By: Luis Garcia ATC/LAT,CSCS
INTRO
Bad posture can have a multitude of negative effects on us that ranges from physical to even mental and emotional. Did you know that bad posture can even mess with your digestion? Back pain, Headaches, neck pain, poor sleep, lack of motivation, lack of confidence... and the list goes on... Why suffer when bad posture is OPTIONAL? In this article ill explain causes, and solutions to help you permanently fix your bad posture and start your way to a healthier spine.
If you have bad posture and you've been dealing with it for quite some time you may feel like its too late, or as if your hunched shoulders and rounded back are locked in place for life, BUT what if I told you there was a solution? Its not as hard as you think, good posture is just a step away, it requires a minor change in your habits but a small change can go a long way especially when talking about posture.
WHAT IS POSTURE?
Posture is the positioning of your body or arrangement of your limbs in relation to your body. Ideal posture is the correct alignment of the body in relation to the activity being performed and the requirements of the body to complete the action. As such, your posture will be different when you are standing, sitting and moving.
WHAT CAUSES BAD POSTURE?
Majority of bad posture is caused by negative modern day habits. Things like working in front of a computer, having an office job, prolonged periods of sitting, watching tv on the couch, playing video games, looking down to our phones ETC.. all have a negative effect on our posture. All of these can have you in a forward shoulder, head down, "SLOUCHED" position for prolonged periods of time. This causes a shortening and weakening of the muscles that are supposed to help you maintain a neutral spine and proper posture.
This of course is incremental. It happens progressively day by day, until one day you look in the mirror and its the worst its ever looked.Some find it easier to ignore it or not talk about it, but this can lead to permanent problems down the line. DON'T AVOID BAD POSTURE.
Weak core muscles in your back and abdomen can also contribute to negative posture. Your core muscles are a huge contributor to helping you stand up straight. Another reason which comes with age and deterioration is osteoporosis. This is a breakdown of the density of our bones which can lead to compression fractures and overtime cause curvatures in our spine, this is more prevalent with the elderly community. When we see an excessive curvature in our spine we call it a kyphosis, that and the rounded shoulders are going to be your biggest obstacles when trying to improve your posture.
WHY CHANGE YOUR POSTURE?
You may be asking yourself why you should even change your posture, maybe you don't care what people think or you feel like it doesn't effect your life. In the elderly community bad posture and being slouched over changes your center of gravity and increases the likelihood of a fall. In the younger community bad posture can have a negative effect ton self esteem and confidence, effecting the way they interact with other people their age. This becomes more of a problem the younger the person is. As fair as pain goes the worse your posture the more your pain level can increase. Enough neck and back pain on a daily basis can greatly lower your quality of life and effect some of the things you enjoy doing everyday.
MAIN INDICATORS OF BAD POSTURE!
FORWARD NECK
This is an effect of staring at some kind of digital screen for prolonged periods of time, wether its your phone, computer screen, or video games if you've ever felt a tightness in the back of your neck.... this is why. We get a weakening of the posterior neck muscles and a shortening of the anterior neck muscles, getting us almost "Stuck" in this position over time.
HUNCHED BACK
In the sports medicine field we call the hunching of our back a "KYPHOSIS". Which is simply excessive outward curvature of the spine, causing hunching of the back. This can have a purely aesthetic negative effect or it could cause symptoms of pain and stiffness. One of the biggest problems we will find here is the inability to get into proper alignment and positions when trying to perform lifts like our squats and deadlifts which require a neutral spine.
ROUNDED SHOULDERS
Round shoulders develop through poor posture in a variety of positions used daily, including sitting for long periods, driving for long periods, or prolonged hours in front of a digital screen. This position causes a tightness in the anterior muscles of the chest, and a weakening of the posterior back muscles responsible for holding your shoulders back in place, while also fortifying proper scapular rhythm. This can cause longterm problems, especially in those attempting to lift weights.
ANTERIOR PELVIC TILT
Anterior pelvic tilt is another way of saying your pelvis is tilted forwards. It’s caused by sitting incorrectly, sitting too much, weak or inactive hamstrings and glutes, tight lower back, weak abdominals, and tight quadriceps and hip flexors. This position causes a lot of stress and can leave long lasting damage to the lower back if not addressed.
SOLUTION
In the video above I break down the solutions to all of these postural problems, and how to fix them permanently!
CONCLUSION
In a generation where we spend majority of our times sitting down or looking at our smart phones you'd be surprised how fast our posture can deteriorate on us. One morning, you wake up in pain, feeling stiff and out of alignment. With pain, and you may not know what to do or even where to start. With this article you can stop the guessing, and begin your steps to better posture. LOVE #GarciaEffect