It’s Time to Straighten Up – How to Fix Bad Posture
Slouching is cool – if you’re looking at a pair of boots, trying to get your jeans to fit right, or you’ve found the ‘perfect’ purse. However, if its you’re posture that’s slouching, its time to make a change to help your health now and in the future.
I’ll never forget my mother telling me to ‘Sit Up Straight! You’re going to look like the hunchback of Notre Dame!’, every night at the dinner table. I would always groan and roll my eyes as I would sit up straighter. However, now I know my mother was only trying to help me – look my best when I was older and prevent serious back issues in the future.
Rounding your shoulders or slouching in your chair will not only make you look like ‘the hunchback of Notre Dame’ – and yes he got his golden opportunity – but he had to hide in shame for years before that happened. You won’t have to hide in shame, if you have a rounded back, but you will never give you the hot body you want – even if you spend hours in the gym. On top of that you are opening up the door for a flood of back and joint pains in the future – including reduced flexibility and use of your muscles – hindering your ability to have an effective flat stomach workout.
However – hope is not out the window yet!
Take a picture of yourself – from head to toe. Look at the picture and assess what you see. Below are some common problems and their quick fixes to help you make sure that the only thing slouching around you are your boots.
If you can see your shoulder blades….your back is too rounded. Why? This is caused by weak muscles in your back – specifically your traps.
Quick Fix – Make sure to include movements for your back and shoulder muscles in your workouts. Some great examples include: Single Arm Dumbbell Row, Seated Cable Row, or an Incline Dumbbell row.
If your hips are tilted forward…you have an anterior pelvic tilt. This means that you have tight hip flexors.
Quick Fix - Follow a stretching routine after every workout – especially when you do cardio or a leg workout. A great stretch for your hip flexors is the warrior stretch. This stretch will help losen your hip flexors and help you make sure that your shoulders and hips aren’t in danger of being rounded.
Making sure to sit up straight whenever you are sitting down is also a great way to ensure that your shoulders will not get rounded. Keep your core tight and your back will say thank you years down the line.
Keep these things in mind daily, as well as consciously being aware of your posture to make sure that the only thing slouching this season is your purse or your boots, not your back and shoulders.
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