Posture Correction Exercises

Posture is the position we default to while sitting, walking, standing and lying down. Several muscle groups are responsible for maintaining our posture and holding us upright against the forces of gravity; when these muscle groups are not working at optimum efficiency, it can lead to pain and other structural deficiencies.

Poor posture that goes uncorrected for a long period of time can lead to chronic back conditions such as Upper Crossed Syndrome, Lower Crossed Syndrome and Functional Scoliosis.

Although the name is not widely recognized, thousands of people primarily those with professions that require excessive sitting or standing, suffer from Upper Crossed Syndrome (UCS). It is identified with rounded shoulders, holding the head in front of the body and an apparent curve in the neck and upper back.

Commonly seen in the elderly population, UCS is the weakening and lengthening of posterior upper back and neck muscles as well as the tightening and shortening of the opposing anterior chest and neck muscles.

Similar to UCS, Lower Crossed Syndrome (LCS) is muscular imbalance in the lower back, legs, buttocks and abdominal region. This condition is also seen in office workers, athletes and those who sit or stand for excessive amounts of time or who have poor posture.

While Scoliosis is a spinal deformity with no known cause that causes a significant side curvature of the spine and usually requires surgery for correction, functional Scoliosis is caused by unequal leg length or chronic, poor posture that causes the spine to appear curved. It can be easily treated with proper exercise and improved posture.

Fortunately, these painful lower back conditions can be corrected. Regular chiropractic visits and adjustments with Dr. Nault are one solution, but there are also ways to improve your posture and take care of your lower back at home.

The most important correction to learn is how to sit with proper posture. The connective tissue fibers throughout your body tend to mold into place through repetitive motion, causing you to default to an incorrect position easily through long-term poor posture. Although it takes time and repetition, these connective tissues can be retaught the correct way to sit.

While sitting or standing, make it a point to keep your chin tucked, your shoulders pressed down, and your back straight. This is the correct way to sit, and it is the first building block to correcting your lower back conditions.

Below are some quick stretch exercises that are easy to incorporate into your day and effective at maintaining posture and managing back pain.

The Founder and The Lunge Stretch are part of our Spinal Exercise Program.