Do you feel like your posture is getting worse over the years? Well, you’re not alone. The problem is that the majority of those with poor posture are not aware of it. This lack of awareness may contribute to further deterioration over time; and in many circumstances leads to pain.
Even with my 13 years of rehab experience and my background as a Kinesiologist, my posture is not perfect ALL the time. However, I know how important it is to re-assess it occasionally and make the necessary corrections.
Unfortunately for most of us, good posture does not come naturally. It takes some work and more importantly, requires “awareness”. You might be thinking, why does it take work?
I want you to think about most of the activities you do throughout your day (both at work and at home). So many tasks take us out of our ideal posture. Including reaching forward while cooking and cleaning, looking down at our children, sitting in a recliner, bending to tie your shoes, writing at a desk, working on a computer, reaching for your steering wheel, playing hockey, etc., etc., etc.
Now, I am not saying that you should not do these things. That would be silly. First of all you would starve…. and second you would not have any fun! Instead, what you need to do (especially as the inevitable happens – and you age), is perform exercises and stretches that REVERSE these positions that we are pulled into so many times every day.
I have included a beginner posture exercise that you can do anywhere, anytime…. to improve your postural awareness and overall back health (although you might get some strange looks if you do it in public 🙂
Posture Stretch on the Wall
This is actually more of a strengthening exercise than it is a stretch…. although some people may feel a stretch through the chest, shoulders and neck when they first start doing it. There are a lot of components to this exercise, some which may not be obvious to you the first few times you try it. Just like finding and maintaining good posture, it is going to take some practice to figure out how to do it, and even more practice to master it.
Step #1 – Stand with your back against a wall and position your heels approximately 8-10” forward (as shown in the photo).
Step #2 – Place your head against the wall and open your arms to about 45 degrees at each side, with your palms facing forward.
Step #3 – Gently tuck your chin towards your chest, maintaining contact between the back of your head and the wall.
Step #4 – Gently draw your shoulders back and down (this is very subtle), as if gently pulling your shoulder blades into your back pockets.
Step #5 – While maintaining the positions attained in Step 3 and 4; do a pelvic tilt to flatten your lower back into the wall.
Hold this position for up to 10-seconds and repeat 5-10 times. If you are doing it correctly, you will start to feel some muscle activity along the lower portion of your shoulder blades. This muscle is called your lower trapezius, and it is THE posture muscle for your upper body.
Take advantage of the FREE Exercise Therapy for Posture Guide available through this website. This guide includes 8 exercises that progress you towards getting the most out of the exercise I have shown you here. If you would like to perform this exercise with more flexibility, more strength and more precision – this free guide will show you the steps to get you there.
