We’ve all asked ourselves this at some point…
Why does my posture seem to get worse as I get older? Maybe you’ve noticed that your back aches more after sitting for a while or that standing up straight doesn’t feel as easy as it once did.
If this sounds like you, you’re not alone. But before we talk about fixing it, let’s first understand why this happens. Once we know that, it’ll be a lot easier to figure out what you can do about it.
What Happens to Our Bodies As We Get Older?
When we’re younger, things just seem to work. Take a two year old, for example. That little guy can squat with ease. Try doing the same thing now, and you might feel stiff and tight in places you didn’t even know you had.
As we get older, things change. We start sitting more, maybe we get injuries or just stop moving as much. We’ve got work to do, families to take care of, and life gets busy. Over time, we start to notice that our bodies don’t move the way they used to.
For example, as I’m sitting here writing this blog post, I’m hunched over, looking down at my laptop. It’s a nice-looking chair, but it’s not the most comfortable for long stretches. And now, while I’m thinking about this, my neck is starting to ache.
This isn’t a huge problem if it’s only happening for a short period, but most of us spend hours sitting at desks every day. It adds up. And the longer we’re in these bad positions, the worse our posture becomes.
The Problem with Sitting for Too Long
If you sit for too long, your body starts to weaken in certain areas. The whole “use it or lose it” thing is real. If we don’t regularly engage the muscles that support good posture, they get weaker.
Here’s what typically happens:
Upper back muscles: When you sit for long periods, your shoulders tend to roll forward, which usually means your upper back muscles are weak. This makes it harder to sit up straight or stand tall.
Core muscles: A weak core leads to slouching. Your core is responsible for stabilising your spine, and if it’s not strong enough, you’ll notice your posture starting to suffer.
Glutes and hips: Weak glutes and hips also contribute to poor posture. When these muscles aren’t strong enough, the body compensates by overworking other muscles, like the lower back, which leads to pain and stiffness.
So, if you find yourself sitting all day and noticing that your posture isn’t what it used to be, this is why. The muscles that keep us upright are weakening, and we don’t use them enough to keep them strong.
The Good News
Strengthening the muscles that support good posture is one of the best ways to fix this. And I’m not talking about spending hours in the gym every day. Just a few focused sessions each week can make a huge difference.
When you build strength in areas like your core, upper back, and glutes, you’re helping to support your spine, improve your posture, and reduce pain.
So, let’s break it down a little bit:
Strengthen your upper back: If your shoulders are rolling forward, it’s likely that your upper back muscles are weak. Exercises like rows, pull-ups, and lat pull-downs are great for targeting these muscles and helping to improve your posture. The goal is to focus on pulling your shoulders back and down as you do these movements.
Strengthen your core: A strong core helps keep your spine stable and supports your posture. Think planks, dead bugs, and bird dogs. These exercises work on stabilising your pelvis and lower back, making it easier to stand and sit up straight without pain.
Work on your glutes and hips: Your glutes are a big part of good posture. Exercises like deadlifts, lunges, and glute bridges help strengthen these muscles. Strong glutes help keep your hips aligned and reduce strain on your lower back.
Stretch tight muscles: While strengthening is the main goal, stretching is just as important. Focus on stretching the muscles that get tight from sitting too long. Hip flexors, hamstrings, and chest muscles all tend to tighten up when we sit for long periods. Regular stretching will help keep you flexible and prevent stiffness.
What You Can Take Away From This
The main takeaway here is that strength is the foundation of good posture. By incorporating strength training into your routine, you can keep your muscles strong and your body moving well. This is important not only for your posture but also for your overall health and well-being.
You don’t need to spend hours in the gym to see results. A few focused sessions each week, where you can target areas of weakness, can go a long way in improving your posture and making you feel better overall.
But Be Careful…
Training is a useful tool, but it can often be done wrong and cause more problems. From experience, we can admit to getting this wrong in our very early years. A good program can fix a lot of these problems you have, just as much as a poorly designed exercise program can cause worse problems.
Which is why people can be afraid of the gym. They might have had a few bad experiences. Make sure to do your own research, check in with your body, and understand that often there is no perfect fix (like all the dodgy online marketers promise).
I’m not going to pitch you a sale here, but if you’re someone who’s looking for some help, we offer a 7-day free trial for our group classes. We’d love to meet you and see if we can help you feel strong and confident in your own training.
Written by Luke Nivison-Smith, the founder of Movement Innovation, with over 13 years of personal training experience.
