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Good posture

Maya

Veteran

I realize when looking at my pictures that I have terrible posture. I don't know what to do about it though. I'm not conscious of it until I see myself and then I feel slightly horrified.

I know this is partially due to the weight and size of my chest pitted against the relative tiny-ness of my back, but there is not much I can do about that for now. I am already in the right bra size and buy the best bras I can afford. I went several years wearing the wrong size and wrong style, though, and I think that has taken an irreversible toll on my back and shoulders. When I look back on my pictures from 2004 and prior, I definitely didn't have this problem.

Even if I had a breast reduction I am not sure it would fix the damage that has been done--just prevent it from worsening and make it a little easier to implement steps to improve it. Those would definitely be positive effects, but I can't really wait until that happens. I'd like to start now, and I know YLF wisdom has never failed me, so I have come to ask you ladies: Does anyone have any tips on steps I can take?

General

43 replies

Latest reply was from Lena

Mo

(website)

Veteran

I read up on Jolie Bookspan's website for a while about alignment and it helped me out. I still see a chiropractor and have 'issues' but I'm better off after using some of the ideas about holding our bodies naturally in alignment and stretches she recommends. http://www.drbookspan.com/

annagybe

(website)

Veteran

I have bad posture as well. I noticed when I was doing yoga regularly it helped. Unfortunately I haven't done yoga in years.

taylor

Veteran

I know throwing your shoulders back and squaring your shoulder will just make your bust jutt out more ...and is probably why you haven't done that all the while.

I think I have seen some sort of shoulder contraption that pulls them back, but then again it may push your chest out a bit more and I know you aren't comfortable with that. So I am interested in what others may suggest.

My one suggestion would be...because I am a bit of a fanatic when it comes to posture...especially when sitting..KEEP your spine and shoulders straight...don't slouch forward and round your shoulders. Sit straight and tall. You may already do that:)

sarah

Veteran

I've become a real believer in Pilates. Classes don't have to break the bank, if they're mat pilates classes, rather than reformer classes. Pilates has strengthened every part of my body - core, back, arms, legs - I've actually 'grown' one inch over the past 2 years from doing pilates once/week (a lot of height to add to my 5'1" frame!). Yoga would also help.

elpgal

Veteran

I find yoga and weight-lifting very helpful.

I remember there was a discussion about this on YLF a while ago and pilates, Alexander technique and Esther Gokhale's book were mentioned. I did get the Esther Gokhale book but did not have the patience to follow through on the advice.

April

Veteran

Maya, Tim Gunn has a very detailed description of how to develop excellent habits of posture in his Guide to Style. It basically amounts to putting your shoulders down (not "back") and tucking your bottom under. He says the way to do the latter is to imagine you're trying to get between two close-together tables in a restaurant without bumping into either one. The posture you would naturally assume under those circumstances is the way you want to hold your lower body, and then you want to be sure your shoulders are not creeping toward your ears.

Both as easy and as difficult as developing any new habit.

judy

Veteran

Even if you don't get her book, the few things Esther Gokhale mentions in this video...kind of long, it's a google lunch hour series, like 54 minutes...made improvements in my posture.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yYJ4hEYudE

rute

Veteran

yoga and pilates are great!

catgirl

Veteran

Maya, after I had a breast reduction, I went to a woman who works with people who have physically impairing conditions (like ongoing muscle spasms or sports injuries). She helps her clients realign their bodies properly though massage and physical therapy. My posture was so slouchy from before the surgery, along with carrying my son around on my right hip. That helped me so much, and got rid of a lot of the bad posture habits I'd been forced into... And I'm sure she could have helped me pre-surgery, had I known about it. There is hope!

Maya

Veteran

Taylor, I'm actually not too concerned about that. I have big boobs and how I carry myself isn't going to change that. Actually, when I stand up straight it makes my torso look longer and my tummy and waist look smaller, so it's probably a good thing overall.

Maybe I should get back into yoga. I just wish I had more time during the week.

Una, that is good to know. I would like to have that surgery before I turn 30 and the sooner the better, but I also know it won't solve all of my problems so I'm glad there is more to it.

Arya

(website)

Hi Maya! I am a long-time yoga teacher and yoga therapist, so I'd love to chime in.

As Tim Gunn apparently points out in his book, when focusing on upper body posture, move your shoulder blades down your back (gently...don't think of pushing or pulling them down, but rather of relaxing your upper traps) NOT back. It is a common mistake to just the chest out and "throw" the shoulders back, but that ends up pulling the shoulder blades together, causing all sorts of aches and pains. Lift your sternum gently upward toward your chin, a position which compliments the shoulder blade position. You may notice the position of your arms shift, more toward the side seam of your trousers. Let your palms face your legs (not the back of the room).

As for the lower body, here I get picky about semantics. When someone is told to tuck their bum under, they usually end up squeezing the heck out of their glutes. This *will* lead to hip tightness and pain, as well as lower back pain. Rather than "tucking", consider this: Let your sacrum feel very heavy and let it move downward WHILE lifting your pubis gently up toward your sternum (using your lower belly muscles). Do this without clenching your cheeks, which mainly pushes your pelvis forward, throwing off your posture. This front/back work will put the pelvis in proper alignment so that it can support your spine and entire upper body well.

When working on postural corrections, keep in mind that some muscles will feel tired, and even achey, because they are now having to do their job. Others may complain because they were overworked before and now they feel left out. As with any new activity, give yourself breaks and go gently. Start out slowly, don't suddenly demand "perfect" posture from your body all day long. Add more good posture time over the next weeks and months, and before you know it you'll have great posture most of the time, and poor posture will become uncomfortable.

Obviously without seeing you in person there's only so much advice one can give, but I hope that this clarifies some points for everybody reading. If you'd like more pointers, I'm happy to make more suggestions!

Reneeb

Veteran

Maya I have horrible posture due to severe back pain and twd the end of the day I can not holdup at all. At PT they fitted me with a back brace that I wear at home and it has done wonders for my posture.

taylor

Veteran

Ohhh, Arya,...brilliant suggestions!!

Steph

Veteran

Maya, there are some great suggestions here. I have two to add (but I suspect you won't like them!):
1.) I think that part of your problem probably is related to the weight of your breasts. I would try to do some back exercises to build up the muscles you need to hold your back straight while still supporting your breasts.

2.) Part of having good posture is holding in your stomach and butt. If that is part of the problem and the techniques above don't get you quite there, you might want to work on your core strength as well. You probably won't have to do that, but I thought it was worth a mention, just in case.

Jennifer

I have terrible posture too. Obviously, some great suggestions have been made here already, but in my journey to standing tall and straight, I've realized it's all in the core!

Megan

I have bad posture too- particularly when sitting. I've just gone back to the gym and am finding weights (to strengthen my back) and yoga and pilates (to strengthen my core and promote more flexibility) are helping.

Maya, if there's a Lululemon store near you they all offer free yoga classes (I think there's one near Lincoln centre if memory serves me well)- it might be worth checking out. Their classes here in Sydney are great

ETA: just checked and there are 4 NYC locations
* East 66th
* Lincoln Square
* SoHo
* Union Square

http://www.lululemon.com/stores/

danza.armonia

I'm a fan of both yoga and pilates and while you can work on posture in nearly any yoga pose or pilates exercise, there are are a few that stand out.

Yoga:
On the strengthening front:
Low cobra- use your back muscles to lift you up (not your hands)
Chattaranga -keep those shoulders back elbows close to your body while contracting your abdomen. You can start on your knees and go down just a few inches. Progress all the way to the floor, when you can keep your arms/shoulders and core in the correct position (i.e. don't turn this into a western pushup)

Pilates:
The majority of prone-lying (on your belly) exercises strengthen your back extensors.

Stretching, opening up the pectoral muscles, helps a lot. If you can find a long foam roller and lie on it lengthwise, you can slowly move your arms up and down as if you are making a snow angel and this will give you a nice pectoral stretch.

Then in everyday life, think about lifting your torso up as if you have a string coming out of the top of your head that someone is pulling on. That will encourage more muscular support.

As a fellow larger-busted gal, I hear you 100%. The majority of counteracting this is strengthening. And the benefits are not only appearance, you'll find yourself able to do more in everyday life. All the best!

MNsara

Veteran

Great ideas here already, but I'll recommend yoga again - the core strength gained there (or any other core building exercise) is necessary for good support/posture.

My most excellent physical therapist also said that when you are in proper posture, you should be able to relax your muscles (said differently, that proper posture shouldn't be a massive strain on any muscles).

He reiterated that the typical stance has hip bones forward, shoulders lifted, and head held out in front - putting strain on lower back and neck.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Thanks for the great read, ladies! This was very interesting.

Confession: My late Mum was an absolute posture tyrant. When I was little she made me walk around with a book on my head over the weekend. She also repeatedly shouted at me to stand up straight! She would also pinch me on the back to straighten me up!! These methods are not ideal at all - but they worked and now I am grateful. I stand, walk and sit very straight. Actually, my back hurts when I slouch.

Inge has KILLER posture. I hope she chimes in!

MNsara

Veteran

Oh, Angie - your mom reminds me of my mom running her knuckles down my bony spine (extra bony when I slouched!) to get me to straighten up.

I think I had selectively blocked that memory - LOL!

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Oh Sara! Thanks for commiserating. Fortunately, Mum's ultra strict no-slouching rules led to good posture. At least I have something to show for my suffering

Patty

Veteran

One time my son's physiotherapist used a couple strips of tape down his back to help him realize he was slouching. The tape would pull when...--yeah that didn't end well either.

mamaKate

Veteran

To add one more to all the other great responses, my mom swears by Trager massage. She started when she started losing bone mass around menopause. She "grew" an inch in the first year of treatment! She swears by it for many reasons, not least of which is because it doesn't require a workout!

Kate

Veteran

Fascinating stuff. I think that I keep my shoulders too far forward (kinda curled rather than letting them be as broad as they are), and I've recently been thinking that I should try to correct this. Thanks for all of the great information so far!

ETA: I have found that when I try to sit up straight, people think I'm uncomfortable, uneasy, or uptight, and tell me to relax. I'm hoping that I can find a way to have good posture and still look natural and relaxed.

Diana

Veteran

Angie, my mom used to yell at me about my posture all the time, but on me, it had the opposite effect. Basically, when someone orders me to do something, I'll deliberately resist doing it. ..

... and now I slouch. =(

I do find that my posture is much better when I'm wearing heels. Of course, there are many other reasons why I can't wear high heels for long though, so this is not a sustainable solution.

Maya

Veteran

Wow, this is so much great information. I'm adding this thread to my favorites!

Scarlet

Veteran

I don't have beautiful posture but even without training I always have a trained belly because my mom spent my whole childhood telling me to keep my belly in--i.e. as opposed to letting it hang out, pull it in and straighten your lower back to give it its place within your body among your other organs. I will tell my kids the same because I am very grateful now.

I know the gym is not the answer for you, but I also find weight lifting great because you must be aware of your posture and your core muscles and activate them before attempting anything heavy.

anne

Veteran

This is indeed a very interesting thread. Maya this problem is not restricted to the large of bust, though I can see how that would affect posture.

I am very small busted, asyou know, but my mother gently spoke to me a few weeks ago and told me I was in danger of becoming round shouldered and needed to stand up straighter.

I think my bad posture may be related to attitude, to a feeling of wanting to be deferential not impose on people - that sort of thing.

I'll put this thread on favourites too

Kristine

Veteran

I'm also a fan of Esther Gokhale. Unlike Tim Gunn she stresses keeping your bottom behind you, not tucked. Ducky butt, not tucky butt she says. So anytime you're sitting or walking try to consciously allow your spine to gently curve out at the bottom. It naturally brings the shoulders back too. I've been working with this for a few months and it feels very natural and strong.

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