Posture braces are a good aid in correcting your posture, but knowing what bad posture looks and feels like is just as important as a good posture brace. Hopefully I can shed a little light on what bad posture is, so you can be more informed.

How many times did you hear “don’t slouch” or “stand tall” while growing up? I must have heard that a million times from my father and grandpa. Both in the military, but they knew that having good posture was more than just looks or portraying confidence. They knew that having correct posture also lead to a healthier back. Having correct posture can be broken down into two specific segments.

1.    Dynamic – Dynamic posture is described as your bodies alignment while in motion or performing a task. Examples of dynamic posture would include lifting, bending, running, or any other movement where your spine will be changing angles.

2.    Static – Static posture is where your spine is in a idle position. If you’re sitting while reading this post, then your posture is in a static position.

Knowing what correct dynamic and static posture feels like will help you in identifying where your opportunities exists and eventually you will start correcting your posture naturally. As with any habit breaking exercise, patience is crucial. That’s also why a posture brace might be able to speed up the process, but I will dive into what to look and feel for without posture aid device.

Static Posture

Standing, sitting and sleeping are the three static posture activities that you deal with most. So it goes without saying that those three activities I will touch upon.

Standing is the most complicated activity (at least in my mind). There are perceived correct standing positions. Standing at attention is one that often gets mistaken for correct standing posture. In reality if you stand with your shoulders back for a considerable amount of time you will notice just how uncomfortable that stance can be. It also puts a strain on your shoulders and lower back.

What you should do is to get in front of a full length mirror and start sizing yourself up. Take a look at your natural standing position. Don’t try and correct yourself when your assessing. Take note of your shoulders, mid-section, knees and head position.

  • Shoulder Position - Your shoulders should be aligned with your spine. Curvature on the spine will cause your shoulders to slump forward. This slumping position will create havoc on your lower back.
  • Mid-Section - Some of us are a little more heavier than others, so this might be subjective. In the mirror turn to the side and check the middle of your back. What you don’t want to see is a reverse C or sway back. In other words you don’t want your back bow in. Suck in your mid-section and you will see what your back should look like. As the picture to the right indicates…imagine a dotted line from the center of your head down to your ankles.
  • Knees – Knees are simple. Slightly bent and never stand at a great length with your knees locked. Have you ever seen someone pass out at a wedding? Besides nerves people in stressful situations lock their legs. This causes restricted blood flow to the brain leading to loss of consciousness. Just remember, feet shoulders width apart and knees slightly bent.
  • Lower Back - The lower back and mid-section goes hand in hand. You want a slight natural curve in your lower back.

Practice, Practice, Practice

A good exercise to getting you to feel what correct standing posture feels like is to practice the wall exercise. Place your butt up against a wall with your heels roughly two inches off the wall…remember knees bent slightly. Now place your shoulder blades and the back of your head against the wall.  This feeling should mimic the look of correct standing posture.

Some other best practices to improving your standing posture:

  1. For the ladies. High heels are terrible for your lower back. Yes, they are a must for fashion, but for overall posture health…they are a posture faux pas. A comfortable ergonomic shoe might not look sheik, but it will save your back down the road.
  2. Don’t stand for long periods of time in one place. If you work where standing one place is part of your job, then try to take breaks or stretch often to keep your back muscles relaxed.
  3.  Exercising your back. Through out my blog I touch on exercises that built back muscle. A fit and strong back will promote a healthy standing posture.

 

More to come…