Boobs vs. Back, and the girls are winning. Boo!
September 7, 2023 10:10 AM Subscribe
I am very top heavy and it's worse now that I've gained 15 pounds. I've tried some upper back stretching poses but sometimes my chest gets in the way as I can't lay on my stomach well enough to get the right stretch. Are there any stretch routines that you recommend for large-chested people? I am in a lot of pain in my shoulders and between my shoulder blades.
Best answer: IANAD, I just have a lot of shoulder and neck pain.
If you don’t already have a foam roller, I would strongly recommend one; one of my
‘favorites’ (it helps a lot, but it’s not a fun time) is to lay on the ground on your back with the roller the long way, along the spine, which allows for focused arm and shoulder exercises and stretches.
And Dr. Jo, a PT with a pretty large library of exercises and stretches. She offers lots of variations and modifications that I hope you’ll find helpful. I use her videos on back, shoulder and neck stretches and exercises; she has a video with seated, rather than on back or side, shoulder stretches you might find helpful.
posted by queseyo at 10:42 AM on September 7, 2023 [2 favorites]
If you don’t already have a foam roller, I would strongly recommend one; one of my
‘favorites’ (it helps a lot, but it’s not a fun time) is to lay on the ground on your back with the roller the long way, along the spine, which allows for focused arm and shoulder exercises and stretches.
And Dr. Jo, a PT with a pretty large library of exercises and stretches. She offers lots of variations and modifications that I hope you’ll find helpful. I use her videos on back, shoulder and neck stretches and exercises; she has a video with seated, rather than on back or side, shoulder stretches you might find helpful.
posted by queseyo at 10:42 AM on September 7, 2023 [2 favorites]
Best answer: I’d guess you need strengthening of your back and shoulders as much (or more than) you need stretching (and then also stretching/opening for your pectorals). Pilates and yoga might be helpful.
I find that the targeted videos from Adriene are a pretty quick and low investment way to get started on what you need. You may need to modify some of the positions (I find child’s pose a bit hard) but the cat-cows and a lot of the twists may help. Planks/downward dog may help too. Most of the positions in that video are not on your stomach/chest.
If there’s a Pilates studio near you with reformer classes, a short series there might be useful too. The reformer can help with positions that are hard to get into on a mat.
posted by vunder at 11:15 AM on September 7, 2023 [3 favorites]
I find that the targeted videos from Adriene are a pretty quick and low investment way to get started on what you need. You may need to modify some of the positions (I find child’s pose a bit hard) but the cat-cows and a lot of the twists may help. Planks/downward dog may help too. Most of the positions in that video are not on your stomach/chest.
If there’s a Pilates studio near you with reformer classes, a short series there might be useful too. The reformer can help with positions that are hard to get into on a mat.
posted by vunder at 11:15 AM on September 7, 2023 [3 favorites]
Best answer: I like Adriene's "neck, shoulders and upper back" routine - I got quick, reliable relief from that when my back was very sore last year. It's mostly sitting up, I think. I usually search for like "upper back pain standing stretch" and get lots stretching guides from standing. My fave quick one is to stand straight backed, extend my arms in front, cross my wrists and clasp hands. then to push the clasped hands forward from your spine, stretching the muscles in charge of pulling your shoulder blades around. swap wrist twist and repeat. If this is the right area for you, "rhomboid stretch" is a good search term to find more.
What's helped the most long term is being more mindful about, and working on correcting my posture. Especially if you have a computer job or other crooked neck job! There's lots of good guides for starting to improve your posture and strengthen the muscles you need to hold better posture. I had a chronically very sore upper back, and it's been almost 100% better since I have been more correct with my posture consistently.
posted by euphoria066 at 12:08 PM on September 7, 2023 [1 favorite]
What's helped the most long term is being more mindful about, and working on correcting my posture. Especially if you have a computer job or other crooked neck job! There's lots of good guides for starting to improve your posture and strengthen the muscles you need to hold better posture. I had a chronically very sore upper back, and it's been almost 100% better since I have been more correct with my posture consistently.
posted by euphoria066 at 12:08 PM on September 7, 2023 [1 favorite]
Best answer: You might get a lot of relief from a “peanut” - stick two tennis balls in a sock and knot it so the balls sit next to one another. Put it on the floor and lie on it, on your back, so you have one ball either side of your spine, and roll up and down/lie still on it and breathe deeply/wriggle the balls into your knots. Works for my shoulders and upper back when they’re tight better than anything.
I think you can buy foam peanuts (named, obvs, because they’re shaped like peanuts in the shell), but the ball and sock version is just as good, if not better because there’s a little free movement between the balls.
posted by penguin pie at 1:27 PM on September 7, 2023
I think you can buy foam peanuts (named, obvs, because they’re shaped like peanuts in the shell), but the ball and sock version is just as good, if not better because there’s a little free movement between the balls.
posted by penguin pie at 1:27 PM on September 7, 2023
Best answer: Similar to penguin’s idea but a lacrosse ball works too. Put a la roses ball on the wall between your back and the wall and then move around on it for a self massage.
I can’t tell if your looking at the stretches as pain management or preventative. It’s going to do more for helping manage pain then mitigating it all together. Strength training whether Pilates or Yoga and their ilk that focus on core strength can really help. For what you’re describing if you want something you can do at home Kettlebells would probably work great. They do a lot of good in the areas you seem to be in pain and there’s a pretty vast array of exercises that could allow you to adjust if something is uncomfortable.
posted by bitdamaged at 2:38 PM on September 7, 2023
I can’t tell if your looking at the stretches as pain management or preventative. It’s going to do more for helping manage pain then mitigating it all together. Strength training whether Pilates or Yoga and their ilk that focus on core strength can really help. For what you’re describing if you want something you can do at home Kettlebells would probably work great. They do a lot of good in the areas you seem to be in pain and there’s a pretty vast array of exercises that could allow you to adjust if something is uncomfortable.
posted by bitdamaged at 2:38 PM on September 7, 2023
Best answer: You could try this 15 minute mobility follow-along workout video. No lying on your stomach required! I'm a huge fan of Tom Morrison's videos for stuff like this.
You might also want to test to see if your pectoral muscles are extra tight. Sometimes pain in the back of the body is due to tightness in the front of the body and vice versa.
posted by burntflowers at 2:52 PM on September 7, 2023 [1 favorite]
You might also want to test to see if your pectoral muscles are extra tight. Sometimes pain in the back of the body is due to tightness in the front of the body and vice versa.
posted by burntflowers at 2:52 PM on September 7, 2023 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I found exercise programs targeting postpartum people to be very big-boob aware, as many postpartum people are nursing and dealing with new-to-them-big-boobs.
I loved MommaStrong, which is $12/month and has both a new daily 15-minute exercise video and an extensive backlog of “fix me” exercise videos that target problem areas.
posted by samthemander at 9:42 PM on September 7, 2023
I loved MommaStrong, which is $12/month and has both a new daily 15-minute exercise video and an extensive backlog of “fix me” exercise videos that target problem areas.
posted by samthemander at 9:42 PM on September 7, 2023
Best answer: I don't know of any exercises but I have couple other tips as a woman with G cup breasts.
Have you had an updated bra fitting since gaining weight? A lot of my upper back pain went away after I got a properly-sized bra.
I've also found that sitting slightly reclined helps a lot because then the weight is being supported by gravity instead of by my muscles -- it's like the difference between having something heavy lying on top of you versus carrying something heavy around.
It doesn't take much tilt to have a big effect -- I'm not sure exactly how to describe it but basically lean backwards until you feel the weight of your breasts pushing into you instead of pulling away from you. Need to have a supportive bra on for this to work right or they just head for the armpits and keep pulling from a different direction. Should feel like a cat sitting on your chest once you're in the correct position.
posted by Jacqueline at 8:14 PM on September 8, 2023
Have you had an updated bra fitting since gaining weight? A lot of my upper back pain went away after I got a properly-sized bra.
I've also found that sitting slightly reclined helps a lot because then the weight is being supported by gravity instead of by my muscles -- it's like the difference between having something heavy lying on top of you versus carrying something heavy around.
It doesn't take much tilt to have a big effect -- I'm not sure exactly how to describe it but basically lean backwards until you feel the weight of your breasts pushing into you instead of pulling away from you. Need to have a supportive bra on for this to work right or they just head for the armpits and keep pulling from a different direction. Should feel like a cat sitting on your chest once you're in the correct position.
posted by Jacqueline at 8:14 PM on September 8, 2023
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Unlike apparently the entire rest of the medical establishment, I have personally experienced physical therapists to be ready and able to nonjudgmentally work with the actual body you have.
posted by phunniemee at 10:42 AM on September 7, 2023 [4 favorites]