I learned in physical therapy to shift back onto my heels before relaxing my back, lifting my chest, and then tilting my pelvis forward while contracting my lower core. That little shift to the heels helps tremendously, and I still follow the other cues for this posture alignment exercise. Strengthening the core was also always the first thing we would do, and I’ve come to fully understand why after learning from videos like this. It leads literally everything.
I had struggled with forward posture for years because of a tight immobile thoracic spine. Very long story short, I discovered the yoga-wheel (i use it for spinal extension.). It was truly life changing. Cheap, too. Tons of companies make them. Can't believe I had never heard of it. I'm only posting this as it might help someone. People worry about variety in their diet, but we need variety of movement to stay healthy.
@gabrielleg.1347 For me, only a couple of minutes a day. The first 2-3 weeks were painful, lots of pressure on protruding spinous processes until I experienced a cavitation "crack". I immediately felt dramatically improved range of motion and was able to achieve better posture with less effort. No pain at all using the wheel after that. Every day, it would re-crack (but less) on the wheel reverse a day of bad posture. Finally, it stabilized (back exercises help accelerate stability). Now, it rarely "cracks" unless I go over 2 weeks without using the wheel. In other words, the wheel went from necessary daily to eventually maintenence. Be careful on carpet as the wheel is less stable. I looked at the chirp wheel. It looks very similar but with a spinal groove. For me, I needed the extra pressure (no groove). Best wishes!
I noticed my posture was bad due to over developed and underdeveloped muscles that were not synchronized. Some are tight due to weakness and lack of proprioception, some are the go-to’s which take over for a group and make a less ideal movement. By being aware of what was less ideal structurally I was able to strengthen latent muscles and bring balance to the groups, over a period of time my center of mass changes. I’m actually 1” 1/4 taller than I was when you gave me a posture assessment years ago. These things can be complicated and even things like stress or if a person is hyper mobile can affect posture, building awareness is the key, finding those little things that raise our potential and make improvements is the way. Always stoked on your work man, you’re always moving forward with creativity and gusto! 💪
Thank you ❤ so much. “Mr. Upright Default Posture” ;) you’re my hero. This is beautiful! This is work that is truly helpful to reach the upward goal. 1) Look up! Look forward. 2) Go after localized tension. “poke your sibling in the eye ;) at a 45° angle w/o limitations” This one video has been more helpful and more effective than eight months of physical therapy.. just sayin. Thank you. You teach us, Psoas to help us stand up straight. Fantastique!
I had nerd neck, forward turned shoulders, and beggining of a hunch. Ring back flies, pullups, max ROM pushups off paralletes, and holding yourself up against a wall with you neck on back side were the main exercises i used to fix posture. Strengthening your back will pull everythimg toward it. I can no longer slouch.
@@waughfit your exercises focus on stretching. I was always flexible. I wonder if that might make the difference. I also wasn't doing anything too hard on chest or front delt like bench press. Mostly calisthenics.
@@ianstover yes, these exercises in the video are stretching focused. I strength training and focused a ton on my upper back with traditional posture strengthening moves as well as pull up. I believe flexibility and mobility of the joints is key. It’s about being objective with what is limited through testing like I showed with the shoulder extension. I think we’re saying the same thing though lol
@@waughfit I think we are as well. My question then is prior to fixing your posture did you have much upper body flexibility. I had the flexibility initially but little strength. I very rapidly saw posture improvement from exercise. Which might support the idea that the flexibility moreso than strength allows the muscles to pull into good posture.
@@ianstover I didn’t! My shoulder extension was bad along with my apley’s scratch test. No one tested my mobility. Just gave me general exercises to “strengthen” my posture. I got stronger but they never improved my mobility. After improving my mobility it super charged my training and my posture improved.
Video started so interesting and exciting, scientific and full of promises and then kinda went downhill.. with injecting this Program Lead magnet making feel like the video is incomplete and then jumping into some exercises and stretches without explaining any logic on why they make sense (b/c they do not seem to and not sure why those stretches would actually fix the posture… so looks like one creator started the video and then somebody else did the second half… :)
Thank you!!! I’ve had two surgeries within 3 years ( broken sacrum and l4&l5 microdiscectomy) and put on weight, lost flexibility and muscle strength and these work outs are incredible and I believe are helping my stamina as well!!! Best videos ever I’m 51. And going through perimenopause so my body aches everyday… love these!!Thank you 🙏🏻♥️🌷
Maximizing my mobility allowed me to comfortably be in all kinds "bad" postures without drawbacks. I can sleep on hard surfaces comfortably (assuming I'm not pressing on a nerve). I don't have sharp pains when I slightly bang my knees or elbows on things like walls, doors, tables, especially when I stub my toe. It doesnt hurt. In fact the number of times I do bang or stub something decreased significantly because I have better coordination and the scope of my ability to react has increased.
@@dudejoe8390 exactly! I’ve had a very similar experience. My wife and I have a 4 week old and I’ve been hunched over with bad posture the entire time but I’m not getting stuck like I used to. Coordination and accessing more muscle with the increased mobility I believe is a huge component. Happy to hear you’re doing well 👍🏼
I remember a time I was doing of rowing my posture felt really streghent. Also a time where I was doing a lot of crosstraining. Overall good muscular tone helped me a lot (of course I always made mobility excersices) thanks for the video🙏
rowing is pushing shoulders and arms forward while keeping head in line with torso, plus going back expanding shoulders to sides instead of pushing them to back thats the key to all of this
I have bad posture and a little bit of arthritis in my back and my neck is off a little also anything that can help my posture I am all for it thanks for your video
Great video! What really worked for me was diaphragmatic breathing and focusing on breathing through my nose throughout the day. It's helped me avoid slouching and has significantly reduced my stress levels overall.
"Pull your shoulders back, tuck your chin, and sit up nice and tall." I find it odd that the most common posture-correction advice is pretty much "If you have bad posture, stop having bad posture!"
@@Earl_Grey_758 Right? It’s crazy how in everything else-sports, playing music, work, etc.-we strive for unconscious competence or ‘flow.’ We expect to get so good at something that we don’t even have to think about it anymore… except when it comes to posture 😂. It’s funny how that’s the one thing were told to have to constantly think about.
@@waughfit Wow, that was fast! Thank you for the answer and the video :) I suppose the same is the general idea of the keep-good-posture-throughout-the-day advice as well, the goal is just more elusive in this case. It was such a huge red herring when people (including a doctor) kept telling me to "just pay attention to my posture"; I experienced progress only after I started to exercise, too. After all these years, I am still slightly salty about it, a lot of time and effort spent inefficiently xd
@@Earl_Grey_758 same experience for me. It honestly just came down to improving my mobility then all the strength work really started to kick in. Way better use of time than focusing on staying upright.
On iron cross rolling I can’t get my leg to touch the floor, not even close actually. Feels like my lower back just too stiff. Will it improve with time?
Pecs that are too tight will also pull the shoulders forward. Consider trigger point therapy for pecs, stretches for upper, mid and lower pecs, avoid strengthening the pecs further, and strengthen the rhomboids instead
So excited to try these exercises! One thing I changed that helped my forward neck was to change my pillow. It was too high and when I changed to a flat memory foam pillow my neck straightened :) Took a year or two though.
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I was doing as an exercise at home push-ups for decades, and my posture was exactly that, and apparently was because pushups was not a very complete exercise for the upper body. I didn’t do anything intentionally to correct these but I decided to be god at pull-ups to. The unexpected side effect was that the muscles for my back gotten stronger and compensated the much stronger front and my posture corrected.
I don’t understand why some people never stretch, don’t really pay attention on how they sit/lay and still have a good posture, while other people have a bad if they don’t stretch everyday for an hour
@@ahahaahaha7617 I believe it’s all about joint mobility and coordination. When there are restrictions, your body tries to move as best as it can, leading to compensations, which are simply survival mechanisms. For example, in caveman times, hip hiking might have kept you moving to escape a tiger, even without perfect hip mobility. In my opinion, our posture is an adaptation to these compensations to save energy. So, if you improve joint mobility, you won’t need to hike the hip, which can prevent postural specializations. That’s just my theory on how it all works 🤷🏻♂️ I could be wrong.
I was out of my body my whole life and didn’t know until I was 37. It’s called dissociation. I felt like a floating head and my body signals were off /muted.
Resting posture is a tricky animal to tackle. There's usually a list of variable that contribute to bad posture but ultimately i've noticed running with good cadance and planking the best. Daily stretching is a must
Completely agree. It’s got a lot of variable but there’s a genetic baseline you should rest at. I’ve found full mobility at each joint helps you achieve this potential. Then strength training, run, etc with the mobility to cement the gains.
@@brettrichardson7924 tough to say and probably depends on the area. I pop my neck and stuff and it’s fine. Chiropractics can give people increased mobility so maybe that’s happening for you. But it’s important to use and load that new mobility.
Have you looked at at C2-C7 hyperflexion and OA hyperextension? I'd loosen SCM and anterior scalene to reduce C2-C7 flexion. Afterwards, I'd check extension in the OA joint. Then, might need to increase flexion in capitis muscles. I wouldn't move to muscles that rotate/side-bend until I'd addressed the above.
Oh yes, I’ve done a lot of chiropractic work-it’s all they talk about. I still have the pillow! 😂 That said, all of the muscles you mentioned are relaxing or gently stretching with the exercises. It’s just that you’re using the ribcage and spine attachments versus stretching with the neck and head. Also, simply placing the head and neck in a more favorable position (I cue open airway like with CPR) and then moving the shoulders, spine, and ribs, like with the upper body banded traction, can relax the neck a lot. It’s not that I don’t think what you suggest doesn’t work, it’s just going after it a little differently. Work from the center of mass out which is why I mention swayback so much. I hope that all makes sense 😅 it’s early here.
Oh yeah, I have a program in the description with a full weight lifting routine in combination of even more mobility work. These exercises get some quick changes but strengthening is a must.
@@notoriouscraggle932 if they improve your mobility, then I would do them every day till your body adapts and you can pass the mobility test without having done the movements in 24-48 hours
chin tuck is only useful as a quick stretch sporadically, if you abuse it, it can be detrimental because the back of the lower cervical get bunched up which isn't good and overall, the neck stay straight instead of curved. the solution is a lot of walking to strengthen the back muscles
@@sergiocarreteroruiz1075 it can be improved! There’s a normal amount of kyphosis that should be present but it can be increased by the factors I state in the video. A mobility tests I look to improve is shoulder ER, extension, and thoracic rotation. I hope that helps.
my posture was excellent until I fell and nearly broke my back. now I slouch and have to keep trying to remember to straighten my back, usually hearing a few pops/clicks from the back of my neck when doing so
@@rachelwidman2231 upper body banded traction. Well within most people’s range of motion and the band is doing the work. I would at least try the moves and see. You maybe surprised as these are some of the lowest level moves I give besides manual techniques
Thanks for this video it provides so much information.i also suffer from forward head for yeasr but Can i do these exercises if i have bicipital tendinitis for 2 years now ?
Consider the surface that you're standing on. Your shoes. The shoes you're wearing in this video clearly have a heel to toe drop. Having your heels raised up will cause your body to lean forward. In order to keep yourself from falling, you have to bend backwards somewhere, like your spine. Well now you're bent backwards, so you have to bend forward somewhere else, like your shoulders and neck. Since we spend a lot of time in shoes, our bodies get used to that posture. If you get into a flat shoe, your body no longer has to compensate and should eventually return to a neutral state. If you developed anterior pelvic tilt, you may need to consciously tilt your hips back to their neutral position until it feels natural. I likely still don't have the best posture, but switching to barefoot shoes have made my feet and legs stronger and my pelvis is back where it should be, making a straighter posture easier to achieve.
I’m glad the barefoot shoes helped you, but it’s not always the case for everyone. Ultimately, you should wear whatever suits you best. Personally, I like ON shoes because they’re comfortable and great for standing long hours on concrete floors. I hike and trail run in barefoot shoes now, but I actually wore them for six months for 10+ hour days in a gym for work and found that my posture worsened, along with developing plantar fasciitis. At the end of the day, shoes are a tool, just like a hammer or drill-it’s about picking the right ones for the job. In my experience, shoes haven’t significantly impacted my posture. They may have made me tighter or caused some injuries, but I would attribute that more to limitations in mobility. Gaining mobility based on what’s limited in your tests can help you do whatever you want with shoes or exercise. It’s about being specific to a person’s needs, and mobility tests allow us to do this.
@@waughfit Sure, but the main focus of my point was the flat shoe. You can still have a cushioned shoe that's also zero drop to help keep you upright. I would hope/assume that you didn't jump directly into barefoot shoes without transitioning or changing your gait.
@@MichaelSheaAudio and my main point is that heel elevation doesn’t matter as much as someone’s mobility. I’ve helped people who wear heels all day improve their posture... if what you suggest is the main cause of bad posture then why did they see improvements? Why have I seen improvements and I’m wearing a higher heel? Again, It’s not the shoes. It’s the body wearing them. Improve the body and wear whatever you want…
@@waughfit Oh no, of course, your shoes aren't the only thing, there are still things you can do to improve yourself. I'm not disagreeing with that. However, we're just talking about physics and gravity. A shoe with a lifted heel is actively working against you. Wearing them in moderation is one thing, but most regular shoes these days have a drop, even shoes people think are flat. Stretching and exercising should make great improvements, but you can't deny the effects that regular shoes have on our body. Well I mean, you could, Vibram lawsuit and all that, but those effects do make sense and simple changes to footwear can make a noticeable difference without taking the extra time to do exercises.
@@MichaelSheaAudio fair point. We’re on the same page. I will say using a shoe with more heel life for someone very forward in the toes has been helpful and then grade them down to less of a heel drop as they get used to sensing their heels. Combining physic and neuromuscular coordination gets weird lol.
I suspect I really need to fix this as I have hand tingling when using the mouse...it seems to go away when I shove my head back but this isn't comfortable to hold.
I have chronic bursitis in both shoulders that plays absolute havoc with my postural chain. I've tried stretching and strengthening, but the bursitis always flares up and leaves me unable to use my arms. I'm deeply depressed and trapped in limbo.
I want to understand this but I never get these exercices. You say "you should feel a stretch" but I dont. No matter how much I try to do this correctly, I feel nothing. I could do this for 24 hours straight, I would still feel nothing.
Try hanging vertically with your arms outstretched and gripping a tree branch, or rings or pull up bar. Farmer's carry or jogging/walking at a comfortable pace for an extended period can work as an indirect method as well. Basically, you want to do what our bodies were originally designed to do throughout our primate lineage.
Most of the time this would be because you're allowing the part of your body that's supposed to stay stationary to bend or get pulled along with the part of the body that's supposed to move. In the case of the body cross exercise on the floor, this would mean allowing your stationary knee to bend, or your stationary leg to turn along with your moving leg.
Do you have evidence that this helps? I dont think you can change posture by doing random exercises since the brain is the one controlling the muscle tone and posture, I think its more relevant to work on that part
@@SKALIVE_ I have personal improvements that I’ve also repeated on multiple clients over the last 5 years by improving mobility tests. You improve mobility by influencing muscle tone which is connected to the nervous system. These exercises are not random… like did you even watch the video?
Interesting timing watching your video-i just set up stretch bands outside around a tree with a pulley system using weights for resistance, doing a similar shoulder rotation to the one you show-felt like i was following the way the fascia wrapped around the muscles of the shoulder. Could feel relief in my neck and shoulders. In fact there is a whole bunch of movements you can do working this way to open up compression around the neck and shoulders, rotating with the fascia through the rib cage and hips.
The tumb pointing back test - I cant even point my thumbs back with straight arms without pushing my shoulders forward.... So, I guess that's a fail...
@@waughfit as per usual, I might have been a bit too hard on myself when thinking I should be able to do it, not only with my thumbs pointing backwards, but also the rest of the hand in perfect alignment.... I guess that wasn't the point? Although, I do feel like there's some room for improvement either way.
@@ComeAlongKay I think it just depends on the person. Pain, mobility, beliefs, stress, and strength all can have an effect on symptoms. I would say go after what is most limited in the body. If you shoulder extension or cervical rotation (moves we would expect to see limited with hyperkyphosis) are poor, then improve them and see if that helps. You can also look at how the jaw moves and strength there. At the end of the day we need to assess the body, create a plan, and test what works and what doesn’t work.
@@abhilash9918 being limited in the tests doesn’t mean you’ll always have pain. Just limited mobility. In this case the anterior chest wall is tight keeping you from rotating and extending the arm. Have you tried any of the exercises to see if it improves?
@@waughfit thanks for the reply. No I've not tried any of those exercises cuz I didn't even know I had that mobility issue until I watched this video. Ill try and see if it helps me with it.
I love them. I almost used a dead hang exercise in this video instead of the lat stretch. I just thought the lat stretch would be more accessible for people.
@@andersjensen7348 something to work on! Hopefully the exercises will help you at least start to turn the thumb back. If they don’t I can send you some other resources that might help.
Don’t behave as all the „shoulder back, stand upright“ things didn’t help you in the long run. It’s what helped. It helps. There are endless studies that tell it helps. It’s maybe not the best. But it helps.
@@Kakanulla I talked about how it helped me fake having good posture but it didn’t changed my relaxed posture when I wasn’t thinking about it. I’m sorry if this upsets you…
@Kakanulla Would love to see the quality of those studies, honestly. I've never met anyone who corrected this problem by just putting their shoulders back and standing upright. But if you prefer to be upset because reality does not fit your ideas or vision, I guess you are entitled to it.
@@le_boucher that’s my experience as well. I’ve posted a lot over on r/posture and there’s so many people asking for advice and how to fix their posture… but I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone post their real results. I did 2 years of functional patterns but all their results were people consciously standing taller… PRI was the only system I saw some relaxed before and afters from.
@@betweenearthandsky4091 I’ve used these moves for TOS 👍🏼 but it depends on what you’re mobility, strength, and symptoms look like to truly know if these would help you
@@betweenearthandsky4091 in my experience, surgery for TOS is not necessary and has never lead to major changes in symptoms. I wish they would outlaw that intervention 🤦🏻♂️
@@waughfit Wow I'm very surprised to hear! It indeed seems quite controversial. It seems like it's the go to treatment for venous TOS these days. It's quite crazy and radical. By the way, do you think there's a connection between rib flare and TOS? If so, it would make a nice video.
@@betweenearthandsky4091 yeah I think it’s just very invasive. Especially when it’s something newer, like that rib didn’t cause issues for how long and then all of a sudden we need to remove it? To me that’s an indication it’s probably more muscle tightness. Again, just my opinion and experience. There might be a connection for some people. I think it’s more about testing you movement. What are you limited in? Cool, go after it and see what happens to your symptoms. More mobility typically means less muscle tightness 👍🏼
The thing is chairs aren't made according to anatomy. They are uncomfortable for our bodies. To keep a good posture our knees should get higher than pelvis. Or if you can adjust the height of the table there are some special chairs with an angle to keep a better posture but it's kind of half sitting position
@@mickeymadmouse I mean I think you should be able to stand, sit, and do whatever you want with your body. Going after your own mobility grants you the ability to sit how you want vs. having to rely on specialty desks, chairs, etc. the body is resilient and adaptable. Just need to work with it via movement.
I had bad posture until i have to work for security and have to stand still for 12 hs a day, thats when i noticed that my bad posture can be fixed by just standing and walking.😅
If you lift it could be a muscle imbalance. Work the rear delts to counter the rounding at the shoulder and do overhead dumbbell tricep extensions on a decline or flat bench to open up the chest.
No, muscle tension doesn’t “hold” you in that posture that is nonsense. Rotator cuff health, upward rotation and NO upper thoracic cervical neck “hinging” is key.
I mean, if you had shoulder and neck pain so bad that you can’t sit normally for more than a few minutes (which is the case for lots of people) then you’d be researching anything that could help
For me problem is partly in psychology i feel like robot or to proud of himself frat boy type of brat when i wallk straight also i been so used to looking down im afraid i will fall if my eyes are not scaning the ground.
@@JackieMB92 confidence is a huge piece to this. I had a client that improved all his mobility but posture was still bad. We chalked it up to his genetics, but then he quit his horrible job and felt “lighter.” Guy was standing tall without thinking about it! Like the weight of the world was lifted lol
@@billbauer9795 I mean just try the exercises and see if it helps your shoulder extension. If it does then you probably have a good shot at improving your posture…
It does seem like each video I’ve seen on this says that the last guys video was wrong and that it won’t work and then says it’s even harder to fix than the other guy said. It’s like the difficulty level keeps leveling up the more I’ve studied it.
Though is something didn’t work it would be better to know now and get the best possible option of what to do. It’s harder to do the wrong stuff than the right stuff.
@@ComeAlongKay that’s why testing your mobility is so important. You can rule out if something works, doesn’t work, or need troubleshooting. Just gives you a road map to try and see improvements.
2:04 this is still a really bad posture, you want a fully straight back, without shoulders at back of spine axis, the curve is the problem, head forward is much less of a problem and more of a solution, because you dont really have if forward on these pictures - if you look at back line its always at back with shoulders LOL also you need to orient pelvis right, butt going forward and pelvis forward and up is solution not problem, when you keep it at back you curve your back deforming straight posture causing these compensations you discovered way forward but its far far longer way to understand the problem
@@szymonbaranowski8184 we’re looking for better. Not perfect as that will never exist. The lines are drawn from the ear down whereas the other photos were drawn up from the lateral malleolus. I’m not sure what you’re getting at with this comment or critique of the lines. The photo you time stamped clearly shows that she has pulled her ribcage back toward her center of mass, her neck is longer, and hips are in better alignment with the ear… I’m happy to discuss my approach or answer questions but please work on your clarity with your critique. It’s very hard to follow.
The best way towards a real posture change is the 100 year old Alexander Technique. It is releasing compressions in your body ultimately free your neck, lengthen your spinal muscles and widen your back. It IS Fantastic!!
Remember to be careful with posture adjustments, fixing one issue can uncover other problems lower in the body so be prepared to fix it quickly. You can end up messing up the knees by finally ridding yourself of neck pain. Ask me how I know lol
@@ueatfood5625 I had mild forward haed/neck posture. Aprx. 2 weeks without a pillow fixed my posture. Keep in mind it may be different for you depending on the cause of your bad posture. It can't hurt to try, woarse case you are mildly uncomfortable for a few days and taking an extra 5-30 minutes to fall asleep (only at first, you'll get used to it soon). If no pillow is to extreme purchase an extra thin pillow and use that.
What a waste of time. Your posture is your muscle balance. If your muscles can't pull your head back they are weak and should strengthen them. Pull ups, bent over rows and variations. That's all
@@ybrbnf333 I mean I did all of those exercises and my posture wasn’t good… I’m not the only one with this experience either. If what you say is true, then why didn’t I see results?
@@waughfit maybe you strengthened your opposite muscles (chest and the others) more efficiently? Or the progress in pull movements was too small. In my experience if any person increases weights in row movements x2 - their movements, posture, appearance change a lot
@@ybrbnf333 I think that’s a big assumption made when I clearly mentioned i used pull-ups and bent-over rows. I completed all of the upper back strengthening possible to improve my posture but it didn’t improve. So can we agree that joint mobility plays a role in how muscles behave? If joints are restricted, the muscles may not be able to fully contract or stretch. I never said strength isn’t important. I’m simply advocating for testing mobility restrictions to create a better plan for how and what we strengthen. In my opinion, it’s definitely not a waste of time.
