A common mistake in posture exercises is that some activities don’t improve your posture but instead help you “hold” your pose better. And the third (and most interesting) mistake in posture exercises is that some activities make a mistake in your posture worse.
Staying fit is challenging without the proper guidance. There are so many variables, advice, and fads that it can be easy to lose your bearings. Even something as simple as maintaining a good posture can be challenging. But why? Because there are so many different opinions on posture and what is considered good posture. Some people say you should always have perfect posture, regardless of whether you’re sitting or standing. Others suggest maintaining a neutral spine, not slouching or leaning to one side too much.
Here are the common mistakes people make when trying to improve their posture:
1. You’re spending too much time doing back strengthening exercises and not enough time on posture-strengthening exercises
Many people spend a significant amount of time strengthening their lower back and core muscles but don’t do enough time doing posture exercises. If you improve your back too much, you could increase the curve in your lower back and make your posture worse. When you strengthen your core and back muscles, you increase the tension in those muscles. This can pull your shoulders and head forward and improve the curve in your lower back. It would help if you did exercises that stretch your shoulders and run backward to correct your posture and alignment. If you’re struggling with bad posture, doing both posture-strengthening and postural exercises is essential. You can do postural exercises like standing with your head backward and looking at the ground behind you. Another posture exercise you can do is standing with your feet together, knees slightly bent, tucking your tailbone in, and bringing your shoulders back.
2. You’re focusing on the wrong muscles when doing posture exercises
When you’re doing posture exercises, you should focus on your core and hips. It would help if you practiced exercises stretching and strengthening your lower back and core muscles. Exercises like crunches, sit-ups, and planks don’t work the muscles in your core the way you need them to. Yoga poses are the best posture exercises to target the muscles in your lower back and core. Your lower back and core muscles can be strengthened and stretched with yoga poses like the pigeon pose and the frog pose. Yoga poses also help improve your balance, focus, and attention span, which can help you with other areas of your life.
3. You’re sitting too much – especially at a desk job
Sitting too much, especially at a desk job, is one of the people’s biggest posture mistakes. We spend most of our day sitting down, whether taking a break from work or working in an office job. But modern lifestyles have created new challenges for our bodies and posture. This can make it difficult to maintain good posture. A bad posture when sitting can lead to neck, shoulder, and back pain. It can also cause you to feel more tired and lethargic and cause poor circulation. Bad sitting posture can also increase your risk for muscle and joint degeneration, carpal tunnel syndrome, and sciatica pain. Maintaining a good posture while sitting is essential, but it’s not always easy. But there are lots of tips and tricks you can use to help maintain good posture.
Another interview for you today is on posture.
The interview is with Dr. Natalie Cordova.
Click Here to listen to the posture exercise interview.
Big Posture Exercise Mistakes Fitness Professionals Make
In the interview, Dr. Natalie Cordova shares with you:
- What a fitness professional should look at when it comes to the posture of their client
- Two ways that a fitness professional can help out their clients
- How can you use exercise to counterbalance the stresses of life
- Common postural issues people have
- Focusing on the posture of pain reasons but also for health
- Muscles that need to be focused on when it comes to posture
- Why should we focus on posture and not just on the spine
- Where her passion for posture started
- Who is Dr. Natalie Cordova
Dr. Natalie Cordova is a posture expert, chiropractor, and health educator in Houston, Texas.
Rick Kaselj, MS
Here are some other articles on posture that might interest you:
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