B.A.S.S. – Balance. agility. strength. stretching

Bathroom B.A.S.S. Week 7 - The Slump Spiral

By Dr Kate Roberts

Do you want to reset the tension pattern that gradually pulls your head forward and your shoulders down?

Over the past few weeks, we’ve been building the B.A.S.S system from the ground up — looking at how posture, pressure, breathing, balance, and muscle control all work together.

Last week focused on the lower body crossed pattern around the hips and pelvis. This week, we move higher up the body, where many people develop a similar compensation pattern through the chest, neck, and shoulders — often called an upper crossed pattern.

This “slump spiral” usually builds slowly over time.

What Usually Starts Going Wrong

Long periods sitting, driving, scrolling, reading, or working at a computer can gradually tighten the muscles through the chest and upper neck. As this happens, the deeper stabilising muscles around the shoulder blades and neck often become less active and harder to recruit.

The result is a body that starts relying on tension instead of balanced support.

You may notice:

your chin drifting forward
rounded shoulders
tight chest muscles
neck pain or headaches
shoulders that feel heavy or tired by the end of the day

Why This Matters in Everyday Life

Your neck and shoulders help position your body for turning, reaching, carrying, walking, lifting, and breathing comfortably.

When the load is shared poorly, everyday movement becomes more tiring than it needs to be. Small posture habits repeated through the day gradually feed the slump spiral.

Often the first step is not “trying harder” to sit up straight.

The body may first need some tension released through the chest or upper neck so the stabilising muscles can start sharing the work again more naturally.

What To Do This Week

Check your posture when brushing your teeth or washing your hands
Gently open the chest instead of forcing the shoulders back
Lengthen the back of your neck as though someone is lifting you tall through the crown of your head
Keep breathing normally while you reset the position

Small resets repeated consistently through the day help interrupt the slump spiral before it becomes your default posture. Follow along with Anna-Louise with this weeks B.A.S.S. video for some great exercises to help. .

And remember, after you brush your teeth this week:
Open the chest. Lengthen the neck.