Hey you! Straighten up， tech neck!

5 Best Posture Improving Exercises

MoveU sent this email to their subscribers on April 18, 2024.

Have you ever seen a photo of yourself and wondered, “When did my posture start resembling that of a muppet?”

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We all know that having good posture is\xa0good for us, but the struggle to find\xa0and maintain\xa0it is real. For a more in depth look at the ways good posture improves your entire life, make sure you read our other blog where we show you how to access our free\xa0Posture Assessment Tool.\xa0

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For now, we’re going to give you five of the most effective exercises you can start doing now to get better alignment.

UNDERSTAND SPINAL FLEXION AND EXTENSION

Spinal\xa0flexion\xa0is the act of rounding forward. Your abdominals are the primary muscles used for this.\xa0

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Spinal\xa0extension\xa0is the opposite of flexion and you use your back and neck muscles to straighten your spine, tilt your head back, and arch your low back.\xa0

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While you want to be able to use your full\xa0range of motion\xa0and be strong in each of these end ranges, the real sweet spot, and most stable position, is in neutral - the position between the two extremes. Neutral is where you want your body to spend the majority of its time.

RECOGNIZE THE CAUSE: MODERN LIFESTYLES

There is nothing wrong with spinal flexion or rounding forward. However, most of us spend the\xa0majority of our time\xa0in this chronic state of flexion.\xa0

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Sitting on couches puts our bodies in flexion. Sitting at desks looking down at laptops puts our bodies in flexion. Doing anything on our phones or tablets puts our bodies in flexion. Do you see the pattern?

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Even those who do manual labor are spending a lot of time in a flexed posture: plumbers, mechanics, nurses, electricians, etc all spend a great deal of time rounding over their work.

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Again, there’s nothing wrong with rounding or flexing your spine! But without the counter balancing effect of strong extension muscles, our bodies will default to this hunched position. Too much time in flexion leads to problems - as does\xa0too much load\xa0under flexion.

WHY IS POOR POSTURE BAD FOR YOUR HEALTH?\xa0

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Poor posture is one of those “give it an inch, it’ll take a mile” scenarios. It may start in one area of your body (like jutting your\xa0neck forward), but before long it’ll travel to multiple areas of your body.\xa0

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Since we have another blog on the benefits of good posture, here’s a list of some of the bad stuff that comes from poor posture, for those of you who prefer a little negativity to kick your butt into action.\xa0

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Neck and\xa0back pain
Shoulder pain
Hip pain
Joint degeneration
Spinal dysfunction
Pins and needles
Numbness
Poor circulation
Restricted breathing
Stress
Fatigue
Tension headaches
Jaw pain
Tight and\xa0painful pelvic floor

Weakness, without intervention, leads to more weakness. The good news is that strength leads to more strength - provided you stay consistent.Here are 5 of our favorite exercises for stronger, more upright posture.