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Is your POSTURE making you ‘fat’? 6 steps to get Joe Hart’s perfect poise and banish your pot belly fast
Try an expert's instant test to see just how good or bad your posture really is - you may be surprised
AS you read this, how are you sitting or standing?
If you look around, you’ll likely see you’re not the only one with rounded shoulders, slouched forwards with a droopy head.
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Good posture is so rare these days you can spot it a mile off.
Take former England goalkeeper Joe Hart, who has stunned fans with his poise during the Euros while giving his verdict from the sidelines.
The 37-year-old was described as having the “best posture in the world” in comments on X/Twitter, while others hailed him for “giving the nation a masterclass in good posture this summer”.
The ex-Man City and Celtic keeper suggested it just comes naturally to him but that sitting “big and strong” looks after his spine.
READ MORE ON BAD POSTURE
‘Improved confidence’
Physiotherapist Sammy Margo tells Sun Health: “Good posture is vital for reducing the risk of pain, especially back pain.
“Joe Hart may have worked at his posture to improve pain.
“He is also tall and strong, and sitting and standing upright may have improved his confidence.”
Indeed, Joe told BBC Sport that sitting upright makes him feel confident, while slouching makes him feel “disgusting”.
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Joe isn’t the only celebrity with the perfect poise.
Global superstar Taylor Swift, 34, has been photographed in rehearsals for her Eras Tour wearing a posture-fixing sports bra.
Osteopath shows exercises to get rid of a neck hump
And it won’t have escaped the eagle eyes of Love Island fans that contestant Grace Jackson, from Manchester, also holds herself well.
Sammy, from the joint and muscle care specialists Deep Heat and Deep Freeze (mentholatum.co.uk) says: “Taylor appears to have tried a sports posture bra, which aims to pull the shoulders back and may have increased her awareness of her posture. She has improved it in recent years.
“Love Island star Grace appears to have good posture, but she too may well have had to work at it.”
Influencer Grace, 25, has certainly stunned the men in the villa — but perfect posture is about improving our health as well as looking good.
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Sammy says: “The way we move when walking and exercising, the way we sit when we work, and even how we sleep — if our posture isn’t right it can result in muscle and joint discomfort.
The signs to look out for are aching necks and shoulders, lower and upper back pain and even hip and leg pain — all of which will indicate bad posture.”
If you do need more incentive to stand up tall, doing so could be a quick way to shave off a few pounds. While a poor posture can give you a pot belly, standing up straight helps to give the illusion of a flat stomach.
To check your posture, stand in front of the mirror.
Sammy says: “If your shoulders are rounded or knees bent slightly with your head leaning forward, this indicates bad posture.
“Your ear, shoulder, hip and ankles should all be in a line when standing up.
“Think of it as someone pulling a piece of string out of the top of your head, or wearing a coathanger inside your shirt, blouse or coat, which makes you pull your shoulders back.”
When sitting at a desk, leaning forwards with your face close to the screen can cause your back to round, Sammy warns.
‘Aches and pains’
“This is when neck aches and upper and lower back pain can happen,” says Sammy. “Crossing your legs or sitting on one leg is also a big no-no, as is slouching on the sofa watching TV.”
Sleeping positions are often overlooked as part of the posture picture, but the wrong positions can cause you to “wake up with aches and pains”, sasy Sammy.
She adds: “These include a twisted back, hips or legs, one leg in the bed, one out, sleeping on your arms and sleeping on your front, which puts extra pressure on the spine’s natural curve and makes it flatter.”
Instead, sleep on your side or back.
Sammy says: “The spine should be in the midline position, meaning that the natural curves of the spine are maintained in a neutral position.
“Sleeping on your back helps reduce pressure on your spine as it can promote spinal alignment as long as you have a supportive mattress and pillows.”
Here, Sammy helps you sort out your bad posture habits so you can stand up tall just like Joe, Taylor and Grace.
ROUNDED SHOULDERS
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INSTEAD of being upright, ROUNDED shoulders roll and point forwards. Sammy states these can develop from a bad sitting posture, driving or slouching on the sofa.
She says: “Rounded shoulders can lead to a rounded back – as the body interprets rounded shoulders as the natural stance, the back becomes more hunched in appearance.
“With rounded shoulders, the chest becomes compressed and this can affect lung capacity and breathing.”
FIX IT: Stand with your back and head against a wall – and remember the feeling whenever you are standing.
Sammy says: “This is a good standing posture.”
You could also try the chest doorway stretch.
Stand in a doorway and raise your arms to the side.
Bend arms at the elbows at a 90-degree angle, palms facing forwards.
Then place your palms and forearms against the door frame.
Step forward with your right leg and feel the stretch into the shoulders and chest.
Hold for ten seconds.
Then step forward on your left leg and repeat.
HUNCHED SHOULDERS
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STRESS or anxiety can cause you to have constantly hunched or lifted shoulders, says Sammy.
“Muscle imbalances in the chest and shoulders can lead to hunched shoulders,” she adds.
“A prolonged hunched shoulder position can mean pressure is applied to blood vessels and blood flow is restricted.
“This could lead to poor circulation as well as headaches and fatigue, plus it may affect breathing.”
FIX IT: It’s time to walk tall.
Sammy says: “Imagine someone is pulling your shoulders back (but not too much) and pulling you up from the top of your head.
“Use this even when sitting down so your shoulders don’t fall forward.”
Ensuring you include stress-relief activities into your day-to-day life will also help to relieve tension and reduce the chances of hunched shoulders.
SLOUCHING
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THIS is more common than sitting upright. You know the score – a slumped body, shoulders hanging forwards and head jutting out.
Sammy warns: “Slouching can give you back pain, rounded shoulders and a pot belly.”
It weakens the core muscles because they aren’t being used to keep you upright – and this can result in a paunch around the lower stomach area.
Worse still is the pain associated with slouching. Sammy says: “Slouching may compress and squash the nerves and blood vessels in the back resulting in pain.
“It distributes the weight in your back unevenly, leading to strain and pain in the lower back tissue.”
FIX IT: A neutral spine is essential when you are sitting and standing.
Sammy says: “There should be a line from your ear, through your shoulders to your hips.
“If you are reading a book when sitting, bring the book closer to your eyes – a little less than arm’s length – instead of pulling your head closer to the book.
“This will help keep your head upright, your back straight, and you won’t strain your eyes.”
TILTED PELVIS
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IF your bum sticks out it’s likely caused by an anterior pelvic tilt, due to weak glutes (bum muscles) and tight hip flexors, which are muscles at the front of the hips.
Sammy says: “When sticking the bum out, the pelvic muscles tug on the spine causing it to curve.
“It can also lead to stomach bulging, groin pain, hamstring issues, and of course back pain.
“People may also experience a stabbing sensation between their rib cage and pelvis.”
The hamstrings work extra hard to make up for weak glutes, which can subsequently lead to tight and sore backs of the legs.
FIX IT: Exercise is definitely your friend here.
Sammy says: “Stretches and exercises that target tight flexor muscles, and gluteal and abdominal strengthening exercises will help.”
Try squats and pelvic tilts.
To do a pelvic tilt, lie on your back on the floor, knees bent.
Engage your core muscles, allowing the tailbone to tilt upwards and close the space between your lower back and the floor.
Hold, then release to start position. Repeat ten times.
TECH NECK
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A CONSEQUENCE of the modern world, a tech neck is a nickname for posture resulting from staring at a screen.
Sammy says: “We spend more and more time looking down at laptops and phones, or leaning into monitors, and this can lead to a protruding head and neck hump.
“The continual tension caused on the posterior neck muscles can lead to headaches.
“The suboccipital muscles, which control and stabilise the neck and head, are subject to change which can lead to feelings of dizziness.”
Over time, a tech neck can increase the risk of arthritic degeneration of the spine.
Sammy says: “A prolonged arched neck, or the forward head posture, stretches the ligaments out and may increase the compression of tissues, joints and ligaments in the spine.”
FIX IT: Get your workstation assessed if in an office to ensure you have an optimal set-up for posture.
Sammy says: “With more of us working from home, set-ups can range from kitchen tables to the bed, which isn’t great.
“When working, sit upright on a comfortable chair with feet flat on the floor.
“Forearms should rest at a comfortable height on a table with your laptop or screen at eye level to avoid any neck pain.
“When standing, hold your phone higher to stop your neck from looking down.”
ONE-SIDED
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NOT standing correctly can affect our posture and lead to poor core strength, which can cause us to lean to one side.
Sammy says: “Known as myofascial imbalance, asymmetrical posture stances mean one side of the body becomes stronger and muscles become tighter while the other becomes weaker and muscles looser.
“This places pressure on joints such as hips and knees, and may cause greater wear and tear.
“It might be that one side is suffering because of an injury or sore muscles and joints.
“Leaning on one side will lead to muscle imbalances as well as muscle and joint pain. It may affect the way you walk. Weaknesses in hip abductor muscles may mean that you start to walk with more of a side-to-side motion.”
FIX IT: Luckily, there are ways you can sort your one-sided-lean position.
Sammy says: “When you are exercising, pay attention to the side that takes on less of the work.
“This might need a little extra focus to get it up to the same strength levels as the preferred side.
“If you are suffering from an injury, try applying a cold press during the first 72 hours. As the pain subsides, go for heat.”
Try Deep Heat Pain Relief Heat Patches to help ease aches, stiffness and pains.
How to get rid of a neck hump
London-based osteopath and director of Back 2 Well-being Clinic, Nadia Alibhai, reveals three exercises to improve kyphosis – the correct medical term for neck hump, when the spine curves excessively forward, causing a rounded upper back and neck.
1. The Pec Stretch
As with all postural issues, a problem often indicates a sign of tightness (or weakness) in other muscles.
If you have a neck hump, chances are your pecs - the muscles of the chest - are super tight and curving the front your body.
To stretch them out do this:
- Place your arms on either side of the door frame, forming a 90 degree angle with each arm.
- Lean in. This may feel unusual at first – but you’ll feel a stretch. When you do breathe into it – allowing your muscles to relax.
- If this stretch feels too easy take your arms higher above 90 degrees and do the stretch again.
2. The Upper Back Stretch
A neck hump can also signal an added pressure on your upper back as it tries to compensate for weak muscles around it.
Do this upper back stretch to bring relief:
- Place your hands flat on a table or kitchen worktop.
- Take a step back so that your arms are extended.
- Now drop your head and torso down in between your arms.
- Keeping your neck neutral, sink into the stretch but try not to let your head drop as you are doing this stretch.
3. The Chin Tuck
This stretch is great for improving your posture by taking your forward head posture back into your natural alignment, reducing neck strain and helping build the posterior chain muscles of your neck (at the back).
- Sit or stand comfortably and tuck your chin straight back toward your neck, holding this for 10-20 seconds
- Once this feels easy you can add resistance by placing your hand behind your head, or using a resistance band and pushing against it.
Aids to help you nail good poise
Posture bra
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Etalon Posture Bra 2.0, preorder for £127 (ships in October): A crop top in either black or white, going up to H cup.
The bra guides the scapulae toward their best position with customisable correcting straps across the back.
It is registered with the Food and Drug Administration in America, which the company says “confirms the bras support, align and correct posture” while meeting regulators’ standards.
Alanna says: “I’ve had clients who found these lightweight wearable devices gave their shoulders a gentle nudge back into better alignment after too many hours spent slouching over desks.”
Posture strips
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SPORTTAPE Tan Zinc Oxide Tape, £6.39, Amazon: Place two strips of tape across the back in an X-shape from the top of the shoulders.
Use a YouTube video for correct positioning.
Alanna says: “That gentle tugging sensation keeps you conscious of your spinal curves.
“Or you can try a posture coach app that uses your device’s cameras to analyse your posture and provide real-time feedback.”
Camping cushion
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CAMPING cushion, Tesco, £2:
Alanna says: “For an affordable DIY option, place a small inflated cushion or lumbar roll against your lower back when sitting.
“This micro-adjustment keeps your spine properly curved instead of slouching forward over time.
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“I’ve caught myself so many times mindlessly slumping into that hunched position without even realising it and having that little cue from a cushion makes you way more conscious of maintaining good upright posture.”
Alternatively, use a yoga block.