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Posture correction-snake oil?

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 French Erick 25 Feb 2019

What do health professionals think of this miracle t-shirts or sling things that supossedly will help correct rounded/stooped upper back?

I have been trying to correct my posture over years with some slight success. I would try it, without expecting miracles and certainly not over 3 weeks but!

There’s always a but: support means unsupported, bloody obviously, so what happens when you remove the prop? Does it just look like you have a better posture? Or has it got a role to play?

 marsbar 25 Feb 2019
In reply to French Erick:

Pilates can be good for posture. 

 alx 25 Feb 2019
In reply to French Erick:

> I have been trying to correct my posture over years with some slight success. I would try it, without expecting miracles and certainly not over 3 weeks but!

> There’s always a but: support means unsupported, bloody obviously, so what happens when you remove the prop? Does it just look like you have a better posture? Or has it got a role to play?

If your posture is not being caused by something you were born with or degeneration of some kind then it’s snake oil. There will most likely be a lot of tight muscles, a lot of weak muscles and a whole load of behavioural patterns that contribute to your posture. No support is going to address those. 

Best advice is to get a standing desk and ditch the hours sitting down at home or driving. Buy a hockey ball, foam roller and a copy of The Supple Leopard.

Post edited at 08:22
 jasonC abroad 25 Feb 2019
In reply to French Erick:

I asked the chap who treats my RSI about these things, as I have awful posture, tending to slouch at the desk, he did not think they were a good idea, it's better to treat the problem properly.  As has been said above it's improving muscle strength and flexibility is the key, I use a timer when I am working to force (8 seconds/5 minutes) breaks every 10 minutes/hour, which reminds me to correct my sitting posture.  Yoga has helped a lot as well.

Post edited at 08:57
1
 ring ouzel 25 Feb 2019
In reply to French Erick:

Regarding the Supple Leopard book that alx suggested; if you want to peruse a copy just give me a shout. I use it and its excellent.

Post edited at 11:40
OP French Erick 27 Feb 2019
In reply to ring ouzel:

Um what I thought then.

I might borrow that book Ring ouzel but only if I think about giving you back the bushcraft one!

 Tom Last 27 Feb 2019
In reply to alx:

> Best advice is to get a standing desk and ditch the hours sitting down at home or driving.

Standing desk made such an enormous difference to me (actually just my computer on a stall on the table as I work from home). I have to drive a lot, but where possible I hold the bottom of the wheel now which relaxes my shoulders hugely. 

 SouthernSteve 27 Feb 2019
In reply to French Erick:

For stooped shoulders you could try back tape to enforce a better posture for a while, but I would do this with a physio's help with a definite health objective. It is often used after lumbar disc problems. However, we move in a co-ordinated, albeit non-textbook fashion and changing one thing is likely to break another. A good example of this is moving to a forefoot running style (very trendy) to help the knees and ending up with sore feet and calves. 

Tom's comment about the rest of our life - driving, sitting etc is very pertinent.

 ring ouzel 27 Feb 2019
In reply to French Erick:

Forgot you had that!

 subtle 27 Feb 2019
In reply to French Erick:

Dont know about miracle t-shirts but, given your name, the best exercise to help rounded/stopped back would be to practice the "gallic shrug"

OP French Erick 27 Feb 2019
In reply to subtle:

Does nae help...40 years of practice and still a bad posture... apparently I do it all the time as Ring ouzel can vouchsafe (no later than this weekend!).

I like your style mind!


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