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Don’t be a slouch! Moves to improve posture

Posted: Wednesday, March 28, 2007 1:20 PM
Filed Under: , ,

By Kathy Kaehler

 

Have you caught your reflection in the mirror lately? If you are like most people, the shoulders are rounded forward, the upper back is hunched and the belly is protruding. It’s not a pretty picture.

 

Well it doesn't have to be that way! You can improve your posture with some simple exercises at home or the office.

 

Here are three spine-straightening activities to try:

 

  1. Stand against a wall and press your shoulder blades back. Let your lower back keep its natural curve, and keep your chest lifted and your chin parallel to the floor. Hold this position and breathe in and out 10 times.
  2. Sit in a sturdy chair with your back straight and your abdominal muscles pulled in, extend the arms straight forward at shoulder-level. Exhale and round the shoulders and back. Pull the chin in towards the chest, contract the abdominal muscles and hold until all the air is blown out. Inhale as you return to the upright position. Repeat 10 times.
  3. Lie on the floor face down, with your arms extended above your head. Exhale and lift both legs and arms into the air, hold for a few seconds and return to the floor. Repeat 5 times.

These exercises all work on strengthening the back, both upper and lower, as well as the abdominal muscles. Do these exercises every other day and soon you'll be walking as if you are carrying a textbook on your head!

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Comments

liss (Sent Wednesday, March 28, 2007 5:21 PM)

We are such a slouchy country! Time to act as if we are proud to be Americans and stand tall.

Elise, Nashville, TN (Sent Wednesday, March 28, 2007 10:09 PM)

Wasn't there a study somewhere saying if you've already been a slouch, you might do more damage if you sit straight suddenly.  Way too many studies out nowadays that confuse the living crap out of everyone.

Lee Bartholomew, Cedar Falls, IA (Sent Thursday, March 29, 2007 1:55 AM)

Kids don't learn this stuff anymore.  When I went to college I actually had to be taught how to slouch since I had been a dancer and through charm school.  

Jen, Cleveland OH (Sent Thursday, March 29, 2007 8:02 AM)

What are some tips for sitting correctly at work? It's hard to sit perfect for so long in front of a computer and a big bulky desk and chair. I try to sit straight but without noticing I go back into the slouchign position. I don't want to have a hunchback when I'm 60!!

Miya (Sent Thursday, March 29, 2007 11:40 AM)

What are some tips for sitting correctly at work? It's hard to sit perfect for so long in front of a computer and a big bulky desk and chair. I try to sit straight but without noticing I go back into the slouchign position. I don't want to have a hunchback when I'm 60!!

Miya (Sent Thursday, March 29, 2007 11:40 AM)

"A 135-degree body-thigh sitting posture was demonstrated to be the best biomechanical sitting position, as opposed to a 90-degree posture, which most people consider normal," said Waseem Amir Bashir, M.B.Ch.B., F.R.C.R., author and clinical fellow in the Department of Radiology and Diagnostic Imaging at the University of Alberta Hospital, Canada. "Sitting in a sound anatomic position is essential, since the strain put on the spine and its associated ligaments over time can lead to pain, deformity and chronic illness."

Adrian (Sent Wednesday, April 04, 2007 11:25 AM)

If you have your chair set correctly, at work, you should be able to sit straight.  However, you must sit all the way back in the chair all of the time.  We have a real tendency, as a society, to sit on the front of our chair which can encourage very poor posture.  Look into getting an ergonomically correct chair, one where you can sit all the way back with your feet on the ground.

Good posture takes practice -- just as anything else -- practice makes perfect.

Wendy (Sent Wednesday, April 04, 2007 12:44 PM)

As a teacher of the Alexander Technique, I have a real problem with the misinformation and poor grasp of neurophysiology presented in this article.

http://www.alexandertech.org

Rebecca (Sent Wednesday, April 04, 2007 9:28 PM)

I am in my early 50's and have begun to thicken in the middle. (I had a hysterectomy and a thyroid problem--take Synthroid).  I can wear skirts that are an 8-10, but because my middle is so thick, I need a 12 or 14 in a top.  Nothing looks good on me any more.  What can I do?

Paris, KY (Sent Thursday, April 05, 2007 3:11 PM)

Can you demonstrate a 135 degree posture?  I sit all day at a computer as well and use the 90 degree.  I try to use ergonomics but 8 hours is a long time without slouching!

Karen, Port Orange, FL (Sent Wednesday, April 11, 2007 12:52 PM)

Yea Rebecca! There is mis-information in most health advice I read. I teach yoga at a wellness center, and see incorrect alignment, breathing,form, etc.,cause many problems. Same with sitting,posture. Study ergonomics and yoga, gentle is effective, don't do the "pretzel"stuff in the beginning, if ever. There are many forms of yoga, like foods,try one till you find one you like and will do, it will change everything in your life in a positive way. Most classes in America are very generic,it's not a religious practice, but will help you focus also.

Camille Saxon ,Kingman AZ (Sent Wednesday, April 11, 2007 4:12 PM)

when at work, sitting in front of the computer, (or elsewhere) put your butt all the way to the back of the chair(ok, maybe not all the way back but put it as back as you can), then just lean forward towards your desk. shoulders straight, and suck in your tummy, or keep your tummy straight, making your natural lower back arch. Believe me, it's not so hard, and it's not too late, always stand up straight, even if you are 6 feet tall, I've noticed that tall people tend to slouch, don't!!! be proud of your height!! Always walk up straight.

Gabby (Sent Thursday, April 12, 2007 11:31 AM)

i have asthma. emphysema. lupus. i take prednisone, and mt belly has grown so large that i can't look in the mirror.  i have been slim all my life. i want to loose the belly fat. what can i do? please help me.my age is 64.

marie armstrong,lodi,new jersey (Sent Saturday, April 14, 2007 1:08 PM)

If you belong to a gym, or own a home gym, there are a lot of posterior delt (rear part of your shoulder) exercises that will help also!  I personally like to face backwards on the pec deck, grip the handles with my palms facing in, and bring your arms back focusing on squeezing the posterior delt.
 

BeFit4Free.com Discount Supplements, Denver, Colorado (Sent Sunday, April 15, 2007 7:31 PM)

Please take a look at my health and fitness blog!  http://b3f-bodybuilding.blogspot.com/ and vote for me!
Thanks guys!

Curtis, Denver, Co (Sent Sunday, April 15, 2007 7:43 PM)

Many problems are caused by bad office furniture, or bad positioning of it.  Many office chairs are impossible to sit in with good posture.  Others are set too low relative to the keyboard height, causing shoulder and wrist strain (those keyboard wrist pads designed to prevent carpal tunnel syndrome actually make things WORSE).  Monitors are often too far away for the user to read easily, causing their head to bob forward, ruining their upper vertebra.  I recommend Tai Chi Chuan as a good way to reverse the problems.

Dale (Sent Thursday, April 26, 2007 10:27 AM)

Every time I see someone slouching it reminds me to stand tall. I too went through years of ballet, many people comment and ask if I was a dancer. The added benefit of standing tall is that I am frequently told that I have a strong presence when I walk into a room. I also have scoliosis- a curvature of the spine. When I tell people that I have a moderate curve they don't believe me.

Angel, Reno, Nevada (Sent Wednesday, May 09, 2007 10:46 PM)

Can a group of exercises take a person who has scoliosis and keep any further damage or possibly restore the bend in the back? This without any surgery. I am told that surgery to correct scoliosis is very critical and should be chosen as a last resort if at all.

J Pritchard (Sent Wednesday, May 23, 2007 9:09 PM)

christ just shut the heck up and live life ,,personally i dont give a rats ass what the heck is wrong with you..and your fat overeating asses.. the simple truth is this,,, if your fat ass eats more cals. then you burn...you remain fat...got that...you have to use energy to remove fat ..how f-in  hard is that to understand...fast food fast fat..

bill fl. (Sent Wednesday, May 30, 2007 9:27 AM)

mcmann maria san marcos,ca (Sent Tuesday, June 12, 2007 4:32 PM)

Wow Bill Fl, was that comment really necessary. I was always taught if you don't have anything good to say, you shouldn't say anything.

Dee, Huntsville, AL (Sent Thursday, August 02, 2007 6:53 AM)

One thing I've found crucial to good sitting posture, is to stick your backside right into the crack where chair seat and chair back join.  This makes you sit up straight and leans you back against the chair back.  It's so much more comfy; and gives you better posture w/o your having to think about it!  Helped me overcome a lifetime of back pain.

Rosemarie, Rochester, NY (Sent Thursday, August 02, 2007 8:00 AM)

Just a note to say that "Bill from Florida" (4 ab0ve this message) doesn't represent most of the people from this wonderful state. As a native Floridian, I can  say that most of us wouldn't express ourselves in such vulgar and meanspirited words. However, it is a shame that so many of us don't take enough pride in ourselves to lose the needed weight and to use good posture. Note to Bill....also a shame to use  language that is  out of the gutter. Remember you too are a child of God. Being a child of the King, would mean that you would use language befitting a prince.

Nancy, Orlando, Fl. (Sent Thursday, August 02, 2007 8:50 AM)

Paris and Marie esp, but others too ... please check out wilsonsthyroidsyndrome.com and see the list of symptoms that may be worth checking out. This is totally curable and is caused by adrenals messed up from stress and fight or flight issues... tendencies run in families. This is a very under-diagnosed issue and one you can handle on your own or with a doctor that gets it.  Symptoms are weight gain, especially in the middle, having your body temp set wrong so cold a lot esp., dry skin, sluggish bowels, etc. etc.   No Bill... you have no idea what you're talking about and yet you are arrogant and rude about it ... what a lovely combination.

Cin (Sent Thursday, August 02, 2007 9:26 AM)

One of the best remedies for slouching is daily stretching.  It helps to start young, but it's never too late, especially if you take your time and do a little every day.  Sometimes we slouch, because our muscles are tight and have shortened.  Stretching our hamstrings (back of the leg) does a lot to help lower back pain.  Stretching your arms helps open your upper back.  

Good posture requires supple muscles, rather than tense ones.  Shoulders relaxed.  Neck long, chin level.  

We also need good core muscles.  Try getting an exercise ball and sitting erect on it for a half hour at night when you watch TV or work on the computer, rather than slouching on the couch or hunched over in a desk chair. The effort is subtle, but it requires you to use your core muscles.

Linda Belan, Chicago, IL (Sent Thursday, August 02, 2007 9:31 AM)

how to I print just the excercises to prevent slouching and not all the other stuff?

joe costen (Sent Thursday, August 02, 2007 9:50 AM)

yea i need to do some of these...but my hubby needs it way more then i do. but talking him into doing even the easiest of exercises is not easy. we have a walking track not far from our house and he wont even go there once a week with me to do a mile. i try to go every other day. people are starting to think that i am his daughter not his wife.

elysia, sylacauga, al. (Sent Thursday, August 02, 2007 9:57 AM)

yea i need to do some of these...but my hubby needs it way more then i do. but talking him into doing even the easiest of exercises is not easy. we have a walking track not far from our house and he wont even go there once a week with me to do a mile. i try to go every other day. people are starting to think that i am his daughter not his wife.

elysia, sylacauga, al. (Sent Thursday, August 02, 2007 9:58 AM)

kate orlando fl (Sent Thursday, August 02, 2007 9:58 AM)

whats that got to with losing 5 pounds!!!

kate orlando fl (Sent Thursday, August 02, 2007 10:00 AM)

I have scoliosis, and I have to always be concious of my posture. My back at times will hurt between my shoulder blades. I have a chiropractor that I go to and really like but have exhausted my visits with my insurance company, Is there a group of exercises that you would recommand a person can do to reverse or at lease prevent futher damage and correct posture?

Brenda Jenkins, Baltimore, Maryland (Sent Thursday, August 02, 2007 10:09 AM)

It amazes me that my peers all slouch! Riding horses, and other activities of the like are exercizes that say slouching is bad. Like a previous poster, i had to be taught how to slouch.

Hanna, St. Paul, MN (Sent Thursday, August 02, 2007 10:15 AM)

Your posture is important.  Especially as you get older and have rheumatoid arthritis, you have to fight the onset of osteo perosis.  It takes a lot of work taking care of the old body - but your only given one - so isn't it worth it in the end.  My chiropractor loves me - it's just getting there in the summer with all the stuff to do is not easy.

Cheryl Celentano, Hackensack, New Jersey (Sent Thursday, August 02, 2007 10:20 AM)


I have scoliosis as well, and I too, have to always be conscious of my posture. I also had to lose weight to help and going to the chiropractor, my insurance as well limits the visits.  Chiropractor made deal with me; I pay out of pocket at a discount for so many visits.  Also started to do more strength exercises for my back with the help of a trainer.

aurora, pittsburgh pa (Sent Thursday, August 02, 2007 11:14 AM)

What can I do about my middle area( stomach) it just wont go down. It expaneded out one year ago. I just turned 50. Other than that I'm fine. Any tips.

Ruby Irving texas (Sent Thursday, August 02, 2007 11:38 AM)

These exercises work so well, I did this every other day like it says, and now I am standing tall. If you really want to have great posture, follow theses intructions. They really work!

Natalie, Cape May, NJ (Sent Thursday, August 02, 2007 11:40 AM)

If you're at work and want to sit up straight, putting your purse (if it's rather large) or a bunched up jacket at the back of the seat of your chair can help posture in that it makes it almost impossible for you to lean back against your seat and slouch. You will however still have to look out slightly for your posture. Put your body into alignment, meaning shoulders over your hips, and your chest slightly puffed up (sternum up) . Place your feet flat on the floor hips width apart. Make like there is a string pulling you up from the crown of your head. It should be comfortable and easy to sit. Even just pretending there is a string from the crown of your head and pulling your whole body up should put you in alignment if you're slouched, at least enough, anyway, to correct whatever else is amuck. I learned this at school....it also improves breathing! And crossing your legs gives you spider veins...GOOD LUCK!

Tanaqui (Sent Thursday, August 02, 2007 11:43 AM)

I had scoliosis, but was told by my doctor at a really young age to stay active. Pick a sport and stick with it. I chose to run in Track And Cross Country. I ran for 5 years straight. No signs of scoliosis anymore. I quit running when I was in a bad car accident and survived a broken neck. That was several years ago. I am now just starting to run again, but boy do I feel better already.

Sherry, Toledo Ohio (Sent Thursday, August 02, 2007 12:36 PM)

i have been dieting somewhat ,exercising treadmill, and weight lifting also been hitting heavy bag . i have lost 20 lbs over the last few months and now the weight is not comming off so fast . any suggestions . i don't like salad and some "good for me foods" leaves me hungry . i still need to work on stomache .

john doe , springfield, illinois (Sent Thursday, August 02, 2007 12:41 PM)

One factor I did not see in this article on posture
and proper allignment in sitting..is that your hips and your knees should be at the same level while
sitting. With your feet flat on the floor, see if
your knees are level with our hips.

Jeanne Houghton, Laguna, calif 92653 (Sent Thursday, August 02, 2007 1:12 PM)

These comments, I am reading them while trying to sit correctly in my office chair, eating lunch boss -- probably Gaining the five pounds, and I am laughing hysterically. Actually crying I am laughing so hard. Very very funny commentary.

Kirstine, Naples, FL (Sent Thursday, August 02, 2007 1:43 PM)

Bill, Fl.  You sound so intelligent.  I guess you've got it all figured out don't you?

Julie in Illinois (Sent Thursday, August 02, 2007 3:36 PM)

Bill, Fl - dude I agree w you. My family (just about all) have acid reflux, why... because after dinner they lounge around on the couch before they have a chance to digest. Same difference here with posture, weight, etc. Take care of yourself people stop acting like victims! Now the folks with scoliosis and the like, well there you have a problem that you were most likely predispositioned for and no one can say anything unless you're in that boat or are a professional who deals with that for a living. Stop making the insurance problem worse people! Do what you can - the info is out there.

B Jones, Clt, NC (Sent Wednesday, August 08, 2007 11:41 AM)

hai my problem is that my neck alone slouches and my body looks like a curve my neck is not straight it looks like a swan could u help me with this

sumi,chennai,tamil nadu (Sent Tuesday, September 11, 2007 2:54 AM)



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