Posture

[gr4nt]

So a big thing throughout fitness, from breathing during runs to deadlifts to not looking like a slob, that gets harped on is posture. But like most nerds, I grew up hunched over a book, playstation, and a bunch of 40k models, so my posture is complete crap. But the only thing I've found the internet saying as to how to improve my posture is the simple, motherly advice of "Stand up straight." Thanks for the advice, but slouching for 27 years is a tough habit to beat.

So my question is, does anyone know any exercises or tips and tricks to help with improving posture?

[thescrawnycaveman]

I hear squats being done regularly helps, but I'm not sure. And that isn't why I commented on this. YOU PLAYED 40K????? I used to play and find it fascinating whenever I see someone else who did. It is virtually completely underground around here. Cheers!

[Guest Carjack]

Stretch out your chest and lats.

If you have to sit, try sitting like you're squatting, and kneel instead when you can.

Squats with proper bar position require you have your scapula back and down (Diesel crew has some good videos of this up on YouTube).

Front squats force an erect posture.

Deadlifts, cleans, properly performed pull ups, supine rows and dumbbell rows strengthen the muscles involved in correct posture.

Stand at attention, puff your chest out and lock your shoulders down. Now do lots of farmer's walks this way.

Might want to make correct posture into its own regular workout.

Every pulling and forced posture exercise in a brutal version of a "back" day, finish with drop sets of farmer's walks all over the place and cool down by walking around with your shoulders squared.

[Oogiem]

Stand at attention, puff your chest out and lock your shoulders down. Now do lots of farmer's walks this way.

OK Gotta ask, what is the fitness nerd definition of Farmer's Walks? :-) I suspect it's not like mine, crook in one hand lamb bag in the other strolling the pasture staring at the back ends of round sheep.

[Guest Carjack]

Put something heavy in your hands (doesn't matter what it is) and just walk around:

http://asp.elitefts.com/qa/default.asp?qid=38980

[Knightwatch]

I ran across this little sidenote in Dan John's blog recently. It does feel like a more comfortable way to fall into correct posture than trying to rigidly square everything away.

Rather than the old military posture of the upper body, instead focus on a simple shoulder move. Bring the shoulders forward a little. Bring the shoulders up a little. Bring the shoulders back all the way. Now, relax and drop the shoulders down. Hold that position. Most people I work with naturally raise their heads a bit taller doing this simple drill. Master it.

[Alethea]

short answer: Do pilates at least a few times a month (preferably every week) to develop postural muscle strength and control. Yoga is also an excellent resource. Strength training will absolutely strengthen your postural muscles, but they don't teach you HOW to straighten. Good posture involved both strength AND control.

Long answer:

Posture involves literally every major muscle in your body, so it can take a lot of time to develop really good posture. I recommend picking 1 or 2 things to concentrate on, and do them until you can do them more or less automatically before moving on to the next thing to concentrate on. Your ultimate goal is to make sure your entire body is straight and supported by your muscles, not just sagging and piled up due to gravity.

If we're going from foot to head:

- 2nd toe of each foot is pointed straight ahead. Feet should be hip width apart, weight balanced evenly on the 4 corners of the foot (left and right, ball and heel).

- Knees pointed forward

- hips pointed forward and level with eachother. Hips and legs should be active. "Active" is a weird yoga concept, meaning not TENSE, but not locked up or relaxed, Go into a squat, then straighten up and don't relax your muscles. See how your entire leg still has energy in it even though you're not working it? Like you're ready to drop to the ground or jump 5 feet to the side at any given moment? That is active.

- vertebrae stacked one on top of eachother like coins. I like this mental image. In order to do it, you will activate (there's that word again) your entire torso - those long back muscles right near the spine to hold the spine in position, your sides to make sure youre not leaning, and your front, from the base of your spine right to your neck. I picture zipping myself up from the very bottom of my torso up my abs and chest (don't pop your ribcage out, it puts a kink in your spine) to my skull, then down the other side. Make sure your butt isn't sticking out - this is the bottom of your tailbone, and part of your spine.

- shoulders are straight and back, not rounded forward. Shrug a few times to get all tension out of the tops of your shoulders. Now, without tensing that part again, lift your arms to the sides. Relax your shoulders downward. Pull your shoulder blades back so they feel like they will meet a 1/3 of the way down your spine. Let your arms drop, but keep your shoulder blades back and down. This opens up the entire front of your chest.

- head is balanced on spine. Geeks as a breed crane our heads forward automatically, which puts a LOT of strain on your neck. Don't tuck your chin down. Put your finger on your chin, and push your skull straight backward until it's balanced - if you relax your muscles, it doesn't flop foward or backward. Keep your chin up.

If you looked at yourself to the side, your feet, knees, hips, shoulders and ears should all line up.

[gr4nt]

Thanks a lot for all the advice, will give this all a try.