Improving Posture

[southpawwolves]

I really need to imrpove my posture. Not just for boxing but just generally. Does anyone know any good exercises to do that could help with it? I've been trying to just keep good posture while at work, at home etc. But it feels uncomfortable as I am not used to it and when I'm not thinking about it I slip into my normal 'slouch'.

[Phil]

you want to be doing alot of back exercises and cutting down on chest, shoulders(exercises that pull your shoulders forward)
like the video, the stretchy bands are great for this.

i.t.y's are very good as well

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I suffer from this as well, so this is what my physio has me doing. Ive seen my posture improve greatly by doing a few exercises each day.
hope this helps man, good luck!

[southpawwolves]

Thanks Phil. My trainer has got me doing a lot more back exercises. I think a lot of it stems from when I was 15/16 and wanted to bulk up I concentrated on my chest as I was Naive and just wanted a big bulging chest haha. Good tip with the resistance, got plenty of those so will have a go.

[AdamGB]

Yup, the vast majority of people, either from over emphasising 'mirror' muscles when they train or just everday motions tend to be hunches forwards at the spine with their shoulders rolled inwards. If you're spending all day hunched over a desk/computer/counter/steering wheel then you adapt to that posute (if our eyes were on the backs of our heads then we'd be hunched backwards!)

Most people I see could do with developing the poserior chain, particularly their rhomboids (rowing exercises) Posterior Deltoids/Rotator Cuff (Reverse Flys, Y Raises, External Rotation) to correctly align the upper spine and shoulders.

Loosening the abdominals and anterior deltoids/pectorals can help as these muscles are typically tight and teaching the glutes to fire correctly and function with good range of motion (Back/hip Bridges, Lunges and Squatting with CORRECT form, focus on raising and lowering your backside, not on flexing your knees and don't let your knees pass your toes at any point.) can prevent the quads from becoming over worked and hamstring/lower back becoming over active and doing the glute's job for it.

A Piriformis stretch wouldn't go amis either!

Depending on how serious you are, a course of sports massages might help, if not I would at least invest in a foam roller for some deep tissue release.

[Scrap]

Adam not a fan of foam rollers, prefer a log . Much better for feel.

[AdamGB]

I use them a little bit... I've heard if you really want to know pain and get deep - use a thick PVC pipe.

I've got one of the black foam rollers (the white ones are crap!)... to be honest I only really feel it loads on my IT band, find a cricket ball much better for the hips.

Roller feels nice on the back... but doesn't really do a thing for it, particulary the lower back.

Can't beat an elbow, thumb or knucle in the right place in my opinion

[southpawwolves]

Thanks for the info! How often should I do these exercises? and should I do them all on the same day or alternate?

[AdamGB]

They should form part of a balanced routine.

Whether or not you want to split your routine into different days or train the body as a whole unit each time is down to you.