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posture issues and athletic performance

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FP:
Any people on the board struggle with posture difficulties? How much of an effect do you think postural problems have on athletic performance? Anyone have success with some particular approach to fixing these posture issues? I have pretty bad upper cross syndrome and slight APT+lower cross syndrome.  I try to do corrective stretching and strengthen the apropriate muscles but without too much luck.

When playing sports, my neck is one of the first things to tire and I have difficulty keeping my head up. Another issue that I think comes from forward head posture is I have to momentarily look down during my ME SVJ windup - I can't keep my head up to consistently look at the target for the entire jump.

I have had lots of minor back tweaks lifting (most common injury), and during interval sprints my back is usually the first thing to tire. I think this might be due to my posture loading up my back more. I have difficulty taking deep breaths during some movements - bounds, RDL's, sprints, which i attribute to tight abdominals making difficulties for my lungs to fully expand.

LBSS:
i don't know, i kind of question postural purism and feel like bodies can within reason have all sorts of default postures and still function fine. when we met i didn't notice anything glaringly off in the way you stand or move.

plus, posture is complicated. to me it seems like it's better to pic a few areas where you're restricted and just work away at them patiently, rather than trying to fix posture as a means, if that makes sense. let your posture be what it is but keep working on this and that and it will improve on its own.

personally, i'm a bit swaybacked, in mild APT, have forward head posture especially when sitting, asymmetrically tight hips, hilariously bad right shoulder internal rotation, etc. etc. etc. etc. but i'm working mainly on my wrists and shoulders right now because hand balancing is a big part of my training.  if i were you i'd keep plugging away on your shoulders, pick two shoulder opening exercises and just do them super consistently, and patiently. GMB has a couple of good videos for that on their youtube channel, iirc.

Coges:
I'm with both of you. Have always had posture issues. Being tall with short friends never helped either lol.

Like LBSS said. Pick one or two areas to focus on and hit them consistently and you'd be surprised at how quickly the changes add up. Obvious ones are internally rotated shoulders, weak upper back and tight pecs. This alone will go a long way to a better moving upper body. Add in HF work and glute med activation and you're on your way for lower.

Your breathing could be an issue all of it's own. I wouldn't blame tight abs but more faulty breathing mechanics. I'm a natural diaphragmatic breather (thanks to my early nerd years in choirs and bands). If you're a chest breather than that's something else to address and it can make a world of difference.

For me, if I pick one or two things and consistently hit them then add to that over time I find it works best.

jr:
I sit at a computer all day for work. Guaranteed posture problems. My back definitely gets rounded throughout the day if I don't focus on having good posture while I sit. And it's simply not possible to focus on it all the time when I'm actually trying to work. That being said, I don't think it affects my athletic performance a whole lot. I feel like my posture seems to naturally (temporarily) improve when playing sports for whatever reason.

I think a lot of my problem is that the muscles in my chest and the front of my shoulder are much stronger than the ones in my back and the back of my shoulder. This seems to cause everything to be pulled forward. I played baseball my whole life until I was about 24-25, but for the last 6-8 years of that I was primarily just a pitcher. At one point I had to go to physical therapy due to throwing shoulder issues, and they told me that the muscles in the back of my shoulder and in my back near my shoulder blade were really weak. It seemed sort of crazy to me at the time since the pain was up in my shoulder. But sure enough, I did a lot of exercises focusing on those areas and the pain went away.

Anyway, I'm hoping that dedication to a full body lifting program will result in being stronger everywhere which will lead to better posture and overall well-being.  I'm also considering the switch to a standing desk at work if I can swing it.

vag:
I probably easily outscore all of you in bad posture. Kyphotic , head forward, awkward body ( very long arms/legs/neck , small torso, big head ) , sitting all day in front of a computer for 15 years now. I have never done anything to fix it, just learned to live with it. FWIW, i think that developing a big(-ish) back kinda helped, makes me want to not have it rounded with some sort of not-making-sense way, so i have noticed the last couple of years i naturally tend to be straighter. Will be watching this thread closely...

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