Posture

gMoney · Post by **gMoney** » 03 Nov 2007 08:02

So, I'm really tall, and according to the very large personal trainer working on the Royal Caribbean 'Adventure of the Seas' ship, my muscles can't keep up to the growth of my spine, which is causing me to have really bad posture. So the guy showed me all these lifting exercises that would benefit my back and make sure I don't have back problems when I get old. But besides that, are there any other ways people know about to improve posture? Especially while playing, since I've taken a few videos of myself shredding, and my posture is absolutely terrible. So if anyone knows any miracle posture exercises or remedies or stretches or anything, please post them

jay7 · Post by **jay7** » 03 Nov 2007 08:12

Get a comfortable belt, like, not hard leather, and put it around your shoulder area, and get somebody to tighten it for you. Just enough that your shoulders will push a bit together, but of course not until it hurts.

Obviously, this is a little bit crude, but I find when I am trying to remember to keep my posture I get pre-occupied, and forget about it. With this belt, first, you can't really slouch, and second, it will remind you if you try to

Zeb Jackson · Post by **Zeb Jackson** » 03 Nov 2007 08:39

See a specialist and ask him these questions?

Bringerofpie · Post by **Bringerofpie** » 03 Nov 2007 11:45

Just be conscious of your posture. Sit and stand straight.

gMoney · Post by **gMoney** » 03 Nov 2007 12:33

when I am trying to remember to keep my posture I get pre-occupied, and forget about it.

yeah, that's definately one of the major problems. it's like i remember to stand up straight and stuff, but after awhile it just flies by my mind.

and I'm already considering seeing a specialist, but I just kinda want to know others' opinions about it first. it hasn't gotten to to the point of being a really bad problem, so I just want to know if anyone has gone through the same experience or anything.

hacksterbator · Post by **hacksterbator** » 03 Nov 2007 15:34

jay7 wrote:Get a comfortable belt, like, not hard leather, and put it around your shoulder area, and get somebody to tighten it for you. Just enough that your shoulders will push a bit together, but of course not until it hurts.

Obviously, this is a little bit crude, but I find when I am trying to remember to keep my posture I get pre-occupied, and forget about it. With this belt, first, you can't really slouch, and second, it will remind you if you try to

so this belt idea, in my opinion, not so great. It's going to restrict movement. keeping your muscles in a contracted position for long periods of time without streching them can cause you to lose flexibility. If you don't use it, you lose it. Also, the muscles involved in scapular retraction (bringing your shoulderblades together) are trapezius and your major and minor rhomboids. These muscles have nothing to do with holding your torso upright. Your erector spinae are the muscles in your back that are involved in trunk extension and keep you upright. just like in using a lifting belt all the time for heavy weights, you are likely going to see a loss in strength and endurance when you take it off. With it on your muscles will need to work less to maintain that upright posture, so they will accomodate to this lesser stress.

Zeb's suggestion is a good one however. see a therapist or a certified fitness instructor.

so, slouching is characterized by kyphosis, which is an increased forward curvature of the thoracic spine. often we see this arise not a structural problem, but as a functional one.

so, question: when most men hit the gym, what are the things they generally want to see improved?
6 pack of rippling abs, muscular pecs, and v-shaped lats are some of the usual ones (you can also add big guns to this list).

so, the abdominals are the primary muscle involved in trunk flexion, they are what make you curl up forwards. your pectorals are involved in horixontal flexion of the shoulder. stick your arms straight out infront of you and clap, that's your pecs working horixontal flexion at the shoulder. your lats are big flat muscles on your lower back that actually act to extend your arm from the shoulder, and they also rotate your upper arm towards your body at the shoulder joint. (your biceps are what make you flex your elbow, but one of the tendons originates off of your shoulder blade and works at flexing at your shoulder too.)
so alot of people work at making these muscles bigger and stronger, but not every one makes sure to balance out the opposit muscle groups. You become much better and much stronger at culring up forwards, pulling your arms together, and pulling you arms backwards. If you know where all these muscle originate and insert, it becomes quite clear that if they are too tight, they are going to pull your trunk into a forward flexed position.
inorder to correct this kyphosis often people work at streching of their abdominals, streching pectoralis major, streching your lats. over time and with a proper flexibility program you are going to see improved flexibility of these muscles, and thus won't be pulled quite so much into this body position. In addition, most seek balance between their opposing muscle groups, and work at increasing the strength and muscular endurance of their back extensor muscles.
Of course if it's a structural problem this all goes out the window. A good trainer or therapist is the way to go towards fixing this problem.

edited: to make me sound like less of an ass... but don't let that fool you.

gMoney · Post by **gMoney** » 03 Nov 2007 19:28

Thanks for the help, Andrew. That post was definately a big help. I also talked to my mom about seeing a doctor, and she sounded optimistic about it and stuff. I also looked up a couple stretches that would help. So yeah, thanks

PegLegHolly · Post by **PegLegHolly** » 03 Nov 2007 20:51

i have a horrible slouch too, but i think mines partly medical. i have partial scoliosis from sharing a womb with my twin.

here is what ive been looking at:
http://health.ivillage.com/active/astre ... -2,00.html

i agree with seeing someone about it, since everyone is different and we arent doctors. better safe than sorry.

Bringerofpie · Post by **Bringerofpie** » 04 Nov 2007 07:24

PegLegHolly wrote:
i agree with seeing someone about it, since everyone is different and we arent doctors. better safe than sorry.

I'm actually two doctors put together.

QuantumBalance · Post by **QuantumBalance** » 05 Nov 2007 12:42

Try embracing you slouch. Try playing more slouched. Try learning non slouch AND super slouch style!

bdams19 · Post by **bdams19** » 08 Nov 2007 23:19

just work out your core. strengthen your abs and your lower back (doing back extensions, supermans, etc) and it will come naturally to you.

Pengu · Post by **Pengu** » 09 Nov 2007 20:03

bdams19 wrote:just work out your core. strengthen your abs and your lower back (doing back extensions, supermans, etc) and it will come naturally to you.

+1! You should get acquainted with a swiss ball. These exercises strengthen the core and are good for helping your posture. However, without ever seeing you, I can't guarantee that this is exactly what you need. I would still advise you to find a professional to make sure it's not just a muscular imbalance.

This guy demonstrates proper form and good exercises with the swiss ball very well. http://youtube.com/user/ridgelinefitness

Exercises such as these engage your core not only in the motion, but also in the attempt to stabilize your body and to balance on the swiss ball. For you, I suggest specifically from those videos:
- crunch
- alternating superman
- roll out
- back extention
- straight leg bridge

Good for footbag:
- knee tuck
- hamstring curls
- quad extentions

The twists would also be good to do if you have time. They not only feel really nice, but increasing flexibility is good in general for posture and for prevention of injury.

I may not be a doctor, but I am a certified fitness instructor.

Please have someone watch you when doing these exercises at first so you know you aren't dipping in the midsection. Improper form leads to injury. And avoid working your muscles to failure. That's not the intent of these exercises. Reps of 2-3 sets of 10-20.

gMoney · Post by **gMoney** » 11 Nov 2007 14:16

Thanks for the help, guys. My postures already getting better (slowly but surely.) I'm also going to try to see a doctor or something in like a week (my dad is opposed to it for some reason, saying that I just need to stand up straighter and don't need to see a doctor

Thank god for my mom.) I bought one of those Gold's Gym balance board and I've been doing some core exercises with that, but I'm going to buy a swiss ball soon, too.

gMoney · Post by **gMoney** » 13 Nov 2007 19:09

Talked to my regular doctor today, and she had a good look at me and said it definately wasn't a medical problem, I was just lazy and need to position myself better. Then she gave me a flu shot

Not like I care about the shot or anything though. So yeah I also might see a therapist that my mom knows (I think she's a chiropractor actually) and she said she'd take a look at me. But that's all I know so far.