• abnormal wearing of joint surfaces that could result in arthritis.
• stress on the ligaments holding the joints of the spine together.
• spine becoming fixed in abnormal positions.
• fatigue because muscles aren’t being used efficiently
• strain or overuse problems.
• backache and muscular pain.
• constricted blood vessels and nerves
• headaches
Even worse, now that you are getting into an exercise routine, proper spine alignment combined with good flexibility is essential to getting the gains you want and preventing disc hurniation an spine damage while training!
So check your posture every day and before every set!
Stand against a wall and look for these key points:
• stand tall and feel your heels, butt, back of your shoulder blades (not edges), and back of your head touching the wall but looking straight ahead.
• Look for a small space both
o behind your neck (2 to 3 fingers width)
o behind your lower back (2 to 3 fingers width).
Now, hold that position, tighten your abs and take step away from the wall. Feels kind of funny doesn’t it? You may feel like you’re sticking your chest out too far, or your hips are in a funny position. These are all signs that you posture needs to improve.
Now pace yourself when adjusting your posture, don’t make any drastic changes. Slowly try to move your body toward that perfect wall posture day by day.
Try this out and let me know how it works for you. You will see visual results right away, but it may take time for your muscles to adapt so keep at it and your performance will increase!
Great Post! Posture is key and paying attention to it is the first step. However correct posture shouldn’t require a conscious effort. the right exercises can and will correct your posture before you start your “workout”. Check out the book Heath Through Motion by Pete Egoscue. His techniques have helped everyone from athletes to grandparents improve their posture, improve performance, and eliminate chronic pain!
Thanks for the input, and you’re right… There are many exercises out there that can strengthen all the proper muscle groups that assist with posture. As you change the resting length of some of those muscle groups you will get to the point where it takes almost no effort to stand tall and strong. It takes some work and focus on exercise to get there, so keep at it!