DESK POSTURE
By Shane Dowd , CES, CMP
How To Fix Kyphosis from Sitting
Let's face it – sitting stinks.
In fact there’s a good chance that you’re sitting in Desk Posture right now. Slumped over, shoulders rounded forward, shoulders internally rotated, low back rounded.
Why do we do this to ourselves?
Science has shown (and people intuitively know) that prolonged sitting is bad for your body.
Not only does it wreak havoc on your health, but it is also terrible for your posture. Even if you sit with optimal posture, (a technique I discuss in the Desk Posture Therapy program), if you sit long enough – postural muscles get tired and your body starts to slump and permanently mold itself into bad posture.
Why Is Desk Posture A Problem?
Posture is like health. We never fully know its value until its gone.
When our health is gone (we get a disease) we make vows to change our lives ("this time I'll really stop smoking!") Similarly, when posture deterioration eventually reaches a threshold (pain) people start looking for a solution – but it's almost too late.
Why is it so difficult to change your health or posture once it reaches the pain stage? It's because we are so in-debt to our bodies that it's going to take a while to pay off these debts and restore good posture.
How does this happen?
As we sit for a long period of time the postural muscles become tired and we slump into Desk Posture. This is all about energy efficiency. Hanging on our bones and ligaments is a short term solution that allows us to use the hard structures (the bones) for stability instead of the muscles.
Make this a chronic habit and the body will change the length-tension relationships of the muscles and bones. When this happens often enough for long enough, your body freezes into this new shape. The Desk Posture will become the new you.
Desk Posture contributes to a host of issues, including:
- Neck pain
- Headaches
- Anterior (front ) hip pain
- Upper, Mid and Lower back pain
How Do We Fix Bad Desk Posture?
Posture deteriorates slowly (over 20, 30, or 40+ years) but fortunately it can be fixed much more quickly (with the right tools.)
To start — watch the 5 Exercises for Desk Posture Video and if you want a more comprehensive 45-day program check out the Desk Posture Therapy program below.
About The Author
Shane Dowd, CES, CMP is the owner/founder of GotROM.com. He is also a sports performance & mobility coach specializing in injury prevention and flexibility for athletes.
