We’ve talked before about the health risks of sitting too much, and how poor posture often plays into this. Importantly, sitting or standing with poor posture all day can quickly lead to injury in the gym, because your body is completely out of alignment and mobility suffers. But what does good posture look like, exactly? What is correct posture? Here’s a brief rundown so you can make a few positive adjustments to your posture today.
What is Correct Posture? Here’s How You Can Accomplish It
Here are a few tips for how you can achieve a posture that’ll promote good health and also make it safer for you to train in the gym.
Think of Keeping Everything Aligned
In an effort to sit up straighter, some of us will overcompensate and actually hyperextend our backs. This means that our ribs end up jutting forward, and our hips/bum stick out. This can not only become uncomfortable but can contribute to anterior pelvic tilt. (We’ve got a whole blog on this! Read it here.)
In reality, a “straight” back means that everything is aligned. Your hips are stacked over your butt, and your spine is stacked over your hips. You might notice that maintaining this posture means you need to keep your core engaged, and you’re correct! This might feel like “work” at first, but rest assured that you will get used to it, and you eventually won’t even notice it anymore.
Watch Out for “Text Neck”
We spend so much time looking down at our phones that it’s got a name: text neck. The same thing can happen when you stare at a computer screen all day. Your head ends up jutting forward. Here’s a picture we’re borrowing from Physiopedia.
To correct this, first lift your chin so that your bottom jaw is parallel with the floor. Then, think of pushing your head slightly backward, so that your head and spine are in better alignment.
This is something you want to practice consistently, and a simple fix that will work in your favor is to make sure that if you’re looking at your phone or computer screen, they are at eye level. This will help you start to train yourself to get used to a healthier posture.
Roll Your Shoulders Back
One of the most common ways our posture takes a hit is with our shoulder positioning. Check yours out right now: Are they slumped forward? What’s happening is that all those tiny muscles in your shoulders and pecs are tightening up. Your mobility is suffering, and you probably already know that this can wreak havoc on your training.
Think of gently rolling your shoulders back slightly. When you do this, you help to open your chest up.
Posture might seem like a small detail, but it’s something we engage with 24/7. Correcting your positioning is in your best interest. Posture Medic will help you overcome poor postural habits and deliver benefits in even just one use. Shop our selection now!
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Want to learn more about how sitting and posture affect your training and overall health? Read our blog on how much sitting is too much.
