How important is your posture?

[AnonChick]

Good posture is a combination of what you do with your muscles, and what you do with your spine, and what you do with your neck and legs.

Posture just means "how you carry yourself." A person who stands erect, can still have lordosis (swayback). A person with a diseased disk in their lower spine, can still have good posture. A person with no legs, can still sit properly, demonstrating good posture.

Good posture is not created in a doctor's office. Good posture is created by you, sitting and standing properly, pulling your shoulders back, tilting your chin up, hips slightly forward, abdomen pulled in (sucking in your gut is the phrase), knees not locked but not bent either, arms loose at your sides, not making a fist.

That is good posture. It is maintained through continual habit, and by exercise. Spinal adjustments don't create good posture.

[Dub D]

Is standing straight this much of an issue!?

I make a conscience effort to stand straight and keep my shoulders straight. Sometimes it backfires especially at a club or bar, people think I'm trying to "look hard" or "tough".

I'm 5'11 and people think often think I'm 6 or 6'1 because I stand straight. People think I weigh more than I do because I have a big chest and it sticks out since I stand straight.

I never have nor will go to a chiropractor unless I'm required. I take pride on hardly ever needing medical attention.

[WyoNewk]

I went to elementary school with a guy who wore a harness of some kind to pull his shoulders back. I think it helped, but I have no idea HOW it worked.

And I have no idea if a chiropractor can help. It sounds strange to me, but maybe. I'm surprised at some of the stuff they can help with.

But I do think good posture is very important. I've known a few serious slouchers, and they always just looked kind of "dumpy" to me.

[the city]

Originally Posted by WyoNewk

I went to elementary school with a guy who wore a harness of some kind to pull his shoulders back. I think it helped, but I have no idea HOW it worked.

And I have no idea if a chiropractor can help. It sounds strange to me, but maybe. I'm surprised at some of the stuff they can help with.

But I do think good posture is very important. I've known a few serious slouchers, and they always just looked kind of "dumpy" to me.

I've seen that before too, but there is no way I'd wear something like that. At least not in public.

I been working out for sometime. I am finding my muscle growth hasn't been much. So I figured to just work on posture and keeping a skinny man's six pack. Mostly I don't like my arms, but all my muscle is going into my chest. Maybe my body is just meant to be a skinny runner.

[boxus]

Originally Posted by Dub D

Is standing straight this much of an issue!?

I make a conscience effort to stand straight and keep my shoulders straight. Sometimes it backfires especially at a club or bar, people think I'm trying to "look hard" or "tough".

I'm 5'11 and people think often think I'm 6 or 6'1 because I stand straight. People think I weigh more than I do because I have a big chest and it sticks out since I stand straight.

I never have nor will go to a chiropractor unless I'm required. I take pride on hardly ever needing medical attention.

Yes, it is this much of an issue. It is past "standing up straight", some people cannot stand up straight for a variety of reasons; genetics, medical, injury, muscle imbalance.

If you have to make a conscience effort at standing up straight, that means you already need posture work. A common one is anterior pelvic tilt, another is rounded shoulders. The latter is often due to the chest muscles pulling the shoulders, and weak back muscles, this is why lifters do a pull with every push.

[tommodonahue]

Chiro only temporary fixes the symptom as a result of a bigger problem.