Improving My Posture

Mim

Hey H/A!

So, I'm 22 (going on 23 in Feb) and my posture is horrible. I don't want to be 80 and walking around like an old Japanese lady whose head is close to her knees. I try to make the conscious effort to stand up straighter but hunching just feels sooo gooood. But I don't want to come off as a person with no self confidence. What can I do to improve my posture? I have access to a free gym till I turn 23, so I'm capable of doing exercises, but what can I do outside of the gym?

TL;DR - My posture sucks balls. And not well. How do I remedy this?

Delzhand

Maybe use an exercise ball instead of a chair? I've been thinking about trying it out, too. I'm in the same boat.

BoomShake

I've read the prolonged sitting on an exercise ball, as would be the case in an office environment, can really mess up your back, even more so if you have bad posture.

Instead, get a proper ergonomic chair. Take relatively frequent brakes to get up, walk around and stretch, increase circulation.

Usagi

Core exercises! Pilates-type movements really concentrate on strengthening your deep core muscles, including your central and oblique abs and those pesky lower back muscles

I had/have some pretty terrible posture that's influenced my lower back disc problems and I've had noticeable improvement in how I stand and move with incorporating them into a regular workout. You do have to be mindful about how you stand though, eventually it'll become reflex

Morgaine

In addition to pilates-type work, I'd recommend yoga. I too have issues w/ posture, but I've found that when I'm doing yoga consistently, it makes me more aware of my posture. Over time, yoga also just makes it *feels* better to sit/stand with correct posture.

Ferrus

Morgaine wrote: »

In addition to pilates-type work, I'd recommend yoga. I too have issues w/ posture, but I've found that when I'm doing yoga consistently, it makes me more aware of my posture. Over time, yoga also just makes it *feels* better to sit/stand with correct posture.

This. The basic yoga stuff can be done at home and really really helps with back problems in general. A single week of 2 hours of yoga a day improved my posture more than weeks and weeks of "normal" back training.

Mogs

I'm going to echo the suggestion of trying out yoga. I have been practicing yoga for about 5 years now, and am in the process of studying to become an instructor. If you're unfamiliar with yoga postures and movements, it might be helpful to take a class or two to get you started (as with starting any new exercise program, there is the potential to injure yourself - having an instructor there to check your alignment would be ideal). My posture has improved significantly since starting my yoga practice (I've even grown 1/2 inch), and the benefits of yoga go far beyond better posture.

Dropping Loads

One more yoga vote here.

In addition to the direct link of yoga activities and improved posture, yoga also increases your proprioception, meaning that you will be more aware of slouching or weird posture BEFORE it gets to the point of causing discomfort.

Kabitzy

Here's a trick they taught me in physical therapy:

Posture Taping. Absolutely irritating, but made me stop slouching instantly.

Dark Moon

Squats and deadlifts as part of a healthy weightlifting regiment. Best exercises out there for improving core strength (as well as pretty much every other kind of physical strength).

Usagi

Yoga is awesome

Dark Moon wrote: »

Squats and deadlifts as part of a healthy weightlifting regiment. Best exercises out there for improving core strength (as well as pretty much every other kind of physical strength).

Yes! Just be careful if you have a weak lower back (which is often the case with posture problems) to avoid straight-leg deadlifts

Mim

Alrighty, so we have yoga, pilates, and tape. Where can I get that tape?

I also have the wii fitness at home that has yoga. Will that help with the yoga realm (I'm coming up on finals so the days I have off our crucial for getting work done. Plus my dependent benefits run out on my birthday, hence that tidbit of information)?

I have a ball I can use for pilates at home and I'm sure I have some home videos. But, I will try to make it out to at least a month of pilates/yoga classes on the base when this sudden influx of work dies down.

Any other tips? Will just getting on to myself to stand up straighter help? I actually don't know if I'm standing up straight properly. I should take pictures and post them.

Trillian

If you ever wanted an excuse to take up horseback riding, it has improved my posture immensely.
I'm 5'0 tall, have been since I was 12, and recently my boyfriend's little brother asked me if I'd grown.
Now, the kid is 13, and is growing like a freaking weed, so that tells you just how much straighter I was standing without even thinking about it.
Plus the abs you get from it are nice, and so is the indestructible back.

Falx

Mim wrote: »

Alrighty, so we have yoga, pilates, and tape. Where can I get that tape?

I also have the wii fitness at home that has yoga. Will that help with the yoga realm (I'm coming up on finals so the days I have off our crucial for getting work done. Plus my dependent benefits run out on my birthday, hence that tidbit of information)?

I have a ball I can use for pilates at home and I'm sure I have some home videos. But, I will try to make it out to at least a month of pilates/yoga classes on the base when this sudden influx of work dies down.

Any other tips? Will just getting on to myself to stand up straighter help? I actually don't know if I'm standing up straight properly. I should take pictures and post them.

Unless you have some actual deformity from bad posture like I do, it's just a matter of breaking a habit and making a new one. Get one of your friends to hound you on it for a few weeks.

And the exercises will make it stick, so stick with the other advice too. If you do have curvature of the spine you'll need to visit a physio-therapist to find out whether you can exercise it straight or if you'll need surgery, in which case they'll refer you to an orthopedic surgeon.

Donovan Puppyfucker

Rowing.

Get on the rowing machine at your gym, and row.

Trentus

You could seek out instruction on the Alexander technique. It's a system that aims to improve posture and efficient muscle use. It's fairly popular with singers and wind instrument players, as poor posture can affect breath capacity and control, so if you're looking for a teacher, teachers of these disciplines may be able to point you in the right direction (or teach you themselves). I wouldn't expect lessons to be cheap though.

Mortal Sky

chrishallett83 wrote: »

Rowing.

Get on the rowing machine at your gym, and row.

As a former crew rower, I can say that this certainly helps but only if you do it right. Doing it right takes practice.

Falx

By the way, your body is a little bitch.

I'm not saying this to insult you, but to warn you. Your body, everyone's for that matter, loves the easy way out.

So believe you me when I say after a few days, sometimes even that same day, walking with the right posture will hurt. Your muscles will burn, sometimes you'll get neck spasms... power through it and show your meaty self who the boss is.

SilverCat

I would suggest some form of martial art.

My posture was god awful, permanently hunched over and when i started kickboxing some years ago it was pointed out over and over and over again that my posture was terrible. Then when i started to put effort into correcting my posture in kickboxing it eventually just corrected itself. I stopped going a few years ago because i was moving away but my posture is still great after that.

Godfather

SilverCat wrote: »

I would suggest some form of martial art.

My posture was god awful, permanently hunched over and when i started kickboxing some years ago it was pointed out over and over and over again that my posture was terrible. Then when i started to put effort into correcting my posture in kickboxing it eventually just corrected itself. I stopped going a few years ago because i was moving away but my posture is still great after that.

That really depends on the combat style.

I study Krav Maga, and the default stance is to keep your shoulders and back hunched down, as well as your chin tucked in. The same goes for Boxing and other stances.

McViking

WRT to the wii yoga -- yes, do it, but don't let it replace going to an actual class and getting feedback from someone who is watching you and is trained in body mechanics. You're going to be re-training your core muscle groups, and the stuff that's going to straighten your posture won't be stuff that feels natural or good at first. It will feel weird or uncomfortable until you've strengthened some muscle groups and made others more flexible. Alexander technique is also great for this -- they'll have you sit or stand "naturally", ask you to describe how you *think* your body is positioned, and then tell you how it's *actually* positioned. It's as much about raising your awareness of what your body habits are as it is about fixing them. That's hard to do without someone observing you, because, like you say, the slouching feels good right now. A good yoga class will be pretty hands-on -- not just someone showing you poses, but laying hands on you and adjusting you while you're in them, so your body learns what a new "normal" feels like.

Dropping Loads

Mim wrote: »

*snip*

I also have the wii fitness at home that has yoga. *snip*

A quick warning: The wii fit yoga is AWFUL unless you have already regularly been performing yoga with an instructor. The only thing that board does is check your center of balance, and that's it. It's way to easy to have your back out of alignment, over-rotate, or simply fall over because you're just not getting enough internal feedback on what feels right or wrong. Save this for at least a month after you've started classes. It's really pretty bad on its own.

edit: Just like McViking said =P

Aldo

I've been trying to improve my posture for years now and although I have been making progress, it is absolutely not easy to maintain your posture throughout the day. I go back to my default position all the damned time and it is rather annoying. It also distracts me from what I'm supposed to be doing.

Besides starting sporting (basically, most sports require good posture. Some exceptions being aforementioned martial arts and football (soccer)). So if you're into that kind of thing: sure why not. It will still take a lot of effort and I know some folks who only walk straight now because they had a serious injury and they could only walk normally by walking very straight.

I'm no doctor, but I guess the right posture must become part of your muscle memory. There's no shortcut to it: it requires willpower. What helps a lot for me is remembering why I'm improving my posture: [1] saves me injuries down the line, [2] Girls like tall boys and [3] Good posture emits rays of self-confidence.

I know exactly what the right posture is for me, so I can check myself now. I went to a cesar therapist. For as far as I can tell it's mostly popular in The Netherlands, though. I suppose you just need someone who knows a lot about posture.

Fallingman

I struggle with this - I think that it's 99% presence of mind.
I have to keep reminding myself to roll my shoulders back. "Stick my tits out" , if you will. Not that I have tits, but, well, you get the gist.

Mim

Now, quick question. For yoga is there a particular sect of yoga I should look into? I hear all yoga is good but that birkam yoga is life changing or something. I was wondering if anyone had an experiences with that.

McViking

Mim wrote: »

Now, quick question. For yoga is there a particular sect of yoga I should look into? I hear all yoga is good but that birkam yoga is life changing or something. I was wondering if anyone had an experiences with that.

Meh -- find a style that works for you, and that you can stick with. Bikram is all the rage right now, but unless you've got a room at home that you keep at 105 degrees, it means you're heading to the studio (and probably paying) every time you want to practice. Personally, I practice ashtanga -- a couple of times a week in a studio to get correction and adjustment, and at home the rest of the time so it's a daily routine. The important thing is the routine. You'll get much less benefit from doing something super-bad-ass once a week than you would doing something more gentle every day. Try a couple of classes in a couple of different styles, until you find something that makes you say, "yep - I could get myself to do this for 30-60 minutes a day". Then do it. It may take a couple of months, but you'll definitely see posture improvement before too long if you can stick to it.

illirica

One simple stupid thing that worked for me when I was about 14 and decided to improve my posture was whenever I sat down I took a ruler and stuck it under my shirt along my spine and tucked it into the waistband of my pants. It doesn't actually force your back straight, but when you slouch your back hits the ruler which makes you think "Oh, right, sit straight." Essentially it's a quick easy reminder for when you forget to have good posture. I think yoga or other exercise is probably a good idea also, but the ruler thing works for when you're on your computer, too, just to help you get in the habit.

November Fifth

You could also go to a Physical Therapist and they will show you specific exercises aimed at improving your posture.

Falx

Yeah that's what I did. 2 and a half hours in the gym four days a week is not fun though, but it's gotta be done.

Mim

November Fifth wrote: »

You could also go to a Physical Therapist and they will show you specific exercises aimed at improving your posture.

Well, I don't think my gym has a physical therapist. It's kind of just a military gym for the forces to go work out, and they offer classes for free. When I get out of school for winter break, I plan to wake up early to make it to the yoga class on Fridays. I think they also have pilates which I can talk my mom and sister into joining me.

I need to work on putting pictures up here so you guys know what I'm working with, in case someone sees something and recommends le doctor.

HyperAquaBlast

Swimming. Freestyle and backstroke really. When I was 10 or so the doc said I was showing signs of Scoliosis and 8 years of swim team killed that off.

Mogs

Mim wrote: »

Now, quick question. For yoga is there a particular sect of yoga I should look into? I hear all yoga is good but that birkam yoga is life changing or something. I was wondering if anyone had an experiences with that.

I wouldn't start with a Bikram class. The heat can be very uncomfortable for some people (anywhere between 90 and 105 degrees), the poses you practice are limited (Bikram classes consist of 2 breathing exercises and a set series of 20-some poses), and from what I've heard and experienced, Bikram instructors (and Bikram Choundhury himself) are a much harsher breed of yoga instructors; they are more likely to push you further into a forward bend, and I've always gotten the feeling that they fit everyone into a pose instead of applying one pose to all the different bodies and individuals in the class.

However, Bikram yoga does get results fairly quickly when practiced regularly. My only concern in your case would be that if your spine is out of alignment, you really want an instructor who will be patient and work with you gently to get your spine where it should be.

Also keep in mind that you may try a certain type of yoga with one instructor and hate it, but with another instructor you might love it.

Sharp10r

I was a vocal major in college, and had this struggle the whole 4 years. My vocal coach had the entire studio correct me on-site. Humiliating? Yes, but it helped. I also set my palm pilot (dating myself a bit there) that had a vibration pack, to vibrate at random intervals between 10-20 minutes. Each vibration was a reminder to stand up straight. (Now phonecalls remind me of the same thing ha!)

Thesmileyemo

Like all problems, this can be solved through educational films!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDjBsOkidek