All About Posture
Welcome back to the Total Performance Newsletter! If you are a new subscriber and did not receive previous editions, let me know and I will send them over right away! This month, we will be continuing with our "Daily Habits" series, and will be taking a look at posture. First, I will start with some basics about posture. Then, I will get into some common posture "issues" that I come across, and finally I will go through a sequence of exercises that can be used to "improve" your posture. Yes, "issues" and "improve" are in quotes for a reason, which will be explained below.
Posture Basics
To start, lets define posture as the natural resting position that someone assumes. This can be in sitting, standing, or laying down-the key is that it is not a position someone actively tries to hold (like "sitting up straight"), but rather the position that the body just goes to.
As I have mentioned in previous newsletters, there is no such thing as "perfect posture." In fact, I would venture to say there is not even good or bad posture. Instead, posture just gives us information. Our bodies are naturally lazy, and it will always default to the path of least resistance in order to preserve energy. So, when we observe someone in their natural, resting posture, this provides us information as to what movement strategies someone has available to them, and which ones are most efficient to that person at that particular point in time. This also gives us information as to what movement strategies may not be available, and as a result, which specific motions may be limited. In terms of pain or injury, these potential limitations may be contributing factors. More specifics on this below.
With efficiency and minimizing energy expenditure in mind, it is important to note that when we are trying to change posture, these changes should not be something that needs to be actively held or forced, but rather just the resting state that your body defaults to. More on the specifics of how we do this are below under "Improving Posture."
Common Posture "Issues"
Let's start this section by addressing why "issues" is in quotes. As made obvious above, there is no real issue with a specific posture and there is no posture that is better or worse than another. Instead, the value in looking at someone's posture is that it gives information into how that person may move, which can then potentially correlate with pain or injury they may be experiencing. So, we can use resting posture as just one indicator of how our treatment is changing the movement options someone has available to them. Typically, more movement options = better movement mechanics = less pain. Now, let's dive into 2 of the most common "issues" that I come across.
The most common posture "issue" that I typically see is being stuck in one position for a prolonged period of time. While no specific posture is inherently bad, being stuck in any one posture or position for a prolonged period time is where problems occur. This goes for slouching, standing up tall, or any other postural positions we tend to utilize. If we are stuck in one position or just use one movement strategy over and over again, we place repetitive stress on specific areas. Over time, this repetitive stress can lead to motion limitations and therefore, contribute to various aches, pain, and injury. Put simply, "the best posture is the next posture" or "static is the enemy." Here is a video link to provide a visual of this: https://youtu.be/Gl2J_kEIYZ8
Another common posture "issue" that people worry about is slouching, and then over-correcting for it by "standing up tall." It is fair to say that if you are slouched all day long, you are creating compression and tension throughout various parts of your chest, shoulders, trunk, neck, and upper back. However, if you over-correct by standing up tall and following the common advice of "pulling your shoulders back", now you are just creating compression and tension in different parts of the upper back, shoulders, trunk, low back, and neck. It is a "robbing Peter to pay Paul" situation. While the intention of not slouching may have value, the common over-correction just moves the problem somewhere else. Here is a video link to provide a visual of this: https://youtu.be/iWcKVv4rZZM
"Improving" Posture
Let's start this section off with why "improving" is in quotes. When we talk about improving posture, we are not trying to improve a posture by itself. Instead, we are looking to see if our treatment approach is changing posture in a way that would indicate we have increased or improved the range of motion/movement strategies that our body has available. Now, let's dive into some specific ways to make these changes.
The first step of "improving" posture is simply having an awareness of your body and being sure to shift positions on a regular basis. This is especially helpful for people who find themselves stuck in one position for prolonged periods of time. For these people, I suggest doing what I call check-ins. It is very simple-just take a pause in whatever you are doing and figuring out where your body is in space. Have you been slouching for a while? Or trying to sit up tall? Have you been standing on your right leg for too long? Have you been leaning more on your left side versus your right while driving? Whatever you find, the goal is just to move into a new position. This can include anything from getting up and going for a walk or just shifting your weight to the other side. At first, these check-ins usually have to be frequent and require some cognitive effort, but they become more natural and require less attention the more you do them.
A more specific version of this check-in strategy is something I call the "chin tuck/breathing check-in." This is specifically for people who find themselves in the typical slouch/forward head posture. To do this, you want to start by putting your finger on your chin-you will probably notice it juts forward. From here, you want to perform a chin tuck-gently push your chin backwards towards your neck and move the top of your head upwards. Move back and forth between the extreme ranges of motion (chin jutted forward, chin tucked) a few times, and then rest somewhere in the middle between those two positions. The point of this is to bring awareness to where you head/neck is in space, and then find a neutral, relaxed position-it is important to remember we are not stretching or strengthening any muscles-we are just bringing awareness to a position. Once you find a neutral neck position, we are going to move on to the breathing portion. Put one hand on your chest and one on your lower back. Take long, slow, deep, relaxed, inhales through your nose, with long, slow, relaxed exhales through your mouth. As you breath in, you should feel a gentle expansion in your chest and your low back-if you get these spots, you know that breathing in a nice, 360 degree manner. As you exhale, you should feel these areas "deflate" and relax. After a few breaths, let your arms hang and feel where you body is-everything should feel relaxed and neutral and you should feel like you are less slouched without putting in any effort. You can do this a few times throughout the day as you build awareness. Here is a video link to demonstrate: https://youtu.be/bqXG64FskTI
Finally, here is an exercise sequence that can improve your natural resting posture. Each person can utilize different combinations of these exercises depending on what specific limitations they may have, but going through this sequence will cover all your bases. Basic idea behind this sequence is to open up all areas of the ribcage/trunk, and then utilize this increased range of motion to help make it stick. Sets, reps, and cues to remember are listed below, and the names of the exercises are links to demonstration videos:
Sidelying Rib Smash Breathing; 2-3 sets of 6-8 breaths per side, per set
use a yoga block or foam roller; inhale through your nose, exhale through your mouth with slow, controlled, relaxed breathing; slowly melt into the yoga block/foam roller with each breath; purpose here is to expand the ribcage front to back, which allows for better motion
Quadruped Breathing; 2-3 sets of 6-8 breaths per set
hips gently tucked, upper back gently pushed away from hands, eyes just in front of hands; inhale through your nose, exhale through your mouth with slow, controlled, relaxed breathing; as you inhale, should feel gentle stretch in upper back-do not lose position as you exhale; purpose is to open up back of ribcage/trunk, decreasing the tension caused by slouching or pulling shoulder blades back
Hooklying Pullover w/Breathing; 2-3 sets of 8-10 reps per set
as you reach overhead, inhale through your nose; exhale through your mouth as you return to starting position; only reach as far as you can without ribs flaring or lower back arching; should feel gentle stretch in chest as you reach overhead/inhale; purpose is to open up front of ribcage and decrease compression caused by prolonged slouching
Seated Alternating Rows; 2-3 sets of 8-10 reps per side, per set
start with long arms, feeling a gentle stretch in the upper/mid back; perform rows in alternating fashion while eyes/chest stay pointed forward; when each arm is long, allow it to reach long and feel gentle stretch in upper/mid back; purpose is to use the range of motion gained from previous exercises to help it stick better
Alternating DB Floor Press; 2-3 sets of 8-10 reps per side, per set
inhale through your nose as you lower each arm, exhale through your mouth as you press up; should feel gentle stretch in chest as you lower each arm; purpose is to use the range of motion gained (especially in chest) from previous exercises to help it stick better
Usually we can see pretty quick changes with this sequence of exercises, and as long as we continue to follow a well rounded, individualized training program then we should see them stick long-term!
Hopefully this provided a comprehensive overview to the ins and outs of posture and maybe cleared up some common misconceptions!
Stay tuned for next month’s newsletter, where will we move on from the "Daily Habits" series and start to talk about more specific rehab/training topics. Also, if you have any topics that you want to see covered in a future newsletter, please let me know!
Brett
