Posture Correctors Don't Work: Do This Instead
[Trigger Warning] Posture correctors don’t work.
I know it feels good to wear them but they are only acting as a band-aid to a larger problem.
I’m not here to focus on that though.
What I want to give you is a “goofproof” strategy for creating LONG-TERM change in your poor posture with as little of a time commitment as possible.
So if you have forward head posture, text neck, rounded shoulders, or constantly find yourself slouching with tight shoulder and neck muscles that no amount of rubbing seems to fix. Then this video is for you.
In today’s video I’m going to cover:
- Why posture correctors or braces don’t work and are the biggest waste of your precious time.
- 2 stretches and a “reset” that will lock your better posture in and have it stick for good
3 simple exercises you must do after stretching if you want long-term posture change
Let’s dive in!
Do Posture Correctors Help With Bad Posture?
The truth is posture correctors only help bring awareness to the fact that you have bad posture.
You can argue that this is a part of the solution to correcting bad posture but 90% of the time it does nothing but force us to become reliant on this brace to keep our “better posture” throughout the day.
In order for posture correctors to actually help with bad posture, we would need them to both stretch the muscles that have become shortened over time and strengthen the muscles that have become weak and lengthened over time.
No part of the brace does this because underneath that tightened brace your brain and body are just wanting to fall back into their old habits with poor posture.
So to see lasting change with your bad posture we have to move away from the brace and into more of a stretch and strengthen strategy.
I dive into even more detail about why you should stop using posture correctors in this video.
What Stretches Should I Do Instead Of Using The Posture Corrector?
In this video, I’m going to break down 2 specific posture corrector stretches and a full-body “reset” that you can use to lengthen the muscle in the front of the body that has become shortened over time.
Here are the cliff notes to those stretches!
The First Stretch: The Foam Roller Overhead Extension Stretch
We dive into this stretch specifically in the video so be sure to check it out if you want to make sure you’re doing it right without causing any more pain in your lower back.
Essentially you are stretching muscles surrounding the shoulder joint to open up space.
Second Stretch: Squat Rack Chest Stretch
This stretch feels so good but you have to make sure you’re doing it right!
I break down the step-by-step in this week’s full video!
The last exercise I like to use is more of a body “reset”. It’s something you do throughout the day to reset the pattern of correcting your posture.
Bonus: The Full Body Reset
I know just by looking at these pictures you may think it’s easy but there are like 5 steps before you get to what you see in the image above.
This is a MUST DO so go check out the full video to get the complete breakdown of this simple posture reset.
What Are the Best Strength Exercises To Fix Poor Posture?
Strengthening is the second important component to the big picture when it comes to throwing out your posture corrector brace and implementing something that will give you lasting relief.
In the video above I break down 3 of my favorite exercises you can do just about anywhere!
Posture Fix Exercise One: Band Pull-A-Parts
Band pull aparts are a simple and effective way to build strength in the back without much effort or need for equipment.
The key. with these posture correcting exercises is maintain a healthy shoulder/scapula position when doing them. Check out the full video for the complete breakdown of this exercise.
Posture Fix Exercise Two: Face Pulls
Similar to the band pull aparts, this allows us to increase the weight and change the angle of the stimulus.
You can do these standing or kneeling the key is to get into a healthy position for your sensitivity and focus on perfect form throughout the exercise.
Posture Fix Exercise Three: Shoulder Y’s
This is a sneaky hard exercise especially if you follow the specific cues I lay out in the video.
Keep the ribs down and focus on perfect form throughout the entire range of motion. Start with just your hands and increase weight only when it’s needed.
Watch the video above for the full breakdown!
