Let’s face it: sitting for long hours has become the norm. Whether it’s driving in rush hour traffic or spending long hours at the computer, this can wreak havoc on your posture. With the day-to-day demands at the office, we expose our bodies to prolonged periods of excessive flexion and internal rotation. Hip flexors become tight and shortened, shoulders round forward, and the muscles along the backside of the body become lengthened and weakened. To alleviate problems like back pain and poor posture while improving overall health, it is imperative to take a postural approach to your strength-training program.
Too often, people place an over-emphasis on training the front of the body (to look good in the mirror) while neglecting the posterior chain of muscles, namely the back, rear shoulders, glutes, and back of the legs. I like to call this the “mirror athlete” approach—training everything you see in the mirror. Although you may end up with a nice six-pack and chiseled chest, this approach will only exacerbate the ill effects that our busy lives have on our posture. Furthermore, improving muscular balance actually increases overall joint strength and stability, which promotes better results from your exercise efforts.
Here are five postural training tips to prevent chronic pain, promote muscular balance, and maximize your strength training efforts:
1. The Posterior Perspective
Change your perspective and pre-plan your routine with exercises that target the posterior chain of muscles (the back of the body) twice as much as the anterior chain (the front of the body). Try including some compound movements like deadlifts as foundational strength exercises, as well as pulling movements like rows that isolate the large muscles of the back.
2. Train Your Glutes
Target these very important postural and pelvic stability muscles by implementing exercises like single-leg squats and lunges into your routine. Be sure to focus on the full range of motion when completing these exercises to develop full strength through the glutes and lower body.
3. Extend and Externally Rotate
Counteract the forces of sitting (which promote flexion and internal rotation) by training the muscles responsible for the opposing actions. Focus on training low back extensors as well as mid-back muscles responsible for scapular retraction and spine stabilization. Incorporating exercises that train the rear deltoids and involve external rotation of the shoulder joint will help strengthen those weaker muscles of the rotator cuff, counteracting the internal rotation or rounding of the shoulders.
4. Stretch and Mobilize Your Flexors
Most of us nowadays have tight hip flexors, chest, and rotator cuff muscles. Be sure to include flexibility exercises that stretch some of these major muscles to help enhance your posture. In addition, incorporating regular myofascial work into your fitness regimen can keep your tissues healthy and enhance mobility while reducing joint pain and injury risk. Using a foam roller, lacrosse ball, or other self-massage tools before and after your workout routine can bring great benefits in the long run.
5. Stand Up Against Prolonged Sitting
Studies now show that even those who undergo intense exercise for an hour each day are still subject to the ill effects of sitting seen in the inactive population if their careers consist of prolonged sitting. Make a point to get up every 20-30 minutes during desk work. Not only will you come back more focused, but you will also decrease the negative health effects of sitting. Setting a computer timer or wearing an activity tracker can help prompt you to stand consistently throughout the day. Take it a step further and try incorporating a stand-up desk into your office setup.
Consistency is crucial when it comes to postural improvement. To get the most out of your workouts and promote muscular balance, include a postural strength-training workout into your routine three times per week. Take the approach of a 2-to-1 ratio of posterior to anterior strength training to maximize benefits and avoid overtraining the muscles that are most active in our daily lives.
By making these adjustments to your training routine, you can avoid becoming a “mirror athlete” and instead develop a balanced, strong, and healthy body.
