If your mom ever told you to stop slouching or sit up straight, she was actually doing you a favor! Learn why it matters plus six ways you can improve your posture today.
WHY GOOD POSTURE MATTERS
Good posture is important for so many reasons! It keeps your nerves and blood vessels healthy, supports muscles, ligaments, and tendons, and prevents the aches and pains that poor posture brings (e.g., neck, shoulder, and upper back pain, as well as headaches!). Proper postural alignment can even reduce fatigue and help you work more efficiently. It can also improve your breathing! Slouching compresses the lungs so sitting and standing taller gives your lungs the space they need to expand.
Proper form is also imperative during exercise. You can do more harm than good when you exercise with bad form—that’s where injuries happen! We say it all the time in our FASTer Way community workouts: we’d rather have you do fewer reps and lighter weights with good form than more reps and heavy weights with improper form. Not only will you reduce your risk of injury, you’ll actually get a lot more benefit out of your workout!
WHAT GOOD POSTURE LOOKS LIKE
There are a number of ways to have poor posture, so it’s important to know what good posture looks like. The ears should be over the shoulders and the shoulders should be over the hips.
Many people have a tendency to round their shoulders! This is especially common in people with desk jobs or people who spend a lot of time on their phones—the shoulders naturally round forward and the gaze is directed downward. This tends to tighten the muscles in the chest and loosen the muscles in the back, which reinforces the forward position of the shoulders.
SIX WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR POSTURE TODAY
1. Stretch First, Strengthen Second
The first thing to do is to stretch the tight chest muscles to create space within that motion. It’s important to do this before you begin to strengthen the weak muscles. Make sure your range of motion can support your strengthening exercises!
2. Move More
Get up and move every 20–30 minutes. No one can sit with perfect posture all the time—when you feel yourself starting to slouch, opt for a few minutes of movement.
3. Check In With Yourself
We tend to lose awareness of how we’re sitting at the computer or even at the dinner table, and we tend toward poor posture when this happens. Set a reminder on your phone (or even use a sticky note) to get back into proper alignment.
4. Avoid Positions that Cramp Circulation
Healthy blood flow is vital for organ function, but if we’re cramping our circulation, we’re unknowingly restricting it. If you’re in the habit of crossing your legs when you sit, now is the perfect time to practice sitting with both feet on the floor!
5. Set Yourself Up for Success
Do what you can to improve your ergonomics! Get a more supportive chair, use an adjustable height desk, and try a lumbar roll to support your spine.
6. Avoid “Text Neck”
If you spend a lot of time on your smartphone, it can put a lot of strain on your neck because of the downward gaze we typically use. Be aware of the position of your neck and try holding your phone a little higher to keep your neck in alignment.
If you’re on board with good posture but you’re not sure how that translates into proper form for exercise, then jump into our next round of the FASTer Way to Fat Loss! Our Head Trainers are passionate about meeting you right where you are and helping you develop your fitness in a way that will give you results while keeping you safe.
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