictions.

Free Your Shoulder Blades

Those with more serious problems – like depressed shoulder blades – should definitely seek the advice of a health care professional. For those that don’t, visiting a highly-qualified Pilates instructor can still be great idea. They can teach you how to properly execute exercises that involve movement at the shoulder. This will help protect your joints from wear and tear.

Related reading: Shoulder Exercises you can do at home

In the meantime, try this exercise to mobilise your scapula

• Starting position: Lie down on your back with your knees bent and hip-width apart. Arms down by your side.
• Next phase: Move your straight arms in an arc and stop when they are either side of your chest. Keep them here, separated the width of your body, with your palms facing each other.
• The exercise: Inhale to prepare. Exhale and allow your chest to soften as you reach the arms towards the ceiling. As you do so, your scapula will move around your ribcage. This is called scapula protraction.
• Next: On the exhale, bring your arms back towards you. Keep your arms straight and focus on bringing the scapula towards your spine at the back of your body. This is called scapula retraction.
• Repeat: Perform this protraction and retraction action several times.

Top Tips

In the retraction phase, avoid shrugging the shoulder blades by bringing them back and up. Instead, focus on the shoulder blades travelling directly backwards. Keep your neck relaxed throughout.

Imagery to help

Imagine your shoulder blades are bars of soap on a slippery surface. As you move, let them slide.

Imagine your shoulder blades are buoys on the surface of water. Let them float on the ribcage.

An alternative for your shoulders

As well as being helpful for this basic mobilisation drill, these images apply to most Pilates exercises.

Why not give them a go? Next time you’re in a class and are told to pull your shoulder blades down, use these images instead and let them glide. In the long term this will help to keep your shoulders healthy and pain-free.

If you want to talk about this more or are struggling with neck or shoulder pain, why not get in touch or book our new client offer today

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Conclusion

The idea of keeping your shoulders "back and down" has become one of the most common posture cues, but it isn't always the best advice. Healthy shoulders need movement as much as they need stability. By allowing your shoulder blades to glide naturally with the arms and rib cage, you can reduce unnecessary tension, improve movement efficiency and help protect your shoulders from overload. Pilates provides an excellent way to develop this awareness, helping you move with greater ease both in the studio and in everyday life.

Feeling Inspired?

If you want to experience the Complete difference and discover the benefits of one-to-one or small group Pilates, book a session at one of our London or Norfolk studios today. Not able to make it to one of our studios? We've got online options to suit you anywhere, anytime. 

Our physiotherapist-led Pilates studio in Chelsea, our Angel Pilates studio, our Pilates studio in City, and our Norfolk Pilates studio in East Anglia, offer a highly tailored approach to your Pilates training. Whether your goal is to manage a health condition, rehabilitate from an injury or to improve your strength and fitness, Complete Pilates is the studio for you. 

Education is Key

These blogs are designed to give information to everyone, however, it is important to remember that everyone is different! If you have not seen one of our therapists and have any questions about injuries, what you have read or whether this may be useful to you, please just ask. We are more than happy to help anyone and point you in the right direction. Our biggest belief is that education is key. The more you understand about your injury, illness and movement, the more you are likely to improve.

If you are not sure whether this is for you, simply get in touch. We are here to help!

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