Posture Problems ~ Swayback: The Consequence of Modern Sedentary Lifestyle

The “swayback” we call it in dance. This is one of those cringe worthy terms ballet instructors dread seeing in front of them.

What about in everyday life with the world slouched over phones and computers for hours on end?

Does your stomach move outward and become emphasized when you stand up? Moreover, do you also have a forward head and a hunched upper back? In that case, you likely have swayback posture, mainly due to tight hip flexors, sitting too much, and just being lazy. Even worse, it ruins not only your body form but also may cause long-term physical complications. But don’t worry, there is still hope and you are quite capable of correcting this issue!

A Sedentary Lifestyle Ruins Posture
Hip flexors act to push your hips upwards to your torso, making your back side and abs firm while your lumbar spine becomes less curved. As a result, your posture is correct from the lower body up to your head. When you sit all day either at home or work, your hip flexor muscles become shorter and tighter. Consequently, your hips drag backward and downward, your belly and lower back move ahead, your upper back forms a hump, and your head tilts toward the front. Overall, it causes you to appear bulky, and sluggish.

Health Conditions Caused by Swayback
I am not a doctor, so this is only my opinion and information I have learned in the many teacher training workshops I have taken.

One complaint I hear from students that often comes with swayback or hyperlordosis is muscle pain. Muscle spasms are usually the cause of this type of pain, thanks to the extra stress and weight that the lower back or the lumbar spine experiences. If posture continues to worsen, one may suffer from chronic or long-term back pain.
Another pair of problems is forward head movement and hunchback, which often leads to long-term damage to blood vessels, joints, muscles and nerves of the neck. Moreover, one may experience nausea, fatigue, neck pain, and vertigo or balance issues. Also, it is important to note that a forward head and a hunchback can lower the self-esteem of a person. We are building a society of hunchbacks with low self-esteem.

So How Do We Correct The Damage? ~ Applying Therapeutic Exercises Consistently
Get off the devices and move! Stretch, engage, take yoga, and strengthen.

If you are still a beginner, you may begin with a daily glute bridge. First, lie down on a mat or the floor and bend your legs so that the lower part is perpendicular to the floor. Then, try to form a 45-degree angle by straightening your torso and hips, which you should maintain for a minute. This exercise may prove itself to be quite difficult initially, although your body will adapt, improving your posture.

Once glute bridges become a simple exercise for you, switch to third-world squats. It forces your glutes to break its limits, proving itself to be challenging even among athletes. You may start with sitting on the air with your knees parallel to the ground for one minute. Although you may assume it is simple at first glance, your hips and knees will start complaining once you perform the exercise. If you find it difficult, continue practicing until you can last a minute, but if it no longer poses any challenge, bring your hips lower.

STRETCH!

Overall, swayback posture is merely a product of people's modern, sedentary lifestyle and it affects a considerable portion of the population. Besides ruining appearances, the condition may lead to further long-term complications.
Remember, it took you several years to degrade your posture and tighten your entire body, expect the correction to take just as long.

It takes commitment and consistency to see real results.

Thanks for reading! xo