How Gymsticks Help Improve Posture and Core Stability

Core strength and good posture are vital ingredients for a long and healthy life. A strong core helps stabilise our bodies and give us good posture. In turn, this aligns our muscles so they are used correctly when we move. The sooner we get into a healthy habit of using a Gymstick to help strengthen our core, the more benefits we will experience with our bodies.

We’ll tell you why posture is important and how your core muscles are used to improve your posture. You’ll also learn how Gymstick can help. Now sit up straight, have your hands relaxed on the desk in front of you and make sure your monitor is at the correct height so you’re not straining your neck to look down.

Why is Posture Important?

In short, posture is important so our bones, joints and muscles are all aligned well and being used correctly and painlessly. It helps us maintain balance. Standing up straight with good posture centres and aligns your weight over your feet. Bad posture can leave your weight unbalanced, forcing alternate muscles to work harder to keep you balanced and upright. This can cause body wear and tear over time.

Posture and balance come into our lives in so many different ways. Getting up from a chair, walking and navigating around your home. Physical exercise such as running, dancing and riding a bike all need good posture to keep you balanced and not stumbling, or falling off your bike.

Good posture looks like this:

• Chin parallel to the floor. Lifting your chin or looking down while you walk puts different strains on your neck and shoulders.
• Shoulders relaxed and even, at the same level. You can roll your shoulders up, back and then down to help get your shoulders in the relaxed position.
• A neutral spine. This is the natural S-curve of your back from your neck, through your middle back and into your lower back. This distributes weight evenly along your spine.
• Arms relaxed at your side with elbows straightened and even. This flows on from your relaxed shoulders. This is a natural resting point for your body, helping you feel relaxed.
• Brace your abdominal muscles. Tighten your stomach as if you’re expecting to get punched in the guts. This helps stabilise your spine. It is not sucking your stomach in, more drawing your belly button inwards towards your spine.
• Hips even. This gives good spinal alignment and leg alignment. Carrying bags on one shoulder or a baby on one hip can misalign your hips. Wiggle your hips to loosen them, and then when you feel you have a straight spin, rest your hands on your hips to see if they’re at the same height.
• Knees even, slightly apart and facing forwards. Often people stand with their knees pointing outward. This puts pressure on the legs and ankles, especially when you walk or run. Knees pointing forward, feet pointing forward.
• Bodyweight distributed evenly on both feet. You don’t want one foot to have to bear more weight than the other. This puts pressure on your knees and ankle and can lead to long term problems and pain.

How does Gymstick Help with your Core Stability?

There are many ways the low-impact but high-resistance workouts with a Gymstick can help strengthen your core and improve your stability.

• Multi-directional Resistance. The elastic band, which can be many different resistances, pulls in various directions. Your core has to make micro-adjustments to keep as stable as possible during each exercise.
• Instability and Balance. Anchoring the Gymstick under your foot creates instability. This forces your core and leg muscles to work together to maintain balance.
• Functional Movement. The exercises you do with Gymstick actually mirror everyday movements. This improves muscle memory and boosts functional strength.
• Constant Core Engagement. Simple movements while using Gymstick have you engage your core muscles thanks to the constant tension of the rubber bands.
• Eccentric Control. You need more muscle control and power to slow down movements. This strengthened your stabilizing muscles to help with posture.

How does Gymstick Help with Your Posture?

The core work you do with a Gymstick will lead to better posture, and here’s how:

• Body Awareness. As you strengthen your body and realign yourself, you become more aware of what good posture is compared to how you were. You begin to consciously straighten yourself, relax your shoulders, point your knees forward, and so on.
• Core Muscle Activation. The Gymstick’s unique design with elastic bands attached below the body’s centre of gravity means your body is always activating its core to keep balance. As this is the foundation (core) of good posture, this is significant.
• Postural Feedback. The tension from the bands as you exercise gives you instant neurological feedback regarding the position of your shoulders, hips, spine, knees, and more. This helps you realign them for your posture, so you understand what good posture is.
• Functional Movement Training. The training you do with Gymstick often mimics your everyday movement and activities. This helps train your body and improve muscle memory for keeping a good posture.
• Joint Stability. The dynamic resistance training and the adjustability of a Gymstick’s resistance strength helps improve joint stability which helps maintain that great posture.

What Exercises do we Recommend you do with the Gymstick for Core and Posture?

There are many different exercises and routines you can do with a Gymstick, and at different levels of resistance. However, there are some specific exercise to help strengthen your core, and help with stability and posture.

Core and Strength Exercises.

• Plank. The good old plank. Set yourself up on the tips of your toes and rest on your forearms. Engage your abs and try to hold your body off the floor, without sagging, for as long as you can.
• Bird-Dog. While on your hands and knees, extend your left leg out behind you and your right arm out in front of you. Keep your back straight and engage your core. Switch arms and legs, always extending the diagonally opposite.
• Glute Bridge. Lie on your back with your knees bent. Lift your hips towards the ceiling and squeeze your glutes. Try and achieve a straight stomach while doing this.
• Side Plank. Lie on your side. Put your forearm down and push yourself up on your toes in a diagonal position and raise your other arm to the ceiling. Maintain a straight/diagonal for as long as possible.
• Dead Bug. Lie on your back with your arms up and your knees bent. Slowly lower your opposite arm and leg to the floor in a straight out position, engaging your core and pressing your lower back into the floor.

Posture and Flexibility

• Chin Tucks. Gently pull your neck back to achieve a double-chin. This helps to strengthen your neck muscles for better head alignment.
• Doorway Stretch. Stand in a doorway. Place your forearms either side of the door and lean forward. This opens up your chest.
• Cat-Cow Stretch. On your hands and knees, alternate arching your back and rounding your back to help improve spinal movement.
• Scapular Squeezes. Standing, relax your shoulders into a good postural position. Then squeeze your shoulder blades back together and hold for 30 seconds.

During your everyday travels be aware of how you sit and how you stand. Always try and sit with your feet flat on the floor. Sit up straight and if you can use a back support with your office chair. Sit tall with your shoulders back and engage your core.

Access Health are industry leaders in supplying medical and rehabilitation equipment Australia-wide. We’re a family-owned supplier, established in 1978 and still going strong, helping people of many ages recoup and recover strength and mobility in their lives.

If you’re looking at core strength to help you stabilise and sit up straight, or if you’re rehabbing and recovering from injury that has had you sitting differently or walking awkwardly, then our team would love to help you get back on your feet. Contact us today and let’s understand your needs, and how we can help.

Disclaimer: Access Health is not qualified to agree or deny whether this content is correct. For accurate information, consult your medical professional or provider.