I have a dowager's hump. Do you have any advice?

The severity of your hump will determine what exercise is most suitable. You need to address shoulder girdle control for posture, mobility of the shoulder girdle for stiffness, and strengthening the neck extensors to help hold the head upright.

When in bed, strengthen your neck muscles by lying face up and gently pressing your head back into the pillow. Hold for 10-30 seconds, and repeat eight to 10 times. Each morning, stand with your back against a wall and draw the shoulder blades down and back against the wall - if necessary, stand a little way from the wall to assist your stance.

For shoulder mobility, hold a belt in front of you at hip height, one hand on the buckle, the other a shoulder distance apart. Keep the arms straight, breathe in and lift the belt up over your head. Breathe out as the hands pass over and the arms extend back behind you. Breathe in and out, go back to start position and repeat six to eight times; if this is tight in the shoulders, place hands wider apart.

Maintaining core stability will reduce further slumping, but normal abdominal curls involving flexion of the spine are inadvisable. Instead, do this heel slide exercise: lie on your back, arms by your side, one leg stretched out, the other knee bent so the foot is flat on the floor. Keeping your hips still, relax the thigh, pull in your abdominal muscles, draw in the heel towards the other foot, then slowly extend it back along the floor.

Finally, avoid exercising while seated, because this can encourage further compression of the spine.

Joanna Hall is a fitness expert (joannahall.com). Send your exercise questions to Weekend, 119 Farringdon Road, London EC1R 3ER (weekend@theguardian.com).