The importance of good posture.
My epiphany about the importance of good posture.
The importance of posture for endurance sports – Organic Runner Mom
As it turns out, the root cause of my back issues has to do with poor posture or “lazy” posture. As a kid I always remember my Dad encouraging me to sit up straight at the dinner table. I was encouraged to not slouch when I stand and to be proud of my height. I was also a figure skater and in order to be graceful on the ice I was encouraged to stand strong and to use the length of my body (although sometimes my hands were droopy, right Mom? ) Good posture as it turns out is also important for athletes and when you get lazy about it your muscles can fatigue faster and you become a much less efficient athlete.
Perhaps it’s my body getting older, perhaps its overtraining or perhaps I have developed some lazy, bad habits in my running. Unfortunately because I did not focus on my form and posture especially during longer fatiguing races I overused my hips and basically made everything go all crazy in my back, my right hip and my right leg. We are talking serious back spasms across my whole lower lumber, sciatic pain, a tipping pelvis, an out of whack SI Joint and a “wicked” tight piroformis muscle, TFL, and gluteus medius. Apparently I had forgotten that as a runner you need to “fire your glutes” and to use your all important hamstring muscles. Silly me! As an athlete had I had lost my body awareness during long fatiguing runs and I had completely forgotten about good posture.
The good news is that I am finally back on the road to running and some serious training for my first IRONMAN 70.3, The Timberman, at the end of the summer. But this time I am truly going to be extra cautious because no one likes having a grumpy injured runner around. Over the past 5 months in addition to healing and strengthening my body my main focus has been on my posture. I now remind myself throughout the day to check my posture. When I am strength training, running, cycling, swimming or even sitting and working at my desk or standing I check my posture to see if it is strong or weak and make corrections.
What is good posture?
Good posture is keeping your bones and joints in proper alignment. Good posture is needed when standing, walking, running, sitting etc. When you have poor posture a whole host of issues can arise that can affect you throughout your daily life and during exercise. Poor posture can stress your muscles and ligaments and cause overuse injuries.
How can you improve your posture?
- Be aware of your body position while driving. As you drive your body becomes relaxed. You need to have good body awareness to keep your body in correct position when sitting or driving..
- Make sure that you hinge from your hips when you bend forward. Try to avoid awkward uneven bending motions when lifting.
- Be aware of any stress that you may be carrying around. When you are stressed your muscles become tense which can cause poor posture. Perhaps a massage could help?
- Exercises that work on stability and building lower abdominal muscles will give your body a stronger more stable platform for better posture.
- Foam roll to release tension in your muscles. Tight muscles can lead to poor posture.
- Tuck in your pelvis and tighten your core when you are standing or sitting. Good posture will promote proper curvature of the spine.
- Stand more, sit less.
- Remind yourself to use your glutes. This part of your body is strong and should be used!
Here is an excellent infographic from Greatist.com that is “The Ultimate Guide To Good Posture.”
Find More at the Greatist Fitness Blog
Have you checked your posture lately? What are some of your best tips for posture improvement? Has your posture impacted you negatively?
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23 responses
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I have been so focused on my posture lately – it’s just so important!
Love this! I DEFINITELY need to work on posture. When I practiced yoga semi-regularly it really made a difference. Thanks for the tips!
Janelle @ Run With No Regrets recently posted…Time Management Tips for Race Training
Love the infographic! My hubby is a chiro so I get yelled at about my posture all the time- especially when I am working on the comp:P
Annmarie recently posted…ClubsGalore Gourmet Subscription Box + Discount
Thank you for reminding me to sit up straight! I’ve been trying to work on my posture lately and I was slouching when I opened this post. Now I’m sitting up nice and tall 🙂
Nicole @ Fitful Focus recently posted…Which Food Must Go?
Having good posture makes such a difference in not only your appearance, but confidence! I always just FEEL more powerful and confident when I focus on my posture!
The more I sit on work conference calls the worse my posture seems to get. I want a stand up desk so I can change things up.
Diatta @ Femme Fitale Fit Club recently posted…Product Review: Skulpt Aim
I’ll admit that I need to pay more attention to my posture than I do. Good posture makes a difference for so many reasons.
Kathryn @ Dancing to Running recently posted…Comment on 2015 Shamrock Half Marathon Recap by Debbie @ Deb Runs
I sit behind a desk all day and boy do I need to work on my posture then! Great post with great advice!
My grandma harped on posture with me and I find myself doing it with my kids now too. I definitely still catch myself getting lazy with it.
Great post! I used to have horrendously crappy posture, and my parents used to harp on me all the time about it. I’ve made more of an effort to fix it, because it really does make a huge difference (+ better for your health and makes you appear more confident too–all that good stuff!).
Farrah recently posted…Ultimate Fitness Getaway
I strongly recommend yoga! A regular practice forces you to stand taller and properly aligned.
Wendy@Taking the Long Way Home recently posted…No time to train?
I’m really bad about slouching. My husband took some pics of me running and I was not impressed with my awful form. I really need to work on better posture.
MCM Mama Runs recently posted…TOTR: Time management while marathon training
Thanks for this reminder. I sometimes forget about my posture, especially when sitting to write on the computer or holding my phone to read. I am definitely going to be more conscious of how I sit and stand.
Stephanie recently posted…The TFM Favorite Fit Daddy: Malcolm Poole
Thanks for the posture tips. Being tall,.I tend to slump. 🙁
Great tips and infographic. My back is a personal alarm when my posture is off.
I love that you shared tips for posture in various facets. It’s so different when you think about it. I’m pretty sure I need to work on mine. Great tips!
Artney @ My Pretty Brown recently posted…The Hills Return + Jeff Galloway Tips: Running Injury Edition
Thanks for the reminder. I need to sit up straight as I sit at the computer. 🙂
rachel recently posted…Flexibility + Compromise = Adventure
I have terrible posture and have been working on it for yearssss. 11 years of ballet didn’t help, but working out and strengthening my back definitely does.
GiselleR @ Diary of an ExSloth recently posted…23 Recipes for your extra Bananas
I have the absolute posture and definitely need to woek on it. Thansk for sharing the grat infographic!
Toni @runninglovingliving recently posted…It’s Official, We’re Moving
I swear it’s the neck tension for me! there’s a million and one knots up there.
Carmy recently posted…April Goals
Practising a good posture can be game-changing and can impact to your lives by improving your performance. Thanks for sharing these valuable tips.