I was wondering if posture is always able to be corrected through exercises/stretching/release techniques etc. Is anyone capable of achieving a postural “ideal” or are we all limited by our own skeletal structure?
If one has, say, a roundeed upper back and does thoracic exts’ till the cows come will his progress be limited to what his skeleton can actually do?
Eric Cressey and Mike Robertson get into this in Building the Efficient Athlete. There are differences between muscle imbalances/tightness/ and pathologies (degenerated bone, torn muscles/tendons/ligaments, bone spurs,etc).
If there is a pathology hindering posture, that has to be handled by a qualified professional in that field. If there are no pathologies, then the theoretical “perfect posture” is used as a temple to determine what muscles need to be strengthened, enlongated, or what areas need soft tissue work.
The short answer is that not everyone will be able to correct postural problems. It never hurts to give it a solid try. It really depends on the cause. I have had kyphosis since I was very little and I am now 35. I have tried to correct it for many, many years. I have made some improvements, but it’s still there.
Not always, in that severe problems such as osteoporosis of the spine can make it impossible, or scoliosis may not be able to be fully corrected, and perhaps there are other congenital problems that could be limiting.
But generally speaking, it’s the muscles, fascia, and nervous system. The vast majority with bad posture can improve to at least better-than-average posture and often to about perfect.
Three resources are recommended:
I am not positive that these therapies do anything that a GOOD deep tissue massage therapist doesn’t, other than give instruction on how to hold oneself better. Just unsure, as the action on the muscles seems the same to me.
The “Warming Up Inside Out” video sold on this site.
If upper spine has too much forward curvature, spending 5 minutes at a time occasionally on a “Monster Fun Noodle” – sold in stores during the summer as these solid foam tubes several inches in diameter that one can grab and float with – lying down upon it. I learned that one from TC.
Walking for 5-10 minutes with a straight stick or board between the hands, behind the back (and arms at a natural lowest position.) This pretty much forces at least approximately correct shoulder position and scapular retraction. Try to hold the head back as well.
Few with bad posture can “overdo” it, there’s little need to fear that you might be holding your head too far back or the shoulders too pulled back. Those are possible, though unlikely to be an issue, when having good posture but not before then.
Stretching the pecs and shoulders, e.g. using a doorway or corner.
Strengthening the rhomboids and traps, if relevant.
Make a point of keeping shoulders back, scapulae retracted. You’re unlikely to overdo this while still having bad posture.
Usually the pelvis needs to be rotated a little forward compared to those having good posture.
Imagine vertical planes at your chest, lower back, and abs. The planes should shift up at the chest generally in those with poor posture, and for those also with the pelvies tilted back, up at the abs, and a little down at the back.
Scheuermann’s disease is structural and can’t be fully corrected with exercise.
It can be managed very vell though, especially if you get onto it when youre young.
Thanks for all the replies. I definetly have kyphosis and have since i was young (now 25 years old). I have always been self-concious of it, increasingly so as i got older. After all the reading done on this site i see how the kyphosis has exaberated/created issues with shoulders and i wantot keep them healthy. I do have 2 slight scoliosis and very poor mobilty in my hips which i am sure has added to the problem overtime. Although never diagnosed, i may look into Scheurmans disease that AndrewDixon mentioned as i see strong evidence for it (particulary when bending over)0. Thanks all.
Hip mobility can also be improved with deep tissue massage, and you’re right, that’s often a root of problems.
Most deep tissue massage therapists reportedly (I learned from my Active Release therapist) are not good at this and accomplish little or nothing, but some are and can give significant improvement.
[quote]cskolnick wrote:
Thanks for all the replies. I definetly have kyphosis and have since i was young (now 25 years old). I have always been self-concious of it, increasingly so as i got older. After all the reading done on this site i see how the kyphosis has exaberated/created issues with shoulders and i wantot keep them healthy. I do have 2 slight scoliosis and very poor mobilty in my hips which i am sure has added to the problem overtime. Although never diagnosed, i may look into Scheurmans disease that AndrewDixon mentioned as i see strong evidence for it (particulary when bending over)0. Thanks all. [/quote]
Can you reverse you thoracic spine? If you lift your arms up and back, sticking your chest out, does your spine fully extend or do certain vertebre pop out…or are you way off?
Youll need someone to assess obviously.
If you can reverse your spine, or reverse all but a few random vertebre, you can work with the foarm roller on those points/
I’d then do what Paul Chek suggested and set your watch to beep every 15mins to que you to stand up straight.
You could just be lazy.
I think’s not really correct usually to say lazy. More generally, where there’s not a congenital problem, it’s the mind having the wrong idea of how the body should be held, and conforming to that wrong idea.
(Some references on that: Sweigard. The Human Potential: Isokinetic Facilitation. 1974.
Todd. The Thinking Body: A Study of the Balancing Forces of Dynamic Man. 1968 (reprint)
Franklin: Dynamic Alignment Thtough Imagery. 1996.
The mind, or the learned concept in the mind of how the body should stand, is quite key. Most with bad posture really do not “feel,” internally, in terms of mental perception that they are far off kilter. Rather the head forward, shoulders rolled forward, kyphosis, lordosis etc is thought internally as being about right: and once the mental picture changes and necessary stretching occurs, other than with congenital defects which the nervous system and fascia or shortened muscles have nothing to with, marked improvement occurs.
The advice Andrew Dixon gave to have someone expert in this formally assess is something that should definitely be done.