Are you tired of trying to correct your posture?
Stack It Up.
We are often told to “sit up straight” by lifting your chest and pulling your shoulders blades together. Or “tuck your pelvis” to correct your posture.
Sound familiar?
This position is actually not ideal for prolonged periods of time. Forcing yourself into this position changes the optimal position for your core to function at its best. To have a strong and healthy back, your core needs to function properly.
Additionally, if pregnant, this “perfect posture” is only going to magnify everything. Now pregnancy becomes the reason to blame, but really it’s because we have been living in a static posture with our chest up and ribs flared outward. Ouch! We can fix it before this beautiful growing baby inside gets bigger and bigger! It’s all about how you stack! You need to find the happy medium between sitting up straight and tucking the pelvis too much.
For a stacked position, draw the ribs down and bring the pelvis into a neutral position.
Often patients express they feel like they are hunching when they try to stack themselves properly. Which in fact, a majority of us are since most of our life is spent: hunched at the computer, feeding a baby, looking at our phones etc. This is called, Hyperkyphosis. When people “stick out their ribs” it gives them a false sense of good posture. In fact, all you’re really doing is jamming your spine into a less optimal position.
Open the chest! A tight chest is often a big contributor to hunching forward. Go into a doorframe and make a “W” with the arms and have the forearms flat on each side of the door. Bring one leg forward and lean forwards with upper body to feel a stretch into the chest. Do this for about 2 minutes.
Mobilize the back by seeing a chiropractor and additionally doing midback mobility exercises, which the chiropractor can prescribe specifically for your body. The upper back is often stiff for most of our patients due to holding static postures for extended periods of time.
Become aware of your habits and slowly try modify them to a more functional position. Does your regular routine require sitting or standing in one position for awhile? Well, set a timer for every 30 minutes, then get up and move around. In addition to a stacked posture, the other best posture is a posture that’s continuously changing!!
Do you stick your ribs out or are you a habitual pelvic tucker? It will take some time to re-pattern yourself, but we promise you it will be worth it.
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us here at Back to Motion!
