Our mothers told us to sit and stand upright with good reason. An upright position improves your mood, boosts your confidence and prevents early degenerative spine disease that commonly leads to neck pain and low back pain.
In this article, we shall basically go over some of the few causes of poor posture plus the exercise you can do to strengthen your core muscles that are meant to keep you upright.
Some exercises have been handpicked as being able to improve posture but before we delve into that bit, let’s actually find out the common causes of bad posture.
Causes of poor posture
- Muscle weakness
In many physically unfit individuals, poor posture may occur unconsciously due to weakness in different muscle groups. Weak muscles can’t keep you erect for extended periods of time therefore you will adopt a poor posture.
2. Pain.
Pain is one of the most common causes of poor posture. In an attempt to relieve the pain, you may try to stand or sit in the most comfortable way which could unfortunately be with poor posture.
In addition to that, sitting for long hours especially at a desk can cause cramping of muscles and lead to pain.
3. Fatigue.
This is self explanatory. It could follow a long day at work or inadequate sleep but all in all, fatigue will make you adapt to the most comfortable position which often is not the best for your posture.
How do exercises improve posture?
Like all physical activities, the more you work at a certain muscle, the stronger it gets and then more muscles are recruited. The muscles found on the trunk are the ones that make-up the core. Exercises that strengthen the core keep you upright.
This is best achieved by doing compound exercises that work on many muscle groups.
Exercises that build great posture
There are many exercises to aid posture but these stood out.
- Planks
Get down on all fours. Support your body weight on your toes and hands. Stay in this position for 40 seconds.
Do 3 repetitions and increase the frequency as you get stronger.
2. Child pose
This is a versatile yoga pose. Kneel down on a mat and then rest your weight onto your legs then stretch out your hands in-front of you as far as possible, while keeping your back in line with your hands.
Hold for 20 seconds and repeat
3. Rowing exercises
These can be used with an elastic band or with a rowing machine. Mimic a rowing motion and move both forward and backward while arching your back as much as is comfortable.
Other tactics
- Set reminders for you to stretch and change position from time to time.
- Use props and supports to force you to sit or stand upright. Your 60-year-old self will thank you.
Caution.
Be warned that some medical conditions will present with an abnormal posture. These include scoliosis and pathological kyphosis of the spine. These conditions need different treatment modalities which range from physiotherapy, and bracing to surgery.
In conclusion, great posture is in itself prophylaxis to back pain and some other back-related issues. Poor posture can be caused by muscle weakness, pain, and fatigue.
Some exercises have been found to be helpful in strengthening your core muscles and keeping you upright and these include, planks, child pose and rowing exercises to mention a few.
