Original post: https://www.reddit.com/r/posturepals/comments/1c0s5oa/posture_and_neck_hump_pls_help/
so this is the natural posture my body takes if i'm not actively thinking about it
Fair statement. And I could add that when you are thinking about your posture, it's likely it will be even worse than this. The only way you can find out is with cameras. You would have to take an image while "not thinking" and while "thinking" about your posture and you will see the latter will be worse.
the hunching of my shoulder also causes my lower back to dip in and my stomach to push out to compensate
You are correct in the sense that the shoulders are related to the arch in your lowerback. But I wouldn't say that shoulders are a CAUSE for the lowerback arch. Actually, to be precise, your entire mechanism is related.
You have made a great observation that when you arch the lowerback you also push the belly forward. At the moment, you don't think so (I'm pretty certain about it) but you are actually retracting your shoulders (well your entire arm mechanism really) too far back. You think your shoulders are rounded forwards, but the opposite is true.
This is exactly the example of the vastly different can concepts about ones body be.
The reason why everything is connected is physics, specifically equilibrium. From a mechanical perspective, when you stand you behave as an inverted pendulum (look it up in wikipedia if you aren't too familiar with physics). That means you are in an inherently unstable position and in order to remain upright, you must continuously adjust the weight distribution in your mechanism. If you shift weight one way (for example you shift too much mass to the front at your belly) you must then compensate somewhere else (you pull the upper torso backwards together with your arms and head).
However, in our work, we would focus on adjusting your torso first. That arch in the lowerback is the single most evil issue you have and that's where you would start fixing things up.
the cause is working a desk job and slouching to work on my computer over like the last 10 years
No it's not. The posture we see displayed on the image is a result of relative movements of the parts of the mechanism. These movements have been commanded by you (although currently unconsciously). You didn't really ask for them to happen, yet they happened. They are habitual movements.
All these movements you display have been learned through your lifetime from birth. As a newborn, you couldn't probably even hold your head on top of your neck. Let alone things like sitting, walking, etc.
So humans are learners. We learn to move, and normally it happens subconsciously. The good part is that as humans we have the choice of using our conscious mind - (a reason) and we can learn different movements (and therefore obtain different resulting posture).
I want to reverse my neck hump/tech neck as much as possible (it looks even worse in person) and be able to stand up straight naturally
No you don't want that. Trust me.
This is what i was talking about in my first comment. You have currently a wrong concept in your mind about what the posture should look like and why. And that's a problem, because as long as you hold onto this belief, your response of the mechanism will be reflecting your concepts in the mind.
I'm not suggesting that you should change your mind just based on some random guy on the internet said so. What I'm saying is that there are different models out there to your current one, and it would be wise to consider them.
Changing your mind would come after a careful consideration only.
i know i need to stretch and strengthen my shoulders, neck, back, and core, but im overwhelmed by all the info out there and was hoping someone could give me some beginner basics to get me started 🙏
This is in general correct. I can certainly understand why you are overwhelmed as there really is a lot of info out there. And then, a GoodPostureGuy rocks up and blows it all up with some completely different ideas.
But don't worry, we got you covered here.
As I mentioned above, my advice is quite different to most of the other "stuff" out there. So I better put my money where my mouth is.
I'm what's called "Initial Alexander Technique" (IAT) teacher. I dint' invent any of it (credit goes to Delsartes, Alexander and Masoero), but I have studied it and learned it.
You too have the option of exploring this rabbit hole of IAT. Actually, in order for you to make your mind up, you will need to learn some of it, otherwise you will not be able to make the right decisions.
Best way to get introduced to IAT is via Isaac Rusts videos. Here is a link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Z_IZvWMlDg
When you are ready to learn more, go and watch these vids: https://www.youtube.com/@InitialAlexanderTechnique
If you find it useful, or you reckon that there is a merit to it, you will probably want to get involved with a teacher.
Here is a list of those I know of, including myself: https://goodposture.studio/iat-teachers
You can also consider doing this: https://goodposture.studio/how-to-take-images-for-posture-assessment and re-upload the images here so we can do a full assessment on your posture from the perspective of IAT teacher.
also just fyi, i am actively losing weight through a calorie deficit and low impact exercise (mostly walking)
Walking (when done right) is awesome. I highly recommend it.
PS: I have written a lot of text. It may spark some further questions, so feel free to reach out if you need more clarification.