How to Fix Posture: 4 Surprisingly Easy Tips
Many Americans have bad posture, and you’re probably one of them. This bad habit is wreaking more havoc than you probably realize. Bad posture has aesthetic detriments: it makes you look less confident, plus it makes your stomach stick out more, creating or emphasizing the “beer belly” effect. But that’s not even the most worrisome thing about bad posture: it can also have a negative effect on your physical health.
Bad posture can be caused by any number of things. Our sedentary lifestyle, spending long days either working from home or sitting on a couch, is one factor that leads to the slouch. Slouching can cause neck, shoulder, and back pain because improper posture stresses out your spine, creating more pressure than usual. If you’re looking for how to fix posture, you’re in the right place. There are various posture improvement methods you can try, so keep reading to learn some posture tips for men and find an approach that will suit you!
How to improve your posture
Start with the shoulders.
If you spend your days hunched over – for example, bending over the computer – your shoulders spend a lot of time in an unnatural position, rolled forward. Spending hours per day in this position can negatively affect your posture, leading to a forward head position and thoracic kyphosis, a fancy word for “your spine is curved forward”. On the outside, this looks like a “hunchback”. On the inside, this posture mistake is causing unnecessary pressure on your neck and shoulders, which in turn leads to pain. So, how do you fix your rounded shoulders posture? One good, relatively accessible way to fix this problem is to try the doorway stretch.
Stand in a doorway and hold your arms out to your sides. Bend your elbows at a 90-degree angle and hold your forearms against the sides of the doorway. Then, move forward through the doorway to stretch out your chest and shoulders. Hold the position for twenty seconds, then repeat the stretch three times. If you make a habit of doing this stretch three to five times per week, you should notice improved posture and – most importantly – a decrease in pain.
Use a standing desk.
We talked about standing desks in our blog post, Fitness Tips for Men Who Have No Time. Well, switching to a standing desk has so many benefits that we had to mention it twice. Just switching from sitting all day to standing can improve your posture, as well as your fitness. Standing up at your desk can engage the muscles that support your back. Standing also takes pressure off of your spine, which can reduce your back pain. Just be sure your standing desk is adjusted in a way that’s ergonomic for your particular frame. Everyone is different!Get up against the wall.
We’ve already talked about the doorway shoulder stretch, but now let’s talk about another exercise to improve your posture. This one involves a wall instead of a doorway. Go over to your nearest wall and face away from it. Position your feet about twelve inches away from the wall and bend your knees ever so slightly. Then, lean back a little so that your head, shoulder blades, and lower back are all against the wall. Hold this position for about a minute. Do this exercise a few times every day to truly reap the posture benefits. Your spine will thank you!Try Posture Corrector Shapewear for Men
Trying the posture tips listed above will definitely benefit your posture and overall wellbeing, but if you need a boost now, there’s only one way to go: posture corrector shapewear. How do we know that? Well, we’re the experts. Here at Leo, we offer a wide range of products that have built-in back support for men.
Our Max/Force sculpting vest has firm compression that doesn’t just offer the aesthetic benefit of sculpting your abs and chest – it also provides lower back support. And check out the criss-cross bands on the top of the back: these are our posture corrector bands that gently pull your shoulders back. Whether you spend a lot of time sitting at your desk or in a truck, this vest has multiple features that help you maintain better posture all day long.
If you’re looking for something less heavy-duty that still offers effective shaping and back support, our Stretch cotton moderate shaping tank was made for you. It’s made of soft stretch cotton and the bottom is double-layered, not just for ab-shaping compression, but also for back support. This shirt looks like a regular tank top, but you’ll notice the difference right away in how you look and feel when you put it on. You can wear it by itself, but it’s also seamless to hide under your favorite tees and button-up shirts.
Keeping good posture will make you look great, but it has other benefits, as well. The physical benefits of good posture are numerous: it can help your body run more efficiently, balancing your weight more evenly and reducing wear and tear in your joints. People who have good posture also have better lung capacity, which helps you get more oxygen out of each breath, which can then help you think more clearly. All in all, good posture can improve your life, so don’t wait! Choose a posture tip to try today and take your first perfectly-balanced step into greatness.
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