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!
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