How I Fixed My Terrible Posture - 5 Habits
I didn't realize how terrible my posture was until an MRI showed it was slowly killing my brain.
A ticking time bomb of a problem that I've now dramatically improved with these five habits.
My team and I went on Red Alert.
We discovered through an MRI that my posture was trapping blood in my brain, blocking it from flowing properly to my heart.
Was I going to have a seizure? A stroke? I didn't know.
We discovered that I have genetically narrow internal jugular veins and my bad posture was dangerously cutting off the flow of blood out of my brain and back to my heart.
Even with normal jugular veins, you may be doing the same with poor posture.
Our posture norms are pretty bad.
• We slump in our chairs all day.
• We have really bad habits of looking down at screens on our laps.
Poor posture can cause musculoskeletal pain, circulatory issues, digestive problems, impaired lung function, nerve compression, spinal misalignment, increased stress, fatigue, mood changes, lower motivation, and sleep disturbances.
Here are the five changes I made and now maintain as habits:
1. Imagine you have a string going through your spine up through your head, and it's pulled straight up.
Here's the demo:
2. Avoid things that invite bad posture; the phone is the worst.
When I have my phone up, I hold it up.
It's awkward and potentially embarrassing to be the person holding your phone up like this.
When I bend my head down 60 degrees, I can feel the pressure building in my brain from the lack of blood flow.
3. Move every ~30 minutes throughout the day.
Take a brisk walk; climb some stairs; do some stretches; break out into dance. Anything active. Improved blood flow and a nice reset for posture.
4. My physical therapist coached me on these two exercises to strengthen posture muscles.
Exercise 1:
Note: it's pretty technical and took me time to learn the technique, watch this demo here.
Keep your elbows back, your shoulders in this position, and weights in your hand. You want to bring your shoulders up and out.
Exercise 2:
With your hands on your forehead, resist the pressure of your hands pushing your head back.
When doing this, be very patient. Watch this demo here.
5. Expect initial soreness as these neglected muscles are engaged.
You will find out that it takes a lot of muscle to maintain proper posture.
Improving my posture has been one of the most important things I've done in my wellness efforts at Blueprint.
Posture carries a profound psychological weight. When you stand tall, you exude confidence and self-acceptance.
Improving your posture doesn’t just benefit you; it creates a ripple effect that encourages those around you to be mindful of their own posture as well.
In my family, whenever someone spots another person slouching, we make a “zzzzzip” sound. Instantly, the person straightens up, often without even needing to say a word.
Be well,
Bryan
