How to make a man have correct posture. Male posture

Representatives of many modern professions, be it managers or programmers, quite often have problems with posture. A sedentary lifestyle is the main reason for this misfortune. Human body It was not created at all in order to constantly sit for 8 hours. Meanwhile, posture, that is, your position when walking or sitting, is of great importance.

The reason for the importance of posture lies in the fact that the performance of tissues depends on how efficiently they are supplied with oxygen, blood and how well they conduct nerve impulses. If a problem arises with at least one, tissue wear and tear, as well as active degeneration, will be observed. To constantly feel cheerful and healthy, you should constantly monitor the correct posture.

Problems with posture immediately affect your health. The muscles become weak, breathing problems begin, weakening of the abdominal muscles leads to problems in the functioning of the internal organs. Sometimes you may experience the appearance of an unsightly tummy, which can be gotten rid of not by dieting, but by working to strengthen your abdominal muscles, that is, by correcting your posture.

To check how accurately you maintain your posture, you need to go to the mirror and freeze in the most natural position. The soles should be pressed extremely tightly to the floor surface. If posture is correct, it is expressed in the following factors:

The shoulders are at a similar level along the horizon;
The elbows lie perfectly in the curve of the waist. If the elbows are apart, then we can talk about stooping, but if they lie above the waist, you should relax your shoulders a little;
The ribs do not protrude forward too much.

Of course, correct posture can be achieved through independent work. The following steps must be taken:

Lift your feet one at a time and perform circular movements. Place your feet on the floor and make sure that the sole lies perfectly on the floor, promoting even distribution. Ideally straight knees should be directly above your heels;
Concentrate on the top. Imagine that your tailbone is pointing straight towards the ground. It turns out that the pelvis moves forward somewhat;
The abdomen stretches to a width equal to one palm. The right palm is placed exactly on the right hypochondrium so that there are no bones under it. It is necessary to strictly control that the ribs do not move forward, but lie directly above the ilia;
Touch the seventh vertebra with your hand. Under no circumstances should you bend in this place. The neck should serve as a continuation of an ideal straight line that begins at the tailbone;

Some people try to “turn up their nose” when the neck bends at about the 4th vertebra. This should not be done, as this can lead to cerebral circulatory problems. Ideally, the chin should rest directly above the point that is the center between the collarbones.

To find out how to learn to maintain correct posture, you should consider the reasons for the formation of pathological curvature of the back. Weakness and asymmetry of the muscle corset, spinal curvature, and metabolic disorders are the most common factors leading to spinal deformity.

According to official statistics, about 95% of people have a certain degree of curvature of the spinal column. In this case, vertebral changes occur not only under the influence of strong physical activity or carrying heavy objects, but also due to sedentary lifestyle life. In modern conditions, learning to maintain posture is very important to prevent disturbances in the functionality of internal organs.

Causes of poor posture

Poor posture in children is a major factor in serious problems in the future. If they are with early years do not keep their back straight, over the years you can expect scoliosis (lateral curvature of the spine), spondylosis (formation of bone adhesions between the vertebrae), osteochondrosis (decrease in the height of the discs).

The main causes of back curvature in children:

Incorrect sitting position at a school desk or computer;
Carrying heavy backpacks on one shoulder;
Sedentary lifestyle;
Metabolic disorder (lack of vitamin D).

It should be noted that the natural purpose of man is to stay in the natural environment. All body systems are prepared for this. In the modern image, the muscular aponeurosis of the trunk and the spinal column are “used” by a person to carry loads and lift heavy objects, although according to internal instincts it should be “used” for movement.

What conditions are unnatural for the spinal column:

Prolonged flexion and extension;
Staying in an upright position for a long time;
Unnatural hunched posture;
Excessive tension (when carrying heavy objects);
Shifting the center of gravity of the body (for example, when walking in high heels);
Excessive compression pressure (obesity).

Any of the above factors leads to asynchronous development of skeletal muscles, in which body position shifts towards the maximum number of contracted muscle groups.

If this condition persists for a long time, curvature of the spinal column and compression of the segments occurs. To the pathological factors affecting the spinal column, one should add overweight, walking in high heels and other “achievements” of modern civilization.

The result of the pathology is natural - a crooked back, chronic diseases and skeletal muscle atrophy at an early age.

When answering the question of how girls and men can learn to maintain their posture correctly, one should take into account not only the influence of pathological factors, but also the individual characteristics of a person (metabolism, diet, rest and work schedule).

With age muscle loses functionality, the muscles become flabby and gradually “shrink out.” Without therapeutic exercises And daily exercise It is difficult to learn to maintain correct posture after 50 years, since the body is not adapted to intense stress in this age range.

To work out correct approaches To develop the spine, you should consider some important advice from experts:

Constantly monitor the condition of your back and keep it straight (at home, at work, while standing and moving). Over time, correct posture will become the norm for you and will be automatically maintained by the body;
Walk frequently to improve blood circulation in the spine and prevent muscle spasms;
Do not wear shoes with heels greater than 4 cm. They disrupt stability and shift the center of gravity of the body from lower limbs on the spine;
Sleep on a semi-firm mattress. For children, it is better to choose a rigid model. Sagging beds and feather beds interfere with maintaining posture and lead to excessive muscle relaxation and “sagging” of the spine;
Place soft toys and cushions under your lower back and head. Sleep more on your right side;
When sitting at a table, maintain a vertical back position and choose a chair with a hard seat. Use armrests to prevent movement shoulder girdle;
IN sitting position The person's legs should be at right angles. They should not hang freely or “cling” to the legs. Do not place one leg on top of the other - this position displaces the pelvic structures;
When working at a computer, you should develop the correct posture and not strain your back muscles;

Do not sit or stand in one position for more than 30 minutes. When you feel that your back is tired and stiff, perform several side bends;
To relax tense back muscles, bend to the sides. If possible, it is advisable to swim breaststroke several times a week;
Do not lift objects weighing more than 5 kg. When carrying heavy bags, you should distribute the weight evenly between both hands. After performing exercises to stretch the spine, you need to walk on all fours. At the same time, while moving, raise your legs above body level. Rest for 15 minutes in this position;
Carrying out physical exercise, do not make jerky movements. You should lift weights with your knees bent and your back straight. Remember that she experiences maximum stress when lifting heavy objects when she is in a bent position;
When cleaning your apartment, use a vacuum cleaner and a mop with a long handle. They will help you not strain your back. When doing work in the garden, you should use tools with long handles;
Position your makeup mirror so that it is easy to reach. This will eliminate muscle tension, which often strains when performing sudden jerking movements;
Include plenty of bone-healthy foods that contain calcium and B vitamins in your diet.
Taking crushed eggshells and fish oil will increase the content of calcium and vitamin D in the body, which is necessary to strengthen the structure of bone tissue;
During a period of rapid growth, children need to include in their diet more boiled legs, jelly, jelly and other products that will contribute to the optimal formation of cartilage tissue.

Thus, it is not enough to learn the principles of how to develop correct posture. To achieve this, many rehabilitation centers have to teach an adult to hold his back straight, walk, sit and even lie down. Without these physiological foundations, it is impossible to eliminate defective conditions in the spine and back.

It is also necessary to constantly monitor your diet and exercise regularly. physical exercise. This is the only way to get a “royal back” that will have an optimal effect on your health. If a person has decided or “life has forced him” to learn to keep his back straight, he will have to prepare for long and constant physical exercise.

Who among us would not like to have perfect figure and a straight spine, walk through life easily and confidently, attracting the admiring glances of passers-by? Good posture is not only a sign healthy body, but also a guarantee of attracting attention from the opposite sex.

Straight back, beautiful turn of the shoulders, proud head position. Alas, not everyone can boast of such posture. But correct posture is not only a guarantee of beauty, but also of health. Due to poor posture, we often experience headaches, pain in the neck and lower back. If over time you have become accustomed to incorrect posture, do not be discouraged - it can be corrected again if you constantly pay attention to certain things and purposefully perform the exercises.

What's your posture like?

With correct posture, the head and torso are located along the same vertical line, the shoulders are turned, slightly lowered and at the same level, the shoulder blades are pressed, the physiological lines of the spine are expressed normally. The chest is slightly convex, the stomach protrudes slightly or is slightly retracted, the legs are straightened at the knees and hip joints. The chest has a cylindrical or conical shape. The muscles are prominent, all joints are mobile. The legs are straight, the closure of the hips, knees, shins and heels occurs without much muscle tension, with a small gap below the knees and above the inner ankles. The insides of the feet do not touch the floor.

In order to identify flaws in your posture, stand close to your back to a closet or wall. Close your feet, look straight ahead (your head should touch the cabinet). Hands down at the sides. If your palm passes between the lower back and the wall, then your posture is good, in otherwise your muscles abdominals weak and the stomach pulls the spine forward.

5 reasons to have good posture

Here are the reasons for improving your posture (if you suddenly still doubt whether you need it). The benefits of correct posture are obvious, but let us remind ourselves of them again.

1. “No” to headaches

Headaches are a common consequence of working with computers and other electronic devices. Usually the head is pulled forward a little in front of the computer. Think about how the muscles in your head and neck tense up when you constantly look at a screen. The problem is that this position stretches the neck muscles and sensory nerves from the back to the head, cutting off access to the blood vessels to the brain. And the consequence: headache. Smooth posture is a recipe for headaches.

2. Reduce the load on bones and joints

Poor posture gradually leads to damage that can cause shortened muscles. For example, slouching causes the hip flexor muscle to become shorter and less flexible, leading to joint pain over time. Slouched shoulders can cause rotator cuff pain. Over time, this can develop into arthritis.

3. Soak up energy

Good oxygen enrichment is necessary to saturate the brain and the whole body with energy. And the stoop compresses chest and, accordingly, does not allow the lungs to fully expand, which means that less oxygen enters the blood. In turn, due to poor oxygen supply, a person quickly gets tired, becomes irritable and his performance decreases. Tension in any part of the body entails the use of energy. Easter Yaniv, MD, says, “In a tense position, the body uses the same amount of energy as holding your arms bent at the elbows for 2 hours.”

4. Improve digestion

Slouching after a hearty meal compresses the abdominal muscles, which causes gastric juice to be pushed into the esophagus, thereby causing heartburn. A straight back is the key to good and efficient work digestive system. In addition, certain stomach problems, such as gas, will not occur.

5. Getting rid of back pain

Sitting in front of a computer or in a car all day, especially with a hunched back, increases pressure on the spinal discs and quickly deteriorates the muscles and tendons. And this causes your back to hurt and can cause a herniated disc or pinched nerves.

Watch your posture

The most important rule for maintaining good posture is the ability to sit, stand and walk correctly.

You need to stand straight, shoulders back and stomach pulled in. Try to do the same when walking. During the day - standing and sitting - keep your neck vertical.

When sitting, you need to lean on the back of the chair. The correct sitting position in itself is a good workout for the back muscles. To assume this position, sit on the floor and straighten your torso, arching your chest without raising your shoulders or moving your shoulder blades. Keep your head free and straight. The abdominal muscles should be tense, the pelvis should be tightened (often people, on the contrary, stick it out because it is more comfortable to sit in this position). Keeping initial position above, you will soon see that sitting this way is not so easy.

Exercises for a beautiful gait

Stand straight, place your feet together or shoulder-width apart, and arms freely at your sides.

Exercise 1. First, raise one shoulder as high as possible and fix it in this position. Then we do the same with the other shoulder. Then we lower the shoulder that was raised first, followed by the other. Only the shoulders work. We don’t lower our heads, we don’t tilt our body.

Exercise 2. Immediately move both shoulders forward, then back. Try not to raise your shoulders. The back is straight.

Exercise 3. We combine shoulder movements with bending. Shoulders forward - lean forward. Shoulders back - tilt back. Thus, along with the muscles of the shoulder girdle, the back muscles are also developed.

Exercise 4. We lower our folded palms in front of us. The ribs of the palms are pressed to the body. Without opening your palms, smoothly raise your arms as high as possible. In this case, the palms seem to draw a line in the center of the body, the arms are bent at the elbows. Try not to lift your shoulders. Then we slowly lower our hands, without lifting our palms from each other and from the body.

Exercise 5. We move our straight arms back so that they are perpendicular to the body. From this position, we slowly raise our arms as high as possible - without bending them or the body.

Slouching is unsightly: the shoulders are rounded, the height becomes visually smaller, in girls the breasts seem saggy, the tummy sticks out. And it seems like nothing, it’s just a matter of appearance, but incorrect posture also harms health, deforming internal organs, worsening the functioning of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems.

There are many reasons for this disease: congenital, acquired, physical and psychological. But don’t worry, in most cases everything can be corrected with exercises for stooping, even at home.

Checking the condition of the spine

The simplest test is to stand near a wall. If there is a baseboard under the wall, stand by the door or find another option. Press yourself against a vertical surface so that your heels, calves, buttocks, shoulder blades and the back of your head simultaneously touch it.

If it works, and you can fixate yourself like this for at least a minute, then everything is not too critical, and to correct your posture you just need to do special gymnastics and learn to control yourself.
If you cannot touch some part of the body, or it causes obvious pain, it is better to consult a doctor, possibly take an x-ray and choose a special treatment.

Why does stooping occur and what to do about it?

In this paragraph we will not touch upon congenital causes: if a person has different leg lengths, the structure of the intervertebral discs is disturbed, or abnormal muscle development, exercises cannot correct this, or they are too specific. Let's talk about acquired disease.

In childhood

In children, stooping usually appears after 6-7 years, when the thoracic spine is finally formed. The reason is long hours spent with a tablet or phone in hand, when the child leans towards the screen, or carrying a heavy backpack on one shoulder.

If you don’t notice anything, the child may develop kyphosis or scoliosis, but at this age everything is easily corrected: the joints and vertebrae are flexible, and daily 20-minute exercises are enough to strengthen the muscles.

However, sometimes the reasons are psychological. It is useless to shout “Don’t slouch!” if the reason is fear, uncertainty, or emotional tightness. In this case, to remove stoop, it is better to do exercises (gymnastics) together, or to understand the causes of internal tightness.

During adolescence

A young body begins to grow quickly, and sometimes bones develop faster than muscles. That is why a teenager should be sent to swimming or introduced to some kind of sport, this will help make the figure harmonious.

Sometimes children are embarrassed by their height and cannot stop hunching over, as if trying to be smaller. This is solved psychologically. The body is still growing, and if you take it in time, everything can be fixed.

In adults

The problem here, most often, is sedentary life or work where you need to bend over a table, machine, equipment, etc. Charger, special exercises from stooping, and constant monitoring.

To a man It is often more comfortable to practice in gym, where he pumps up the muscles so that they keep the spine straight.
To the girl Most likely, home gymnastics will do. Women by nature are more flexible, they walk with pleasure, they try to maintain their posture so that their tummy does not stick out and their breasts seem more attractive.
In older people problems with posture often arise against the background of other diseases of the spine or internal organs, and most often, general treatment is required. But gentle warm-up, stretching and simple exercises without strain they can relieve pain and allow you to straighten up.

Top 5 exercises for any age

In fact, almost all movements that are aimed at strengthening the spinal muscles and arching the spine will be effective. You can make your own own complex exercises to eliminate slouched back, or perform those suggested by us daily.

Forward Facing Bends

This is a simple warm-up exercise that is great even for older people. The point is to support yourself with your hands, take a long step and slowly bend forward. Start doing this from the wall, then you can do it with a chair, leaning on the back. Stretch, opening your shoulder blades. Do 8-10 approaches.

From a lying position

This is how we correct not only problems with posture, but also with intervertebral discs and clamps. Lie on the mat on your stomach, stretch your arms forward, tense your legs and do the “Boat” (Superman), arching at the lower back and lifting your palms and feet.

For those over 50, lifting your legs may be difficult, in which case you should try doing a backbend with a chair. Place a chair in front of you, lie on your stomach so that your hands are on both sides, approximately in the middle of the seat. Bend over, raise your arms, place them on a chair and stretch. Fix your body for a few seconds and return to the starting position.

Sitting on my knees

The most effective exercises from stooping are sometimes very simple. Sit on the floor on your knees, grab your feet with your hands and try to stretch, starting from your shoulders. Bring your shoulder blades together, bend, lower your arms lower. You can return to the starting position, or simply sway while sitting like this.

On all fours

One option is the “Cat” exercise. Bend as if trying to crawl under a low obstacle. We start forward, bend the thoracic region, then move the body a little forward and bend at the lower back, raising the chest. Now the same thing - back.

The second version of gymnastics against slouching is to lift your straight leg up in the same position, throw your head back, and stretch. We change the leg. 6-8 times is enough to start with, then increase the repetitions.

With a stick

Gymnastic poles Not everyone has it, but that doesn’t matter. For example, a mop handle, a vacuum cleaner pipe, a piece of water pipe or something similar will do. Place it behind your back and hold it with bent elbows as you twist from side to side.

By the way, one of the reasons why a person slouches is simple forgetfulness to keep his back straight. If you don’t know how to stop slouching, sit with this stick in front of the TV or even at the computer, and as soon as you try to bend, it will put pressure on your spine. Typing this way is not very convenient, but watching TV series or using the mouse is fine. This will create an addiction to correct posture.

You can, of course, buy a clamp or, but a stick is much cheaper.

Finally, we’ll tell you about another way to learn to walk upright without slouching.: Put an old notebook (or a book, if you don’t mind) on your head and walk around the house like that. If you drop it, it means that without noticing it, you are slouching. Try to hold on correct position.

Try to see what happens if you make this set of exercises your daily exercise. Many people note that after just a couple of weeks they began to hunch much less, and after a month their back became noticeably stronger.

Watch the video to do the exercises correctly, start small, and control the sensations. Soon you will become much more flexible, and it will become easier to keep your back straight. Stooping can and should be corrected at any age!

Even if a person looks attractive: well dressed, well-groomed, outwardly healthy; Slouching and poor posture can ruin your entire look. Not only does poor posture look unsightly, it also has a bad effect on your health. Violations of the correct position of the back can cause: headaches, pain in cervical spine, discomfort of the entire spine, troubles with the heart. There is also pressure on the gastrointestinal tract, which leads to its infringement. So let's figure out what good posture is and how to help cope with slouching.

Why does my posture deteriorate?

To find out whether your posture is correct, we will conduct a test: you need to stand with your back to the wall. Press your heels, head, butt against it; bring your shoulder blades together. If you can stick your palm into the gap between your lower back and the wall, you have good posture; if not, you need to work on it.

Also, in front of the mirror, you yourself can visually determine if one shoulder is higher than the other, then these are obvious violations of posture.

Correct back position is usually influenced by:

Heredity. If you have problems with an unhealthy back in your family, then they may also affect you;
Working in the same position (this applies to those who sit at the computer or at the table all the time, etc.);
Constantly wearing heels (the back gets tired of being in a tense state all the time);
Excessive physical activity leads to back pain and, accordingly, incorrect posture.

Ways to correct posture

It is possible to have beautiful posture, you just need to do it regularly. You can also try:

Wear a corrective corset. On the one hand, it’s convenient. On the other hand, it’s still not very effective. Some doctors claim that the corset, on the contrary, relaxes the back muscles, since the entire load goes to the corset, and the muscles do not work at this time. Others believe that this is a necessary attribute of back correction. You need to start wearing it for 2-3 hours a day, gradually increasing the time to 8-9 hours. In any case, it is better to consult several specialists; they will help with the selection of a corset and recommendations on when and how to do it correctly.
Exercises with a book.. Stand with your back to the wall, press all the points of your body, put a book on your head. Start walking, try to keep yourself as straight as possible so that the book does not fall off your head. 30 minutes every day will be enough to straighten your back.
Yoga is good for a strong back. You don't have to take on complex asanas right away. But everyone can find courses for beginners on the Internet.
Try exercises with dumbbells for beautiful posture (0.5 kg will be enough for a start). Stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart, arms with dumbbells at your sides. Do dumbbell lifts with straight arms forward, 10-15 times. The same goes to the sides, try to maintain a stable position, do not deviate.
The plank exercise will also help you strengthen your back. It must be performed standing on your elbows and resting your toes. 3 sets of 60 seconds will be enough.
If you notice that you have an asymmetry in the position of the shoulder girdle, it means that some back muscles are in a tight position. In this case it may help: massotherapy(only from a specialist), self-massage with a long-handled brush, stretching exercises, warming up pinched areas.

In any case, beautiful posture depends only on you. With minimal effort and regular hiking, you can see tangible results in just 3-4 weeks.

Try to keep your head straight, straighten your shoulders and draw in your stomach when walking. As soon as you remember, immediately take the correct position of your back, so you will gradually develop the habit of not slouching.

Choose a chair for working at a computer in such a way that your back is comfortable. The chair, ideally, should be ergonomic.