How can I improve my posture?

[PeachOrca]

Not sure where else to put this so I guess posting here for traffic.

I am 30 and have awful posture. I work at a desk full time, bur try take regular breaks and whenever I notice myself sitting poorly I correct myself. I am also regular stretch chest/shoulders at my desk too.

i used to see a chiropractor and physio regularly with the goal of improving my posture but didn’t seem to make much difference but did help with pain management. I currently do reformer Pilates 2x a week (since Jan) and walk about 30 mins to work everyday from the train station (with a reasonably heavy backpack).

This came to a head this week as last week I went on a work manufacturing trip with several colleagues. The company sent a photographer as they wanted to post on linked in. I purposefully tried to hold myself upright/tucked in knowing photos would be taken but seeing them yesterday my god I look awful- chin sticking so far forward and shoulders hunched and rounded.

Had anyone ever managed to correct their posture and how did you do it? I have ordered one of those shoulder braces from Amazon but keen to hear others experiences as I am worried it’s only going to get worse!

Pilates. Standard pilates. Focusing on core strength. This should be the trunk to hold up your spine. Think about one to one tuition or a beginners class so you can build up from the basics, using the correct techniques.

Thank you. Do you know much about Pilates? I thought reformer was a more intense/advanced version of mat Pilates but do you think it will not help my posture if I stick with reformer?

I was going to say yoga or pikates.

If you can, go to a real class for a bit, so there is a teacher who can help you with positioning.

I don’t know about Pilates but I think core strength and a good bra will help enormously.

yoga has helped me to stand up straighter

I’m not going to be very helpful, sorry, but your post reminded me of how good my posture was when younger as I was taught by nuns, who used to whack you on the back with a ruler if you slumped at your desk and make you sit up straight. Now I am ancient and beginning to stoop. I always admire good posture in others. I think it’s great that you are addressing it.

In a rush now but will look later - I remember some stretching exercises addressing shoulder muscles that become shortened over time with hunching over a desk. Exercises involved using a door frame to steady the shoulder when stretching.
I'll post if I find some this evening

Yoga! I started doing yoga daily since January and the difference is incredible. I usually do about 20-30min online video by myself at home, though some days it’s as little as 5min if I really struggle for time or as much as an hour if I have more spare time. I think it’s the regularity that’s making the change though as I always did yoga but just once or twice a week and now make sure I do it daily.

Amazing, maybe this is what I need… a nun hitting me with a ruler!

Thank you 🙏🏻

Okay this is interesting! I used to do yoga 1/2x a week as well but similar to Chiro didn’t notice huge improvements. I have a mat at home so I will try adding in some home videos around my Pilates classes

I found that with doing an in-person class, I would think I was doing the right thing, then my teacher would do seemingly minor adjustment and thst would cause a muscle to fire up in a whole new way. Having had those adjustments made for me initially, doing videos at home was fine,but I think without that initial training, I wouldn't have got as much benefit from the videos. Though it would still be better than not trying at all. (Or dying, as autocorrect seems to want me to say, which, to be fair, is also true.)

1 to 1 Pilates with an instructor. It's not just core strength, it's teaching the right muscles to work to stop the wrong ones overcompensating. Your pecs are probably too tight and your upper back too weak. Core strength also needed to support upper back, it's all connected.

I would also set reminders on my phone throughout the day to check on my posture.

Getting up and walking around can help, gives you a chance to unlock.

My posture has also deteriorated, I've realised I don't have enough strength in upper back so it gets sore and unconsciously drop during the day so am working on that and checking my posture during the day

I’ve started working at a stand up desk and it’s making a massive difference. It was hard to start off with but now it actually feels weird to sit down to work.

Imagine your boobs are laser beams shooting at passers by.

🤣 I am going to try this

Mat Pilates. Contact with the mat will improve your prioperception and breath work will connect it together.
Using just your bodyweight for resistance makes you acutely aware of movement and posture.

Doing windows whilst lying on the roller, or even just gripping the roller with your shoulder blades will help with the rounding. Remember the shoulder mantra.

You can progress to small ball, bands and the ring as you improve.

If you can afford Reformer, you can get some 1:1. Position is everything and manual correction makes all the difference.

This is what I am hoping the shoulder brace will help with!

What did the physio, and your current pilates teacher say about your posture? Just asking, as I'm wondering if you're a bit obsessed that it looks terrible, when it may not to others.
Mat pilates definitely helps me.

Yoga works wonders for core strength that sorts out posture and stretches everything out too

My vote goes for ballet.. you’re upright and mirrors close by so that you feel what standing up straight actually feels like (it usually feels really odd to begin with until your brain adjusts to where upright is).

I would advise caution with the posture braces… don’t wear it too much. Any external support to the body can lead to muscle weakness, which is a problem if your initial problem is weakness in the first place.

would also recommend yoga but in person, not online

Yoga. See this for inspiration: https://nypost.com/2016/08/08/this-85-year-old-proves-yoga-can-keep-you-young/

What an awesome lady, thank you so much for sharing