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There is never a good substitute for movement, but keeping active can be challenging. For many people, going out for a run or taking time to perform a full workout can be daunting, especially if this is not a part of their usual routine. Here are some ideas to get you away from your desk, your couch, or anywhere that keeps you in a static posture for too long... There are a few quick and easy ways to add some movement to your day, starting with something as simple as boiling the kettle or just getting a drink from the fridge or water cooler. It only takes 2-3 minutes, so challenge yourself to see if you can complete these three exercises before going back to sitting down. You can focus on one each day, or work through a different one each time.  1. Challenge your balance.
Standing on one leg is something many of us assume we can do, yet rarely take the time to check. This is an essential skill that can deteriorate without being noticed until everyday activities, such as getting dressed, are impacted. Being able to stand on one leg is important for putting on shoes, trousers and reduced balance can be a risk factor for falls. Start by seeing if you can stand on one leg with your eyes open for the entire time a kettle is boiling, or time yourself with a stopwatch. Test both legs, making sure you are close to a bench that you can use to support yourself. To increase the difficulty, try balancing with your eyes closed, then progress to balancing on your tiptoes. If you can balance on your tiptoes, with your eyes closed, then you can ask your physio for more suggestions. 2. Heel Raises Start by keeping your knees slightly bent and lift both heels off the ground at the same time. You can begin with repetitions of 5, have a quick rest then repeat. Challenge yourself to increase the speed of your heel raises and see how many you can fit into your 2 minute workout. As you bend your knees, aim to keep your knees over your second toe. If you feel this is a little too easy, you can progress to single-leg heel raises, which will also improve your balance! You can start a daily competition with the people in your home or workplace to see who can complete the most repetitions in a set time period. 3. Squats Squats are a great exercise to keep your large muscles working. You can start with 5 shallow squats, aiming to slowly increase your number and progressively squat to a lower position. As with heel raises, when you start to find squats to be less of a challenge, you can move to single-leg squats. Don’t hesitate to ask your physio or posture specilaist for tips on how else you can stay active at home or in the workplace.
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The simple answer is no, it's never too late to improve your posture. You may not get "perdect", but you can still improve. Even though rounded shoulders and a hunched stance may seem like they’re set in stone by the time we reach a certain age, and you may feel you’ve missed the boat for better posture, you can still stand up taller. It’s not as hard as you might think. Better posture can start with changing your activities, stretching and strengthening your muscles. Read on...  Poor posture often stems from habits like working in front of a computer, lying on a couch while watching TV, or looking down at a smartphone. Poor posture could also be due to repeatedly carrying heavy objects (like equipment at work, grocery bags, or a heavy purse). All of these activities can make you stoop or bring your shoulders forward. This overstretches and weakens the muscles in the back of your shoulders, and shortens the muscles in the front of your shoulders and in your chest. If the core muscles in your back and abdomen have grown weak from inactivity, that can also cause you to lean forward. Those muscles are crucial to lifting your frame and keeping you upright.
One of the big things that happens with forward posture is that your centre of gravity moves forward. This increases the risk of falling. Poor posture can also cause back or neck pain, headaches, trouble breathing, or trouble walking. The key to fixing poor posture is strengthening and stretching the muscles in the upper back, chest, and core... - Shoulder strengtheners include scapula squeezes (squeezing your shoulder blades together for 30 seconds at a time) and rows (using a resistance band to pull back your elbows like you’re rowing). - Core strengtheners include modified planks (in which you hold a push-up position while propped up on your elbows) or simply tightening your abdominal muscles, pulling your belly button in toward your spine. - An easy way to stretch your chest muscles is simply put your arms behind your back, grasp both elbows (or forearms if that’s as far as you can reach), and hold that position. - You can also work on your posture in everyday activities. A simple trick when you’re sitting (even watching TV) is to put a small rolled towel behind your shoulders. It makes you sit up straight so the towel won’t fall. - Cut down on activities that have led to poor posture, too. Take regular breaks from computer and TV time, and exercise more. Any movement is good movement! Forward head posture (FHP) occurs when a person is leaning their head forward, out of neutral alignment with their spine. When the alignment of the head is off, it can cause a variety of problems, including stiffness in the neck, pain, and balance issues. The National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) define FHP as holding the head out, in front of its natural position over the cervical spine. A person with FHP also typically tilts their head back in order to look forward. This posture puts a strain on the muscles and bones of the neck. It can also lead to muscle imbalances, as some muscles support more of the load than others. According to a 2014 study, the forward position of the head puts increasing amounts of weight pressure on the spine.  People often associate FHP with using electronic devices for a long time, such as mobile phones or computers. However, any activity that causes a person to lean their head forward for a prolonged period of time can lead to chronic FHP.
Some other potential causes of FHP include:
Prevention If a person sits at a desk for long periods of time, they should focus on maintaining proper posture. This includes:
Given that FHP results in a combination of some tight muscles groups, along with some underacyive, or weak muscles, the best corrective or prevntative program you can do is a series of stretching and strengthening exercises. This will help to correct your muscle imbalances around your neck, shoulders and upper back, which will then make it much easier for you to stay in a better alignment, or posture. For more specific information on which exercises are best for you, and indeed whether you actually have FHP, it's best to contact your posture specialist or physiotherapist. "Stand up straight." That's timeless advice we've probably all heard at one time or another. It's worth heeding. Harvard Health Publishing tells us that good posture is important for your balance... by standing up straight, you centre your weight over your feet (base of support). This also helps you maintain correct form while exercising, which results in fewer injuries and greater gains. Working on balance can strengthen your abilities in tennis, golf, running, dancing, skiing — and just about any other sport or activity.  Not an athlete or sporty person? It still pays to have good balance. Just walking across the floor or around the block requires good balance. So does getting up from a chair, going up and down stairs, carrying things, and even turning to look behind you.
Poor posture isn't necessarily "just a bad habit", either. Physical reasons for poor posture include:
The good news is that you can improve your posture with a few simple exercises. Balance-specific workouts address posture and balance problems with exercises that build strength where it counts and stretch those tight muscles. Quick posture checks in the mirror before and during balance exercises can also help you get the most from your regular workout. And increasing your core strength and flexibility can help you improve your posture noticeably in just a few weeks. |