Exercises for all the homies who want to have a long career drawing.
The true problem with being an artist and drawing all day (as I wanted my whole life) is that human backs are not designed to hold that position, so it is very common for artists and designers to have really stiff shoulder blades, creating a chain of muscle strain towards the arm AND the back… and a lot of pain.
These are some physical exercises for artists and honestly anyone who works at a desk.
(all credit to my physiotherapist)
Can confirm these are great strengthening exercises for most people!
Friendly reminder though that if at any point something stings/burns or you feel your muscles tightening up into a spasm, please stop! Your nerves could be really irritated if you’re in poor condition, and that pain is your body saying “hey, you’re making things worse!”.
If this happens, dial it back. Do it just a few times a day. Maybe each rep is only a few to start with. Maybe lower your arms only halfway down before resting. Your goal is to push yourself a bit out of your comfort zone (mild aching and soreness is fine), but not to the point of triggering the pain > spasm > injury > pain loop. For reference, after years of ignoring my pain–I had to do little baby slides with my hands up the wall just once, twice a day, for a few weeks. Sometimes your issue isn’t weak muscles, it’s tight muscles, and stretching or nerve gliding is actually what you need. (Slow, gentle movements will help your muscles relax too!)
When in doubt, try and see an occupational therapist specifically! They can help in identifying what’s weak muscle, tight muscle, nerve compression, etc. and those all require a bit different treatment.
