Today's gift: I'm trying to figure out how to effectively go about fixing my impending hump-backed wretchedness. The two biggest problem areas for people are: (1) maintaining good posture during the many hours of being seated and (2) dealing with the muscle pain of trying to correct poor posture.
Proper Sitting
- Good posture is the same seated or standing. Keep ears, shoulders & hips in line
- If your seat has no back this is easy, just keep the same form as when standing, comfortable and not rigid
- If your seat does have a back then use it! Move your hips until they meet the back of the seat. Otherwise your lower back is unsupported
- When seated you'll be leaning back and you need lumbar support. This is to maintain the curve in the small of your back. If this curve gets out of whack, the rest of your spine will compensate in a bad way
- Most chairs and couches don't have this support, so people slide down and slump. Quasimodo is not far off... so shove a throw pillow back there. I recommend getting a microbead pillow - they're extremely adjustable and you can get them for $10-$12
- Don't roll your shoulders and upper back forward. Remember that your shoulders should be over the top your hips, not the back of your butt. If you look like you're showing off your chest, you're doing it wrong
- Keep your head back - ears over shoulders. If needed, get another pillow to support your neck
- This works reclined, too!! This important thing is to simply keep yourself aligned
It's also important to note that the way you sleep has a lot to do with your posture. Think about it - your spine stays in that position for hours on end. It's bound to pick up some bad habits! Experts say to sleep on your back using a firm mattress and a pillow that supports your neck, while allowing your head to stay back. Guess I'll have to kick the habit of sleeping on my stomach in the shape of some illegible Mandarin character.
Now that the concept of good posture is established, if you are serious about improving it you need to know two main things. First, there will be discomfort and pain. Second, it will take some time before maintaining good posture feels natural. Depending on how much correction your spine needs, it could take 6-12 months. Just remember - you didn't develop your bad posture overnight. You won't fix it that fast either.
Most of us don't quite look like we should be swinging from a bell tower. But that is the direction we're headed. The problem is that transitioning to good posture physically hurts. Imagine how much it would hurt for that Hunchback to stand straight. Well that's essentially what happens when we try to correct our posture - only on a smaller scale. Here's why:
Muscles work by contracting. Poor posture results from a lack of use and strength in the core & stabilizer muscles attached to the spine; they have usually given way to gravity. Over time, muscle memory develops. This means they will grow accustomed to a particular shape in the body - the muscles in the front of your torso will be shorter, the ones in your back stretched out and longer. This keeps you standing and looking the way you do. Here's a video that explains it very well:
Dealing with the Pain of Good Posture
Most of us don't quite look like we should be swinging from a bell tower. But that is the direction we're headed. The problem is that transitioning to good posture physically hurts. Imagine how much it would hurt for that Hunchback to stand straight. Well that's essentially what happens when we try to correct our posture - only on a smaller scale. Here's why:
Muscles work by contracting. Poor posture results from a lack of use and strength in the core & stabilizer muscles attached to the spine; they have usually given way to gravity. Over time, muscle memory develops. This means they will grow accustomed to a particular shape in the body - the muscles in the front of your torso will be shorter, the ones in your back stretched out and longer. This keeps you standing and looking the way you do. Here's a video that explains it very well:
In short, when fixing your posture a whole bunch of little muscles you forgot about are going to hurt because they aren't strong. The most efficient way to strengthen them is to put them to work. Thus began my search for exercises. What we need to do is focus on strengthening core and stabilizer muscles. Once you get a base on this, keeping proper form when doing other exercises such as running or weightlifting will exponentially increase the rate at which you gain this core strength. But where do we start?
Men: Be warned - as it turns out the most effective exercises are contained within a few disciplines that are usually considered more effeminate. These include yoga, pilates, and ballet - just to name a few. While the basic exercises listed below are great, these programs combine them in extremely effective ways. I think it may be best to bite the bullet here and man up. Looks like I'll soon be embarking on a whole new adventure. More on that later.
Men: Be warned - as it turns out the most effective exercises are contained within a few disciplines that are usually considered more effeminate. These include yoga, pilates, and ballet - just to name a few. While the basic exercises listed below are great, these programs combine them in extremely effective ways. I think it may be best to bite the bullet here and man up. Looks like I'll soon be embarking on a whole new adventure. More on that later.
Exercises
Focus: Core
- Basic Crunches (rectus abdominals)
- Crunches with twist (abs, obliques)
- Plank hold (transverse abdominals)
- Side Plank (obliques)
- Standing Side Bends (obliques)
- Back Extensions (lower back)
Focus: Upper Back/Shoulders
- Reverse Dumbbell Flys (upper back)
- Reverse Plank (back, shoulders, triceps, core)
- Dumbbell Shrugs (upper back, shoulders, neck)
- Back Rows (upper back, shoulders)
Focus: Hips
- Bridges (hamstrings, glutes, abs) Note, this looks simultaneously hilarious and awkward. Please use discretion
- Leg Curls (hamstrings)
- Single Leg Hamstring Flexion with Ball (hamstrings, glutes)
- Squats (quads, hamstring, glutes)
Focus: Neck
While you are working on strengthening these muscles, remember to be stretching the tight muscles on the front of your torso. Combine these exercises with the rest of your workout (while maintaining proper form) and keep at it. Eventually great posture will be yours.
So what do you say - are you in?
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