MAINTAINING GOOD POSTURE
I would like you to remember that EVERY BODY is DIFFERENT, and there is no ONE IDEAL POSTURE we should aim for, the same with a range of motion. Keep that in mind when doing my POSTURE PROGRAM – always listen to your body and don’t try to be perfect. All this doesn’t mean that you cannot differentiate between a bad and a good posture. There is no doubt that a poor posture has a negative impact on a person’s life. I am not only talking about looking unattractive and self-doubting. Poor posture can deteriorate your health, causing pain and injuries.
This is why maintaining GOOD POSTURE is essential for EVERYONE. However, being rigid and trying to keep a “healthy posture” without being able to breathe is not the way. If you want to correct your POSTURE correctly, you should be aware of the following three factors:
Maintaining Good Posture With Daily Habits
In order to fix something, you need to find its source
If you want to correct your posture, ask yourself how you developed the wrong posture in the first place. Your daily habits are crucial here. But also your emotions. This is why a key to maintaining good posture is not only exercising but also, and most importantly, practicing a good posture in daily life. These are some of the examples of how to do that.
Adjust your environment
- sit at your work properly – adjust the computer level,
- read a book in a proper way,
- look at your phone in a proper way,
- correct sitting posture while driving,
- clean the dishes without overstressing your back,
- sleep comfortably.
Notice emotions connected with your posture
Notice what emotions trigger a bad posture (f.ex. facing other people, public performances, tiredness, etc.)
Correct your posture whenever possible
This means, don’t let your emotions win over your posture. Even if you don’t feel confident inside, stay confident outside. Treat it as a game and self-development.
Posture Self-Assessment
What I want you to do is to go to the mirror – the bigger it is, the better – and look at yourself for a couple of minutes.
ASSESS YOUR POSTURE FROM FRONT
- Check the position of your neck,
- Check if your shoulders are even if your nipples are even.
- Put your hand into your waist. If you press down, you will feel the bones. Now check if your hands are at the same level.
- Look at your knees.
IDEAL POSTURE (Front View)
RESULTS
- If one side is uneven, you may have slight scoliosis, and you need to focus on exercises elongating your spine.
- Maybe one side is overworked. For example, you always carry your bag on this side or sit in a certain uneven way, or your work is overstressing one side. Whatever it is, notice that and try to engage the weaker side – f.ex, by carrying the bag also on the other side. Make twice more reps on a weak side when exercising. If your left side is weak, do 5 reps on the left side, 5 on the right side, and again 5 on the left.
ASSESS YOUR POSTURE FROM THE SIDE
Now let’s turn sideways to the mirror. Ask yourself, do I have:
- Rounded shoulders
- Head tilted forward
- Flat pelvis (posterior pelvic tilt)
- or Hollow pelvis (anterior pelvic tilt)
Examples Of Bad Posture
Remember, each body is different, and we are born with some posture and mobility predispositions. But, our behavior defines how we look as adults.
Pelvis position: Anterior pelvic tilt (with booty) or Posterior pelvic tilt (without booty)
Shoulder position: Rounded Thoracic Spine = Rounded Shoulders (shoulder protraction) = Nerd Neck (hyperlordosis in the cervical spine)
Weak and Overstressed Muscles + Lack of Mobility = POOR POSTURE and Pain
TEST YOUR MOBILITY and STRENGTH
Both locked-short (tight) and locked-long (weak) muscles lose their ability to contract properly and become weak, undernourished and eventually painful. Knowing which muscles need to be stretched and which strengthened is a key to improve your POSTURE.
WHICH MOBILITY TESTS SHOULD I DO?
for ROUNDED SHOULDERS (causes Thoracic Pain)
- HUMAN BODY TEST Mobility 1 Shoulders & Thoracic Spine
for ANTERIOR PELVIC TILT (causes Thoracic Pain)
- Test Iliopsoas Flexibility – HUMAN BODY TEST Hip Mobility
- Test Glutes Strength
for POSTERIOR PELVIC TILT (causes Lower Back Pain)
- Test Hamstring Flexibility – HUMAN BODY TEST Mobility 2,3
- Test Quadriceps Flexibility – HUMAN BODY TEST Mobility 2
HOW TO TEST MY STRENGTH?
TEST STRENGTH of the following MUSCLES:
- Glutes
- Abdomens
- Back mm.
- Iliopsoas
If you have poor posture these muscles might be weak or/and overstressed.
POSTURAL EXERCISES you should be able to do:
- Reverse Plank Bridge
- Glute Bridges
- Push Ups
- Lying Straight Leg Raises
- Standing knee up
- Dragon Flag Exercise* advanced
Maintaining Good Posture With Workouts
Before strengthening weak muscles, we need to stretch tight muscles. The good way also is to stretch and strengthen at the same time
A minor revision of the above. Immediately stretching an already pulled and stressed muscle is not the best idea. It makes much more sense to gently contract it first to increase the blood flow to the area, then relax it and only then try to loosen it up. This is why it is good to start the workout with warm-up and conditioning exercises that increase the blood flow in both weak and overstressed muscles.
ROUNDED SHOULDERS
PELVIC TILT
Anterior tilt – occurs when the pelvis dips forward. It creates a strong pull on the psoas.
STRETCH: Iliopsoas
STRENGTHEN: Glutes, Abs, Hamstrings
Best Article On How To Fix Anterior Pelvic Tilt
Read this article to learn more about Anterior Pelvic Tilt and How to fix it effectively
Posterior tilt – hamstring get short and tight, the ass is sinking down and disappearing.
STRETCH: Abdominals, Hamstrings, Gluteal group
STRENGTHEN: Hip flexor group – Iliopsoas, Lumbar spine erector group
MOBILISE SPINE: nerve mobilisation exercise
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