Spending hours hunched over a desk? You're not alone. Poor posture doesn't just lead to back pain—it affects your energy, mood, and overall health. Strength training is proven to correct your posture, build core stability, and regain balance. Here's how to straighten up and feel better.
What is Posture?
Posture is how your body holds itself when standing, sitting, or lying down. It involves your bones, muscles, and nerves working together to keep you balanced. Good posture supports your spine, but modern habits, like sitting for long periods, can easily lead to pain and discomfort.
Inactive vs. Active Posture
Inactive posture occurs when you're resting, like sitting or lying down, using minimal muscle activity. Active posture happens when you're standing or moving, engaging more muscles to keep you stable.
Static vs. Dynamic Posture
Static postures, like sitting or standing, are held for long periods and can strain your body. Dynamic postures, like walking or lifting, involve movement and require muscle coordination to maintain balance.
Is There One Perfect Posture?
Not exactly. What works for one person might not work for another. Your posture naturally changes as you age, and different tasks require different postures. The key is flexibility—moving fluidly and maintaining positions without pain.
What is Bad Posture?
Although no ideal posture exists, different postures are needed for different tasks. It's important for your body to have a wide range of postures and to move fluidly to perform tasks. However, as you age, hormonal changes, especially declining testosterone levels, can contribute to poor posture by weakening your muscles and bones.
If you often slouch over your computer or sit with poor alignment, your muscles may shorten or lengthen to accommodate these positions. Over time, declining testosterone can accelerate muscle loss and reduce bone density, making it harder for your body to maintain proper posture.
Static postures, such as prolonged sitting or standing, can lead to bent, asymmetrical posture, low back pain, and vascular disorders. Improper shoes or foot problems can also lead to bad posture, but hormone imbalance, particularly low testosterone, plays a key role in weakening the body's natural support system.
Does Bad Posture Affect Your Body?
Researchers are still learning about posture and how it affects the body. Some researchers believe that posture may affect mood, sleep habits, jaw alignment, balance, headaches, and breathing.
If your posture stresses joints and ligaments, it can also increase pressure on the spine. People often cite neck, shoulder, and back pain as the major complaints of poor posture. You can also experience decreased flexibility.
Surprisingly, poor posture, such as slouching, can increase abdominal pressure, which can promote incontinence. If you have poor posture while on the toilet, it may make it harder for your abdominal muscles to move the feces out of your bowels, creating constipation. Also, slouching after a meal can cause heartburn and acid reflux.
As you age, you may notice that your posture naturally changes. In a study, researchers found that older adults had greater kyphosis (forward rounding of the upper back), more posterior hip position, and leaned forward more from the hips. They also had decreased height.
One contributing factor to these changes is declining hormone levels, particularly testosterone. Lower testosterone levels can lead to muscle loss and reduced bone density, both of which directly affect posture. As muscles weaken and bones become more fragile, maintaining an upright posture becomes harder, leading to issues like slouching or a forward lean.
Muscular weakness, osteoporosis, and weakness in the spinal bones may contribute to changes in posture. If you've noticed other changes as you age, declining hormone levels like testosterone could be part of the issue. Testosterone plays a crucial role in maintaining muscle mass and bone density, both of which are key to supporting good posture. When testosterone levels drop, it can lead to muscle loss, weaker bones, and poor posture.
How Declining Testosterone Affects Posture and How TRT Can Help
That's where testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) can help. By restoring your testosterone levels, TRT helps improve muscle strength, bone health, and overall energy levels, making it easier to maintain good posture and stay active.
At Male Excel, we provide a convenient and safe way to access TRT online, helping restore optimal hormone levels so your body can function at its best. With consistent, reliable results and minimal risk of side effects, we make it easy to take control of your health.
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How Do You Fix Your Posture?
Improving your core muscle strength and flexibility can help support the spine and improve your posture. You will want to achieve a neutral, upright spine position that avoids being pushed too far forward or backward. Pull your shoulders down and back to put your body in a neutral spine position. Then, put your head back and engage your core muscles by bringing your belly button toward your spine.
If you work at a desk all day, you may also want to invest in a lumbar support pillow to remind you to sit upright. Changing your position every half hour to an hour is important to keep your spine and muscles moving and flexible. You will also want your computer, desk, and other surfaces to be at a comfortable height.
Simple awareness of your posture while completing everyday tasks will help you maintain better posture. There are many types of exercises you can engage in to strengthen the muscles you use for posture and keep you moving.
Obesity can weaken abdominal muscles, leading to problems with the pelvis and spine. So, maintaining a healthy weight can also contribute to proper posture. Many types of exercise, such as yoga, pilates, cardio, and strength training, can give you a full-body workout that will strengthen the muscles you use to maintain core strength.
9 Gym Exercises for Strength Training and Posture
Improving your posture requires strengthening the muscles that support your spine and maintaining balance throughout your body. These exercises specifically target the core, back, and shoulders—key areas responsible for good posture. Incorporate them into your workout routine to help correct imbalances and reduce pain associated with poor posture.
Here are some basic exercises for you to try next time you are at the gym:
#1 Halo
You will want to complete 5 reps of Halos on each side. This exercise will improve shoulder mobility and core stability. With your feet a little wider than your hips, hold a dumbbell at your chest with both hands. Lift the weight to eye level. Slowly move it around your head in a circle clockwise for 1 rep. Repeat in the opposite direction.
#2 Crawl
Toddlers may make it look easy, but crawling takes a lot more work than you may initially think. You'll start this exercise on all fours. Keep your back and bottom flat, and lift your knees off the floor a few inches. Then, look at the floor in front of your hands while keeping your head in a comfortable position.
For this crawl, you want the opposite hand and foot to move at the same time. Begin by taking 10 steps forward, moving the opposite foot and hand simultaneously, alternating with each step. Then, move 10 steps backward. It is important to keep your back straight throughout the exercise.
#3 Farmer's Carry
Grab a weight that is heavy enough to challenge you but not too heavy. You could also use a kettlebell. Then, hold the weights by your sides. Grip your weights with all of your fingers. Then, holding them shoulder-width apart, walk smoothly and evenly, keeping your shoulders back.
You want to avoid stomping as you go about 25 feet forward. As you get better at it, you will be able to walk for longer distances.
This exercise strengthens your core, glutes, arms, and upper back muscles. It is a great way to improve your posture if you sit at a desk all day.
#4 Lat Pulldown
This exercise is great for preventing rounded-back or slouched postures. Sit on a lat pulldown machine. Grab the bar with your palms facing away from you and your hands slightly wider than your shoulders. Next, sit up straight and pull the bar down.
Squeeze your shoulder blades together until the bar stops between your chin and chest. Then, return to the starting position. You'll want to repeat this exercise about 12 times. You can do this strength training for posture exercise at home with a resistance band anchored above your head.
#5 Seated Cable Row
For strength training of the upper body posture, seated rows help to strengthen the muscles that keep your shoulders back. This exercise is also great for keeping the spine erect. To perform the exercise, sit on the platform with your shoulders back.
Hold onto the cable attachment and pull the handle towards your midsection. Squeeze your shoulder blades together. Then, straighten your arms to the starting position while keeping your back straight and your abs tight—complete 3 sets of 12 reps of seated cable rows.
#6 Side Plank
A side plank can help align and strengthen the muscles in your sides and glutes to improve posture. First, get into a high plank position. Then, take your right hand slightly to the center. Shift your weight onto your right hand.
Now, stack your ankles and lift the hips. Extend your left hand up towards the ceiling. Be sure to engage your abdominal muscles, side body, and glutes. Keep your body straight from your head to your heels. Hold this pose for 30 seconds, then repeat it on the opposite side.
Beginners may have trouble reaching their arms up. In this case, you can put your hand on your hip. You can also drop your right knee to the floor for extra support as you begin strength training for posture. As you build up your endurance, you can increase the difficulty.
#7 Downward Facing Dog
This exercise is often beneficial for relieving back pain. It also helps to balance the body, aligning and strengthening the back muscles.
To complete this exercise, lie flat on your stomach on the floor. Then, press your hands on the floor, tuck your toes under your feet, and lift your heels. Next, lift your knees and hips. Your sit bones should be facing towards the ceiling.
Lengthen your spine by bending your knees slightly. Your ears should be in line with your upper arms. Be sure to tuck your chin to your chest. Remain in this pose for about 1 minute.
#8 Glute Bridge
Strengthening your glutes can also relieve lower back pain. Improving the alignment and functioning of your hips and pelvis will improve your posture.
To complete a glute bridge, lie on your back with your knees bent. Your feet should be hip distance apart and a foot away from your hips. Rest your arms to your sides with your palms facing down.
Exhale and lift your hips toward the sky. Be sure to straighten your spine. Hold this position for 1 minute at a time. You should feel the stretch in your hamstrings. Inhale when you go back to the starting position.
#9 Isometric Pulls
To work your shoulders, arms, and back muscles, isometric pulls can strengthen your upper body muscles that help maintain good posture.
To complete this exercise, sit in a chair. Make a fist with each hand and extend your arms in front of you, parallel to the floor. Exhale and draw your elbows back toward your shoulders, squeezing your shoulder blades together. Hold this position for 10 seconds. Then, slowly release on an inhale back to the starting position. Repeat this movement for 1 minute.
If you have severe back pain or have had a back injury, you may want to hire a personal trainer to help you strength train for posture. A personal trainer can give you modified and personalized exercises to help you strengthen your body while minimizing the risk of injury.
If you have severe back muscle pain or decreased mobility, you may need the assistance of a physical therapist to regain your flexibility.
Conclusion
Bad posture can impact your entire body, especially as you age and experience natural muscle weakening. Declining testosterone levels can further contribute to poor posture by reducing muscle mass and bone density. Along with strength training to build your core, testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) can help restore the muscle strength and bone health needed to maintain good posture.
By addressing both hormone balance and muscle conditioning, you can not only improve your posture but also feel stronger, more confident, and healthier for years to come.
