Proper Posture

[kharneth]

Hey,

Not sure if this is the right place for this, but I'm looking for some advice on helping to correct my posture.

Despite being thin, my belly sticks out particularly at the lower end of my abs. It's not because of fat or muscle, but the spine. In addition, my shoulders round forward some.

I'm wondering what exactly needs to be done to correct this. Is it a muscular imbalance that needs to be addressed through weigh lifting/stretching? Is it a matter of standing and sitting with proper posture at a near-constant basis until it becomes second-nature? Should I consult a chiropractor? And if I do see a chiropractor, would that only be a temporary fix if I don't address the underlying/habitual causes of this?

I'm sure it's from spending too much time sitting, since I spent most of my childhood in classrooms and then at home watching TV and playing video games, and as an adult I work in an office. Through yoga, meditation, and weight lifting I've been able to improve my posture somewhat, but I'm hoping to get a much better handle on it this year. Ideally, I'd like to be able to stand and sit with correct posture without having to intentionally hold my body in a corrected state.

If photos are necessary I can come back with some or post some in my body space.

Thanks!

[pandaboy89]

Chest out chin up

[kharneth]

Chest out chin up

Yeah, I do my best while sitting in the office to make sure my chest is out and I'm not slacking forward.

[SuffolkPunch]

Chest out chin up

Are you saying this is the solution or the problem. I assume the latter...

I would say push your lower back into the chair when seated. Shoulders pulled back and head pulled back while looking forward but not tilted to look up.

[kharneth]

Are you saying this is the solution or the problem. I assume the latter...

I would say push your lower back into the chair when seated. Shoulders pulled back and head pulled back while looking forward but not tilted to look up.

Thanks, yeah I've been doing that as much as possible while at work and driving in the car. I'm not sure if it has made a difference. Is proper posture something people put attention to constantly or should it be naturally occurring without thinking about it?

[SuffolkPunch]

The resting tension in each muscle determines posture. This can be retrained by persistently holding a posture over time. By the way there is no such thing as perfect posture - but some postures (like APT) are more likely to lead to back pain and issues IMO.

Balanced training helps too - equal volume given to opposing muscle groups. Working an entire ROM for all muscle. So if you do an exercises that does not articulate a muscle through full ROM, it's a good idea to add an isolation. E.g. deadlift is like this - so adding hamstring curls and hip abductions helps.

[kharneth]

Thanks.

As I understand it, my mid-back is weak and my chest is tight. So I've been working to increase chest and shoulder flexibility. I'm also hoping to strengthen my back and am sort of intending to restrict my bench press progress if my bent-row progress can't keep up. Although I'm not sure if that's the proper idea and my ego probably won't even allow it haha. I'm hoping to add an accessory lift after my workouts to strengthen the lower-trap (a reverse fly variant).

I know my glutes are somewhat weak and my hips are tight. Then, I've got some other weak muscles in my hips, like hip flexors or ab/adductors, not entirely sure.

I guess I'll keep at it. I've been focusing on standing and sitting with better posture, it just doesn't feel like it's enough to result in passive/resting tension balance. I've definitely noticed some improvement from yoga over the last few months, so perhaps by the summer I'll have a more balanced posture without having to focus so much on it.

Do you think it's worth consulting a chiropractor?

[Y2G023]

Head tilted upwards at 35-45 degree angle with your shoulders rolled back is the stance that biologically exudes confidence.

[DrumsNotDead]

there is no such thing as perfect posture