Whether you are new to exercise or strength training or an elite athlete, proper posture is critical to your success. Coach Thor and the team at HOT FIT NYC understand the need for complete body alignment and participation in exercises and training. Sacrificing your posture to lift more weights or extend your workout time puts you at risk of future injuries and pain. In addition, a body out of alignment is unable to go full force in workouts. You can work with our coaches to understand what proper body alignment means and how you can incorporate it into classes and training.
This exercise and training article gives four reasons why you should take your posture seriously when working out.
Good workout posture helps you feel more confident.
Your mind is your greatest ally when you’re working out. Focusing on posture and staying in tune with your body boosts self-confidence and enhances how you see yourself and how others view you. For example, slumped shoulders and a rounded back are not only physically bad for you, but they also negatively affect your mental attitude.
Good posture keeps your spine aligned.
A healthy spine is the backbone of your health. So whether you’re doing MMA, weight training, or cardio, keeping your back long and strong helps keep the rest of your body in line. Focusing on correct posture during your workout allows your body to properly distribute pressure and strain to prevent injuries. The most common injuries during weight training, even for Olympic athletes, are to the spine and back. If you have had a past back injury, talk to your coach about how you can prevent future injuries by utilizing good posture during your workout.
When combined with steady, constant breathing, good physical posture can help you last longer in workouts.
When your body is straining or suffering from oxygen reduction (because you are holding your breath), it cannot function to its full potential. Good posture helps evenly balance the strain of your workout, and good breathing (an essential part of good posture) helps keep your body supplied with the oxygen it needs. Whether you are starting fresh with a routine or in the middle of a training program, hitting the refresh button on your posture and breathing can give you the added boost you need to push yourself further.
Your personal trainer can help you learn to identify the signs of incorrect posture and correct them. They can also teach you how to breathe correctly and keep breathing throughout your routine or class. A red face or feelings of dizziness or lightheadedness are classic signs that you are holding your breath or that your posture needs correction.
Proper workout posture can help correct mistakes in posture outside of the gym.
As you train, your body gets stronger. Keeping alignment correct in the gym can help with posture issues outside of the gym. This can be especially important for our clients who work desk jobs or are generally less active outside of the gym. Sitting straight and tall at your desk and keeping proper alignment as you go through normal daily activities will get easier as your training program progresses.
Our personal trainers at HOT FIT NYC understand the benefits of good posture and can help you train correctly. We encourage you to reach out to your exercise and training coach and ask for help if you are unsure of the next steps for correcting and improving your posture.