How to Avoid a Stooped Posture as You Age
Growing older, medical problems, and computer use can cause us to hunch over. These strategies can help.
Has standing up straight become more of a challenge? A hunched-over, forward-leaning posture—called hyperkyphosis—is more common with age. About 20 to 40 percent of people older than age 60 and 55 percent of people over 70 are unable to straighten up.
Hyperkyphosis often causes neck and back pain and headaches, and can lead to breathing and digestive issues. And when your head and shoulders round forward, your body’s center of gravity shifts, which can increase the risk of a fall.
Health Issues and Posture Problems
The thoracic spine—12 vertebrae in the upper and midback—usually has a gentle curve like a backward C. “Hyperkyphosis is an excessive curvature of the thoracic spine,” says Wendy Katzman, PT, DPTSc, a professor emeritus in the department of physical therapy and rehabilitation science at the University of California San Francisco.
Get Yourself Straighter
From a side view, good posture means the ear is in line with the shoulder, hip, knee, and ankle, and the spine has gentle curves. To help you to maintain (or get back to) a more upright posture:
Take breaks. If you’re spending time in a forward or rounded position, get up for a minute or two every 30 to 60 minutes. “Do some shoulder circles, shoulder squeezes, or chin tucks, pulling your chin toward your spine,” Hughes says.
Use devices the right way. Looking down at screens “puts an increased load on the neck, which stresses muscles and ligaments of the neck,” says Kavita Trivedi, DO, medical director of the Multidisciplinary Spine Center at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. Position devices at eye level.
Practice straighter posture. One option: Stand with your head, shoulders, upper back, buttocks, and heels (if you can) against a wall, and imagine a cord attached to the top of your head, gently pulling you upward. Hold for 30 seconds, relax, and repeat three times daily.
Or try this: Lie on your back on the floor or on a firm bed for 20 minutes a day with a rolled towel or pool noodle between your shoulder blades. (Place pillows under your head if you can’t lie flat.)
Build a stronger back and abs. “If you don’t have strength and endurance, you slowly slip back down into poor posture,” Hughes says. Aim to do two or three strength workouts a week (see CR’s guide to strength training using adjustable dumbbells).
Take care of your bones. Vertebral fractures from osteoporosis cause the vertebrae to collapse, pitching your posture forward. Weight-bearing exercises like walking and lifting weights, and adequate amounts of bone-building nutrients like calcium, vitamin D, and magnesium can help reinforce bones.
Know when to get more help. You may want to go to a physical therapist if you’re not seeing improvements after regularly practicing the strategies above for six to eight weeks. A PT can provide specific exercises for your degree of curvature and do manual therapies for tight joints and muscles.
If you’re experiencing pain or numbness, or a rounded posture interferes with your ability to do daily tasks, see your doctor, who can determine whether an underlying condition like a vertebral fracture or spinal stenosis is at issue. For osteoporosis, your doctor may recommend medication to reduce the risk of fractures.
Editor’s Note: A version of this article also appeared in the October 2023 issue of Consumer Reports On Health.
@consumerreports 46 percent of adults in the U.S. spend 5 to 6 hours a day looking at their phones. And all that phone staring makes it harder to maintain good posture. See other tips on how to avoid a stooped posture as you age through the link in our bio. #fitnesstips #posturetips #posturecheck #healthtok ♬ original sound - Consumer Reports
