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The back pain and the position of our body are intimately linked. But having the right posture, whether standing or sitting, has many other benefits. I’ll give you a little summary of the right position to have, its benefits, and some exercises to do regularly, of course, you know me!
Explanations of what is called “straight back”
It is important to clarify that the goal is not to be straight like an i. We must be aware that a spine is not 100% aligned.
As can be seen here, the part of the neck (cervical) is slightly tucked in.
The dorsal vertebrae make a rounded curvature outwards, this is called kyphosis.
The lumbars are also rather retracted, but more than the cervical, it is lordosis.
We often say that the spine represents an S. When we say that we must stand straight, it is above all that these curves must be normal and not more curved than that.
Whether you are a man or a woman, it is important to have a posture that respects the natural curvature of the spine. But precisely: it is this position of “natural arch” or neutral posture that we tend to lose. So having a good upright posture is a natural remedy for back pain.
So you must not be slouched, nor too bent forward, not to force your arch or on the contrary to prevent it. In fact, if we force ourselves (muscularly) to be straight all at once, we will relax quickly, because the muscles are not yet used to and tire quickly.
It is more efficient to work on your posture regularly to have a natural placement, and therefore easier to adopt a correct position. To motivate you, I reveal some benefits of standing upright and afterwards, of course: exercises!
What are the benefits of standing up straight?
Standing upright brings many benefits, whether it is on health, well-being, the mind or even the appearance that we refer to others.
So, what are the benefits of keeping well?
On the well-being and mental side, standing straighter makes it possible to have a positive impact on the image we send to others and contributes to well-being and good humor. We may not realize it, but a stooping or slouching posture has a huge influence on the subconscious of our entourage.
A study “Journal of behavior therapy and experimental psychiatry”By Elizabeth Broadbent announces that walking with your head up, looking ahead and swinging your arms brings good humor. Do you see the impact of better posture on our emotions?
On the health and mechanical side, holding better allows you to work the deep muscles and abs. This helps to strengthen the abdominal belt and display a flatter stomach. But not only ! It also helps to strengthen, stretch your back and therefore reduce the risk of wear and tear on the spine, kidney turns or long-term intervertebral disc concerns.
What are the stretches to do?
Already, you have to become aware of your posture in order to understand how your back is positioned, and what you should work on. Shoulders forward? Hunched back? Back too arched? For a good position, you have to get your muscles used to regaining flexibility and then work your back effectively with muscle strengthening.
To stretch the neck
- We lower our right shoulder
- We tuck our heads back a little
- With the left hand, we put weight on the head on the right side to tilt the head to the left and stretch the right trapeze.
- We tilt our head and then add a slight rotation with the help of the left hand, chin in the direction of the sternum.
Do 3 sets of about ten movements and stretch for 10 to 15 seconds. then switch sides
To stretch the pecs and put the shoulders back
- We stand in front of a door jamb
- We will come and position the elbows at shoulder height
- We put the forearms on the sides of the uprights
- And we come forward to stretch them
3 sets of ten movements and stretch for 10 to 15 seconds gently.
To stretch the lower back and lower back
- We place ourselves on all fours
- We will come and sit on his heels
- We then come looking far ahead with our arms
- Then we resume our initial posture
3 sets of ten movements and stretch for 10 to 15 seconds gently.
What are the exercises to do?
How can I keep my back straight?
Bad posture, neck pulled back, shoulders forward and lumbar too bent forward. Weight on one leg also creates mass imbalance
Good posture, the spine at its proper natural curvature, a good example of what you might call standing straight.
In everyday life, it is obvious that we are not going to change posture with a simple snap of the fingers. The important thing is to stretch and work your back muscles to make it stronger. We must take it slow, take the good habits for a straight back and follow some advice.
When you are at work or teleworking
The ACMS recommends several pieces of information for ergonomics on a workstation. In these recommendations, we find guidelines for positioning yourself well.
It is necessary :
When we are at home at home
When we are at home we tend to be really slack and without realizing it we slump on a chair or a sofa.
In front of the television, remember to adapt your posture and change your position regularly. Remember that when you bend down, it is the knees that must bend, not the back and especially if the load is heavy! Otherwise you risk a back strain! If you have back pain when you wake up, it could be due to poor posture at night.
When doing simple everyday things: try changing small positions that cause you to do unnatural poses. There are so many, that we don’t even realize it anymore:
Straighten up as much as possible, pushing the top of the head towards the ceiling and lowering the tailbone fully into the ground.
And since we are at home, we might as well take the opportunity to do some stretching and some quiet exercises for lower back pain, for example.
While playing sports (with or without weight)
For bodybuilders, I often see a posture that is not straight with the shoulders rolled forward in particular which can cause pain in the upper back. It can be caused by muscle imbalances between the pecs which are too strong compared to weaker back muscles.
The pectoralis major muscle is very powerful and can force the body to tilt the body forward.
To be straighter, stretch your pectorals, and remember to build the middle and upper trapezius muscles as well as the rhomboids and latissimus. With lateral pulling, pull-ups, movements like the bird … This will restore power and balance between the muscles of the front and the back of the bust.
And if you’re not doing muscle building, then think about it! Even in body weight, it is extremely important to work the back.
Avoid gadgets
As for the equipment and gadgets to recover, I’m not a big fan. These products can have the opposite effect. Indeed, it can cause a relaxation of the deep muscles and those of the spine. Suddenly, you feel like you’re straighter and relieved, but in the end, your back weakens on its own and you won’t be able to do without it.
So posture correctors, harnesses or even t-shirts to stand up straight are not necessarily very advisable.
So posture correctors, harnesses or even t-shirts to stand up straight are not necessarily very advisable.
They are just a short term easy way out but do not resolve the underlying concern. If you really need support, the help of a physiotherapist can be interesting once after having realized and tested the other solutions.
3 questions that I see regularly on positioning:
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