Learning how to fix bad posture permanently is going to take a little time and a lot of effort.
You like many people probably suffer from bad posture, something a posture corrector device might be able to easily fix. Bad posture comes as a result of the culture we have accustomed ourselves to.
We wake up in the morning, take a 30-minute car ride to work, sit hunched over for 9 straight hours, drive 30 minutes home, then plop down on the couch for the rest of the evening.
This constant collapse and misalignment of the spinal column puts our muscles and joints through great and unnatural stress.
What causes poor posture?
Poor posture is usually a consequence of poor sitting habits, muscle imbalances, improper exercise techniques, genetics, disease, or injury. In most cases, posture is treatable with some small modifications to your day to day life. Standing, sitting, and walking correctly, along with some muscle balancing exercises can improve posture over the long run. If you don’t correct your poor posture today, you could experience a lifetime of problems.
Poor posture can lead to breathing problems, lower and upper back pain, sciatica, poor circulation, subluxations of the spine, and constriction of the nerves.
Can you correct years of bad posture?
Yes, you can! But it’s going to take a little work, a little pain, and little perseverance to correct years of improper sitting and improper alignment of the spine. You are not only going to need a good posture corrector device, you are going to have to work on your posture daily. Remember, it’s not going to happen overnight. You need to constantly work on your posture on a day to day basis. It’s going to take your body and your mind a good amount of time to get used to the fact that you are no longer going to be sitting improperly. Good news is, there are 5 excellent ways you can combat poor posture.
Learn:
How to Fix Bad Posture Permanently with these 5 steps:
Step #1 Fix Bad Posture by Standing Correctly
The only way to fix a constrictive muscular imbalance is to do exactly the opposite of what you have been doing to get you there. If you have been sitting hunched over for the good part of the last 20 years, you have a lot of work to do to correct that.
Start your posture correcting journey by standing correctly.
Begin by standing tall, almost like you have a string attached to your head and it’s pulling you straight up.
Next, flex your abdominals and your glutes just enough to give you moderate muscle tone/flexure throughout the day.
Last, stick out your chest and drop your shoulders back and down.
This step alone can increase your confidence and help you see what your body should look like walking around.
In one study involving 62 students, researchers from Harvard Business School discovered that posture affected their attitude and memory. The students did power poses just before giving an important speech. Their postures positively affected their performances.
Step #2 Fix Bad Posture by Using a Standing Desk
The second thing you need to do to fix bad posture is you need to stop sitting all the time and start standing more often. Use step #1 and the posture corrector device in step #5 but do it over the long-term using step #2.
You will never correct your posture if you only have good posture when you are walking around. You need to create a habit of standing and correcting your posture throughout your day.
Most people spend 8-9 hours a day sitting in front of a computer. Find a standing desk that can help you correct your posture over time. If you need to alternate standing and sitting throughout the day to get through the first couple months, do that until you can stand the majority of the day.
I use the VARIDESK for my standing desk needs. It can be easily lifted up and down. It has lots of space for my monitors and keyboard and easily fits on top of my desk.
Step #3 Fix Bad Posture by Doing Posture Correcting Exercises
Correcting your posture needs to be a 24 hour a day progression. You do this by constantly being mindful of your posture and how you are allowing your body to rest. If you are sleeping, sleep on your back with a pillow under your knees.
The second part of the equation is strengthening the areas of the body that will assist you in sitting and standing in a correct position.
Do these 3 corrective exercises 2-3 times a day to see the best results. They may be difficult at first, but slowly build yourself up to fully completing these exercises:
- Find a flat bench and lay flat on your shoulder blades. Let your hips drop as far as they will go. Put your arms straight above your head and pull your chin down as far as you can toward your chest. Hold for 1 minute, 3 times a day. If you can only go for 10 seconds to begin with, build up your strength and endurance until you can get to the 1-minute mark.
- Find a wall, put your back against it, and stand straight and tall. Put your arms up it like a ref signaling touchdown. Run your arms up and down keeping your arms pressed into the wall. Push your arms as high up as you can. Then bring your elbows down as low as you can. When you get to the bottom, really try to squeeze your elbows back and try to squeeze your shoulder blades together. Do 3 sets of 8 twice a day.
- Do the YTWL shoulder circuit. This set of exercises will strengthen the posterior chain. It focusses on strengthening the hamstrings, glutes, erector spinae, rhomboids, rear delts, and the muscle regions of the shoulder and upper back. You can do this on an inclined bench or on a stability ball with your feet flat against the wall and knees slightly off the ground. This set of exercises is going to be a little harder to explain so I would just go to this link. Do 3 sets of 8 of each exercise, 2-3 times a week, once a day.
Step #4 Fix Bad Posture by Using a Stability Ball
If you feel like you need to sit some of the day, try sitting on a stability ball with correct posture. The stability ball is going to force you to use internal stabilizing muscles to keep you balanced and in good posture.
It might take some getting used to but you will quickly learn how beneficial sitting on an unbalanced surface can be for your stabilizer muscles.
Use your stability ball and stable posture to influence the way others perceive you. One study showed that your body language and posture influence the way your peers perceive and respond to you.
If you’re ready to make the change, try the heavy duty DYNAPRO Exercise Ball.
Step #5 Fix Bad Posture by Wearing a Posture Corrector
If by doing all 4 of the previous steps is too overwhelming, try forcing your body into correct position. A posture corrector could do just the trick.
The posture corrector will keep your spine aligned and your confidence high. It can fit comfortably under your clothes and will be a hidden way to get your body back into a healthy resting state.
One posture corrector device that I like is the TRUWEO Posture Corrector. The corrector is breathable, comfortable, adjustable, and can easily fit under your clothes.
Summary: How to Fix Bad Posture (Permanently)
Learning how to permanently fix bad posture requires concentration and effort. Just by doing these 5 things consistently over time, you are setting yourself up for better circulation, lung capacity, and a reduction in back pain, headaches, and joint pain. Correcting your posture can be a long and tedious journey, but if you have any desire to be upright, have confidence and less pain, you need to take these measures to get your body back in a strong and healthy resting position.
Do you suffer in your daily life from bad posture? Do you plan on putting in the effort to fix it? Could a quality posture corrector device do the trick? Leave me a comment below!
