7 Ways to Solve Your Posture Problems

By Bill Hartman
Men's Health

Without even looking at you, I'm pretty sure you have a posture problem. That's because almost everyone I see has a posture problem. After years of evaluating clients at my fitness center in Indianapolis, I've learned to spot an anatomical abnormality from the way a guy walks through the mall, sits on a park bench, or stands at a bar.

The trouble isn't just that slumped shoulders make you resemble a Neanderthal. Over time, your poor posture takes a tremendous toll on your spine, shoulders, hips, and knees. In fact, it can cause a cascade of structural flaws that result in acute problems, such as joint pain throughout your body, reduced flexibility, and compromised muscles, all of which can limit your ability to burn fat and build strength.

But don't worry — all these problems can be corrected. Are you ready to straighten yourself out? Use this head-to-toe guide to make sure your posture is picture-perfect.

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Analyze Your Alignment

Strip down to a pair of shorts and ask a friend to take two full-body photos, one from the front and one from the side. Keep your muscles relaxed but stand as tall as you can, with your feet hip-width apart. Then see the repair plans below.

Forward Head

Where Pain Strikes: Your Neck

Problem #1: Stiff muscles in the back of your neck

The Fix: Stretch with head nods daily. Moving only your head, drop your chin down and in toward your neck while stretching the back of your neck. Hold for a 5 count; do this 10 times.

Problem #2: Weak front neck muscles

The Fix: Do this neck "crunch" every day. Lying faceup on the floor, lift your head so it just clears the floor. Raise your head, and hold for 5 seconds; do 2 or 3 sets of 12 reps daily.

Elevated Shoulder

Where Pain Strikes: Neck and shoulders

Problem #1: Your trapezius (the muscle that starts at the back of your neck and runs across your upper back) is shortened.

The Fix: Perform an upper-trap stretch. With your higher-side arm behind your back, tilt your head away from your elevated side until you feel the stretch in your upper trapezius. Apply slight pressure with your free hand on your stretched muscle. Hold for 30 seconds; repeat 3 times.

Problem #2: A weak serratus anterior, the muscle just under your pecs running from your upper ribs to your shoulder blades.

The Fix: Try chair shrugs. Sit upright in a chair with your hands next to your hips, palms down on the seat, and keep your arms straight. Without moving your arms, push down on the chair until your hips lift off the seat and your torso rises. Hold for 5 seconds. That's 1 rep; do 2 or 3 sets of 12 reps daily.

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Rounded Shoulders

Where Pain Strikes: Neck, shoulder, or back

Problem #1: Tight pectoral muscles

The Fix: Try a simple doorway stretch: Place your arm against a doorjamb in the high-five position (that is, forming an L), your elbow bent 90 degrees. Step through the doorway until you feel the stretch in your chest and the front of your shoulders. Hold for 30 seconds. That's 1 set; do a total of 4 daily.

Problem #2: Weakness in the middle and lower parts of your trapezius

The Fix: Use the floor L raise. Lying facedown on the floor, place each arm at a 90-degree angle in the high-five position. Without changing your elbow angle, raise both arms by pulling your shoulders back and squeezing your shoulder blades together. Hold for 5 seconds; do 2 or 3 sets of 12 reps daily.

Hunched Back

Where Pain Strikes: Neck, shoulder, back

Problem #1: Poor upper-back mobility

The Fix: Lie faceup on a foam roller placed about midback, perpendicular to your spine. Place your hands behind your head and arch your upper back over the roller 5 times. Adjust the roller and repeat for each segment of your upper back.

Problem #2: Weak muscles in your back

The Fix: Perform the prone cobra. Lie facedown with your arms at your sides, palms down. Lift your chest and hands slightly off the floor, and squeeze your shoulder blades together while keeping your chin down. Hold for 5 seconds; do 2 or 3 sets of 12 reps daily.

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Anterior Pelvic Tilt

Where Pain Strikes: Lower back (because of the more pronounced arch in your lumbar spine). The tilt also shifts your posture so that your stomach pushes outward, even if you don't have an ounce of belly fat.

Problem #1: Your hip flexors, which allow you to move your thighs up to your abdomen, are tight.

The Fix: Kneel on one knee and perform a front hip stretch. Tighten your gluteal (butt) muscles on your kneeling side until you feel the front of your hip stretching comfortably. Reach upward with the arm that's on your kneeling side, and stretch in the opposite direction. Hold this position for a count of 30 seconds, and repeat 3 times.

Problem #2: Weak glutes

The Fix: The glute bridge. Lie on your back with your knees bent about 90 degrees. Squeeze your glutes together and push your hips upward until your body is straight from knees to shoulders. Hold for 5 seconds; complete 2 or 3 sets of 12 reps daily.

Pigeon Toes

Where Pain Strikes: Knee, hip, or lower back

Problem #1: Tightness in the outer portion of your thigh (your tensor fasciae latae)

The Fix: Stand up, cross your affected leg behind the other, and lean away from the affected side until you feel your hip stretching comfortably. Hold for 30 seconds. Repeat 3 times.

Problem #2: Weak gluteus maximus and medius muscles

The Fix: Use an exercise called the side-lying clamshell. Lie on one side with your knees bent 90 degrees and your heels together. Keeping your hips still, raise your top knee upward, separating your knees like a clamshell. Pause for 5 seconds; lower your knee to the starting position. Perform 2 or 3 sets of 12 reps daily.

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Duck Feet

Where Pain Strikes: Hip or lower back

Problem #1: You lack flexibility in all the muscles in your hips.
The Fix: Drop to your hands and knees and place one foot behind the opposite knee. Making sure you keep your spine naturally arched, shift your weight backward and allow your hips to bend until you feel the stretch. Hold the stretch for 30 seconds, repeat 3 times, and then switch sides.

Problem #2: Weakness in your oblique muscles and hip flexors
The Fix: Try the Swiss-ball jackknife. Assume the top of a pushup position but rest your feet on a Swiss ball. Without rounding your lower back, tuck your knees under your torso by rolling the ball with your feet toward your body. Roll the ball back to the starting position. Do 2 or 3 sets of 12 reps daily.