In the modern society lots of things we do are actually bad for our posture including working at a PC, driving a car and even the exercise at the gym can be bad if performed incorrectly.
Most of today's society is plagued with muscular imbalances due to recurring patterns of movement which place undue stress on the body. That includes sitting or standing for long periods, and repeating the same movements time and time again.
Muscular imbalance are a consequence of poor movement of the joints, inappropriate muscles taking over the function of the primary muscles, and decreased nueromuscular control. People of all ages and all fitness levels can benefit from stretching.
Stretching improves joint range of motion, improves the function of your muscles and improves neuromuscular control or efficiency.
Flexibility is the range of motion around a specific joint or a set of joints. Every movement you make including daily activities in general, exercise as well as all sports require your joints to move through a full range of motion. Therefore a lack of flexiblity will lead to muscular imbalances and eventually injury.
Stretching exercises don't require any special equipment so they can be performed anywhere, at your desk, at home or in the gym.
Flexibility and stretching exercises should be performed during warm up and cool down. Stretching during warm up prepares your muscles prior to exercise and prevents injury. Stretching after a workout improves joint range of motion and helps your muscles recover after a workout which also prevents excessive muscle soreness.
And if you don't exercise and lead a sedentary lifestyle it's even more crucial you perform some form of stretching and flexibility exercises. Just remember to only stretch to the point of slight tension and hold for at least 30 seconds. Never bounce while stretching.
Its best to stretch every major muscle group. That includes the calves, hamstrings, quadriceps, hips and buttocks, back, chest, shoulders and neck. Stretches must be held for at least 30 seconds to improve flexibility. There are different forms of flexibility training, including static, active, dynamic and self myofacial release with a foam roller. It's important to perform static stretches and improve your flexibility before active or dynamic stretches.
Improve you flexibility and not only will you feel great but you'll improve your posture, reduce your risk of injury, relieve pain, counteract aging, improve muscle recovery after workouts and reduce stress.
The bad gym workout
Maybe they just don't know" I thought to myself after looking around the gym. I mean, they're at the gym, working out, trying to take better care of themselves. They must have a serious interest in looking and feeling their best. Why else would they be here? Still I wondered, "Why do so many people at the gym have bad posture?"
As I sat watching, it became very clear to me the problem. They were all doing it. Bad posture on stairclimber, bad posture on the treadmill, bad posture on all the weight machines. A lot of people were using the equipment improperly, but that wasn't telling the whole story. Most the exercises being done were all going to make the person's posture worse, not better.