Bad posture

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Does anyone else feel like they have bad posture or issues knowing how to stand? I feel like I'm very unaware of to hold my own body up.

I stumbled across this video on YouTube and it made me wonder if there's any exercises I could do strengthen my problem muscles.

I think my neck is ok, but I slump in my seat too much at work and probably when I stand.

As a result of constantly being told to "sit/stand up straight" as a kid, my back is usually ramrod straight. I was very confused when I kept getting these comments even when my back was straight, until I realized the problem - it's my shoulders. I usually have my shoulders hunched forward, and that makes it look like I'm not sitting/standing straight. It's still a habit I need to get rid of, though, because it's bad for my shoulders. I just need to remember that "sit/stand up straight" in my case means "shoulders back."

Yeah, I think my shoulders are part of the issue. I may lack strength in my view muscles too.

I also have flat feet which I think has a knock on effect up my body.

I wonder if I should go and see a physiotherapist.

Oh my goodness, I've gone down a youtube rabbit hole. These guys in shirts and ties teaching exercises

I used to be told to hold my shoulders up instead of hunching over. I have learnt to hold my shoulders up now - but my belly sticks out and I look pregnant.

What's a gal to do?

I was taught that it was the job of my bones to hold me up, and my muscles to move me, but not that muscles also had to hold the spine straight, etc. An interest in examining small things also craned my neck forward and produced nearsightednes. I was lucky to enjoy making some big things, or I could have slumped badly. Now, I have to train a bit like an athlete just to stay mobile and not slouch even more. The set exercises bore me, so I just move around until everything feels like it has been stretched moderately. I'm getting fussy about my chair, too.

My posture is awful but I am trying to fix it. I sort of lurch everywhere but it was the look of shock on my friends face when I stood up straight and they saw my full height that made me determined to fix it. Also I'm fairly tall for a female (5"10) and tall people tend to have back problems. I've had mine be worse and I would not like to go through that again.

I am a little hunched over. Mild scoliosis has to do with that. Horseback riding and piano helps with my posture, but I'm always naturally slouching, and it's not intentional.

Bad posture is complete nonsense. Physiotherapists and chiropractors are not medical doctors or surgeons.
I would not take the advice from non-medical doctors, they are quacks!
Over time our bodies degenerate and maintaining a stiff, rigid posture will not stop the inevitable wear and tear of the ageing process.

Someone can have perfect posture but make the mistake of lifting something beyond his/her physical limits or a car accident or a traumatic event and you are crippled for life.

I believe Physiotherapy is real.... You can get it on the NHS and your GP refers you to them... They do more than help with your back and posture does effect the levels of pain etc you feel and chronic pain is not good for you. I went because I had knee pain that was making it hard to walk and was making me cry and now I can walk for multiple hours with no problems.... Chiropractors on the other hand...

Good posture helps all my organs work without struggling, and makes moving both easier and more graceful. It usually takes a bit of pain to remind me to get better than mediocre, though. Or, the sight of some other whitehead with their head slung forward like a buzzard's, struggling to walk.

In '00, I had my arm in a sling, and very nearly got a frozen shoulder before some medico told me to move it. I had to go for over a dozen physiotherapy sessions. (Interestingly, the therapist used to tell me about her business plans, etc, which she never did with others.) In '07, I did a bit of carrying one day, and woke up the next with the other shoulder unable to raise my arm above level. After 6 months of doctor visits, I got my DX - there was something wrong with my shoulder. They didn't even bother translating it into Latin. Then, one visit to a "natural talent" massage therapist fixed it, again over the next night. I've had similar cures before, and heard of others first-hand.

I have heard many cautions about chiropractors, and am sure that many of them only do enough to encourage repeat visits, but there is at least one who only sees most patients once, because they stay fixed. Other natural healers may work as massage therapists or other specialties. I have extensive experience in massage, and the treatment that fixed my shoulder was one of the light touch variety, doing very subtle work.

In '17, I had a simple fracture of the thumb, and I would have been far better off just taking care of it myself. The bureaucrat-ridden medical system in rural Canada is a tragicomedy of bunglers. They never did set it, and ruined my general health by making me dash off to distant appointments. At the same time, a stubbed big toe led to the nail not growing. The official diagnosis was fungus, and the cure was an oral fungicide, with monthly blood tests to see if my liver was going to survive the treatment. Instead, I did a search, and tried Tea Tree oil. The nail is now healthy, and almost grown out, for one drop per after-bath.

I’ve been working on my posture lately too. The top of my spine was out of alignment and my muscles compensated and my hips and shoulders were uneven and twisted. I had bad posture habits from years of dance classes too: pulling in and holding my abdomen tight and holding my chest so upright that I straightened the natural curve of my spine. I noticed the arches I had when I was younger had fallen too. I worked on my feet with some targeted yoga and I was surprised at how quickly my muscles took to it and wanted to have proper arches. I’ve been retraining my spine and my curve is returning as well. I bought a set of massage balls and accompanying book to help my muscles relax and find their proper aligment. I measured around my ribs at full inhale with my old, spine straight posture and again with the proper curve in my spine and there was a measurable difference. I feel like I’ve been depriving my body of oxygen with my bad posture habits for years. I hope to work on my interoception this year too and see if I can learn to sense my own heart and breathing rates.

Gosh, yes. If I walk around with a stone in my shoe, trying to shift my weight to avoid it, I can easily throw out any or many other joints and get hobbled by pains.

Being comfortable and slouching in a chair is far better than being stiff, rigid and uncomfortable. Walking with a hunch back and being active matters more than being upright like a soldier. Spinal degeneration and compression over time as we age is real. I would not pay to see physiotherapists, chiropractors or massage therapists that just make me keep coming back and take my money. There was an article online that debates that posture does not create pain or lead to muscle degeneration. Podiatry, physiotherapists, chiropractors and various health professional have bought into the Posture or muscle unbalance theory is unproven by medical or scientific evidence.

A heavy fall, car accident, workplace accident, gym injury, etc our lives can change in an instant. To say it is just posture, is nonsense. There are so many factors involved, neuromuscular, age, accident, deformities/disabilities you were born have a greater influence than maintaining a good posture.

Posture is linked to our habits and personality that we have developed over time. It is unlikely we are going to change or correct posture. A good posture for one person may be a bad posture to another person. Unlikely we are going to change our ways and correct our posture assuming it is a good posture. Old habits die hard. It is debatable whether or not posture can be corrected or changed over time from a bunch of expensive massages or doing some stretches or exercises.

Last edited by Rainbow_Belle on 11 Jan 2020, 11:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.

https://www.painscience.com/articles/posture.php
"Health-conscious people are haunted by the idea that they “should” correct their posture, and many fight a chronic, uncertain, and tedious battle against self-imposed or careless crookedness, primarily as self-defense against common problems like neck pain, headaches, and especially low back pain. But is it a wild goose chase? Are aches and pains caused by “poor posture” in the first place? Even if they can, is it actually possible to improve posture? The ways that we sit and stand and walk are among the strongest of all habits, with deep roots in personality — and so changing your posture may be just as difficult as quitting smoking or potato chips. It had better be worth the effort!

After working as a massage therapist for many years, I became confident that poor posture is a “real” thing,1 a genuine source of partially preventable physical stress and therefore a factor in chronic pain, mostly later in life. But it’s not a straightforward business, this posture stuff! There aren’t many “easy wins” for people here. And there’s plenty of potential to waste time and money — or even get hurt.2 Delving deeper into the topic as a journalist, studying the scientific literature and learning more from countless readers and experts, I have developed many reasonable doubts about posture’s importance. In particular, I believe that many health professionals pathologize posture, exaggerating its importance to justify costly therapy — all with good intentions, of course.

This doorstopper of an article thoroughly explores strategies for postural improvement that may be helpful, but I also explain why the idea of “poor posture” is mostly much ado about nothing — a problem in theory, but only a minor problem in practice. If your main issue is unexplained or stubborn aches and pains, there are probably better ways to spend your time than reading this, such as being more physically active … which is probably more important than anything about posture."