fitness: does exercise improve posture?
sedentary activities aren’t the only habits that destroy posture. the repetitive demand of certain sports leads to imbalances in strength and flexibility that eventually throw off alignment.
4 minute read
yoga and pilates showed positive results in correcting specific postural deficiencies and whole body alignment, researchers found.
peter mccabe
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montreal gazette files
wouldn’t it be great if fixing your posture was as simple as following your mother’s advice to “sit up straight” and “pull your shoulders back”? that’s not to say mom’s advice is without merit. both tactics are effective at coaxing your body into alignment. but it takes more than the occasional postural reset to make up for years of slouching at work and home, staring down at your phone and spending hours at a poorly designed workstation.
sedentary activities aren’t the only habits that destroy posture. the repetitive demand of certain sports leads to imbalances in strength and flexibility that eventually throw off alignment. left unchecked, discomfort, compromised balance and joint and muscular tension negatively affect athletic performance, especially among those who demand the most from their bodies. a swimmer’s rounded shoulders, the sway in a gymnast’s low back and tight hip flexors in runners are examples of musculoskeletal imbalances that come from years of repeating the same movement patterns.
sometimes it’s easy to see where posture has gone wrong. but even those who exhibit great posture while standing may fall out of alignment during movement, which means there are static and dynamic aspects of good posture. it’s these nuances that have fostered plenty of debate about the best method to ensure the head, neck, shoulders, rib cage, pelvis, legs and feet all stack comfortably on top of the other.
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given that most experts blame poor posture on muscular imbalances, it makes sense to suggest that stretching and strengthening exercises can right postural wrongs. strengthening muscles that are weak and lengthening those that are tight seems an obvious strategy, but some people use braces or taping to correct alignment.
to find out more about the effectiveness of exercise on posture, a trio of brazilian researchers reviewed 22 studies focusing on exercise related treatment options for common types of postural disfunction (forward head, rounded shoulders, curvature of the spine). their goal was to gather information on the specifics of the intervention, including which muscles should be targeted, how often they should be stretched or strengthened, how many repetitions deliver the best results and how long it takes before posture improves.
most of the studies included both strengthening and stretching exercises and reported positive changes in posture anywhere from two to eight weeks after the start of the routine. three sets of 12-15 repetitions of strengthening exercises and stretches held for 30 seconds offered the best improvements in neck and shoulder alignment, provided the exercise routine was performed a minimum of twice a week.
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yoga and pilates also showed positive results in correcting specific postural deficiencies and whole body alignment. both practices included static and dynamic stretching and strengthening exercises using body weight as the primary source of resistance. in the case of pilates, balls and foam rollers were also used to increase joint range of motion and exercise intensity.
peter levidis, a montreal-based athletic therapist and strength coach, treats postural deficiencies in athletes and desk jockeys. he says most people ignore their posture until they encounter pain. he also says that injuries are another cause of postural problems as body structures compensate, often to the detriment of alignment, to avoid the pain associated with injury. sometimes posture improves as the injury improves. but often poor postural habits picked up while nursing an injury stick around long after the pain subsides.
levidis prescribes a variety of stretching and strengthening exercises based on the specific problem, but also sings the praises of pilates and yoga. but most of all he’s a fan of prevention.
“i can prescribe the best exercises on the planet, but they won’t work if habits don’t change,” he said.
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levidis emphasizes the importance of incorporating more movement breaks into the day, which he wishes would become as ingrained a habit as brushing our teeth. the more breaks we make to our sedentary routine the less likely it is that our body will settle too long in an unhealthy position. stand up and stretch, go for walk or do a couple of light chores — the idea isn’t to break a sweat but rather to break the routine.
the same advice goes for the active set. incorporate movement patterns that provide relief from your regular exercise routine into your daily workout schedule. cross train, add mobility exercises to your warmup and/or cool down and consider augmenting your training regime with yoga or pilates.
you also need to be patient. levidis says when it comes to realigning your body, progress is slow. he videotapes his clients to provide before and after evidence as changes tend to occur in small increments and can largely go unnoticed. but with patience and an effective exercise and daily movement routine, the head slowly reestablishes itself over the shoulders, the shoulders over the hips, hips over knees and knees over ankles. movement becomes freer, pain dissipates, and athletic performance improves.
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perfect posture is always a work in progress, which is why you shouldn’t ignore you mother’s advice to sit up straight and throw your shoulders back.
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