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Overcoming Poor Posture: A Systematic Approach to Refining Your Posture for Health and Performance
With what seems like more than 78 million books about fixing your posture, so what what makes this one different? Three
We bust the myths surrounding bad posture, good posture, pain, muscular tightness, and how to approach them from a scientific standpoint. Instead of a cookie-cutter routine, we'll show you how to select the right exercises for your own needs. Since even the best routine is useless if you don’t actually do it, we’ll show you how to integrate better movement habits during the other 23.5 hours of the day.
Written by two physical therapists who have worked with thousands of people around the world, Overcoming Poor Posture is based on one simple there is no such thing as perfect posture.
No two bodies are alike, and we’ll teach you how to find your own best alignment so you can live each day in health and comfort while performing your best in all the activities that matter to you. Instead of a painful issue to fix, you’ll learn to think of your postural alignment as a dynamic component of how you sit, stand, and move in your body.
Inside, you’ll
Practical, real-life explanations about the factors that have shaped your posture, the link between poor posture and pain, and how your posture impacts lifestyle. Clear pictures demonstrating exercises for alignment, mobility, strength, and motor patterning, all with detailed instructions. Tips for making a habit of better posture throughout your day. Instruction for choosing the right exercises and structuring a routine that fits your body and goals. An appendix with sample programs you can use to get started right away.
Put it all together, and you’ve got a systematic approach to refining your posture for better health and performance in everything you do.
If you're already aware of many of the different exercises for posture, many of the exercises may be familiar to you. However, we teach and show you how to put them together coherently with progression to work toward specific goals instead of just throwing them at your body hoping they will work.
We bust the myths surrounding bad posture, good posture, pain, muscular tightness, and how to approach them from a scientific standpoint. Instead of a cookie-cutter routine, we'll show you how to select the right exercises for your own needs. Since even the best routine is useless if you don’t actually do it, we’ll show you how to integrate better movement habits during the other 23.5 hours of the day.
Written by two physical therapists who have worked with thousands of people around the world, Overcoming Poor Posture is based on one simple there is no such thing as perfect posture.
No two bodies are alike, and we’ll teach you how to find your own best alignment so you can live each day in health and comfort while performing your best in all the activities that matter to you. Instead of a painful issue to fix, you’ll learn to think of your postural alignment as a dynamic component of how you sit, stand, and move in your body.
Inside, you’ll
Practical, real-life explanations about the factors that have shaped your posture, the link between poor posture and pain, and how your posture impacts lifestyle. Clear pictures demonstrating exercises for alignment, mobility, strength, and motor patterning, all with detailed instructions. Tips for making a habit of better posture throughout your day. Instruction for choosing the right exercises and structuring a routine that fits your body and goals. An appendix with sample programs you can use to get started right away.
Put it all together, and you’ve got a systematic approach to refining your posture for better health and performance in everything you do.
If you're already aware of many of the different exercises for posture, many of the exercises may be familiar to you. However, we teach and show you how to put them together coherently with progression to work toward specific goals instead of just throwing them at your body hoping they will work.
125 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 21, 2018
197 people are currently reading
436 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
December 31, 2023
While the actual exercises given seem really solid and helpful, and while I look forward to applying them myself, I can’t recommend the book itself.
The authors are clearly knowledgeable and seem to genuinely care about improving the reader’s quality of life, but the book suffers from overly technical language at times, is less than adequately edited, organized haphazardly, and inconsistently and at times distracting and confusingly formatted.
If the authors got some good editorial help and a better publisher, I think this book would be great. So if you have training in PT or bodywork (or simply a lot of experience receiving PT and bodywork, like me), you’ll probably benefit from this book. If you don’t, it could go either way.
The authors are clearly knowledgeable and seem to genuinely care about improving the reader’s quality of life, but the book suffers from overly technical language at times, is less than adequately edited, organized haphazardly, and inconsistently and at times distracting and confusingly formatted.
If the authors got some good editorial help and a better publisher, I think this book would be great. So if you have training in PT or bodywork (or simply a lot of experience receiving PT and bodywork, like me), you’ll probably benefit from this book. If you don’t, it could go either way.
May 28, 2021
Generally useful, with a few really good exercises for spinal health that I'd never seen before.
December 14, 2019
Overcoming Poor Posture by Low & Ilano provides very practical advice on how to modulate your posture to that which best meets your daily needs. This will be one which optimises the demand for muscular endurance and strength, and in doing so reduces the likelihood of discomfort and pain.
You don’t need to aspire to the posture of a ballet dancer in order to attain your proper alignment and to gain all the benefits of an optimised posture.
Easy to read, clear what needs to be done. Highly recommended.
You don’t need to aspire to the posture of a ballet dancer in order to attain your proper alignment and to gain all the benefits of an optimised posture.
Easy to read, clear what needs to be done. Highly recommended.
March 20, 2021
A concise and practical book. Talks briefly about crucial stretches and body mobility exercises to correct body posture.
March 28, 2021
Short, concise and practical. I appreciate the new information I've learned, such as there is no “correct” posture but rather a correct alignment that is different for everybody. The exercises are also worth trying! Will definitely implement one of the sample routines in my workout.
April 17, 2025
想看这本书很久了。因为一向重视姿势与体态对健康与自我认知精神状态的影响与体现。
读它，除寻求自我鼓舞，更希望借助系统的理论外援，影响身边的人。
感觉效果还不错。:)
特别喜欢作者一再强调的提醒：别想一步登天。小步小步慢走，会比升到半空没油了摔下来让人愉快得多。
读它，除寻求自我鼓舞，更希望借助系统的理论外援，影响身边的人。
感觉效果还不错。:)
特别喜欢作者一再强调的提醒：别想一步登天。小步小步慢走，会比升到半空没油了摔下来让人愉快得多。
Read
October 16, 2022Quite light on content, but it does contain a decent amount of helpful information and exercises, especially if you are new to this sort of thing. I suggest following along physically when you hit the exercise explanations.
To be honest, mainly purchased (new) to support Low, as I've read a lot of his advice over years and haven't bought Overcoming Gravity yet. The other reason I went for it is that I got a standing desk and have been interested in maintaining/improving my posture.
To be honest, mainly purchased (new) to support Low, as I've read a lot of his advice over years and haven't bought Overcoming Gravity yet. The other reason I went for it is that I got a standing desk and have been interested in maintaining/improving my posture.
April 21, 2025
The practical gymnastic exercises seem well worth one's team, increasing one's flexibility and strength particularly in the torso; that's in important base for an improved posture. Yet the book is not pleasant to read, as it comes with too much medico-anatomical jargon and terminologies. I often didn't really get the descriptions of exercises due to some words for muscles or other body parts that I didn't know where to locate.
June 12, 2022
Concise and practical, this was a great read.
I’ve dabbled in postural correction in and out for a few years. This book taught me a few things, but importantly it summarised all the key ideas.
The last chapters covered the neuroscience, psychology and philosophy of behaviour change. The cherry on top for sure. Definitely appreciated the reminder of those ideas (and again excellent summary).
I’ve dabbled in postural correction in and out for a few years. This book taught me a few things, but importantly it summarised all the key ideas.
The last chapters covered the neuroscience, psychology and philosophy of behaviour change. The cherry on top for sure. Definitely appreciated the reminder of those ideas (and again excellent summary).
September 8, 2019
Great book, pretty comprehensive and practical.
August 9, 2021
Buen libro que trata un tema de vital importancia. La selección de ejercicios y su explicación funcional directa y bien indexada. Echo de menos un planteamiento de planificación más detallado.
January 12, 2022
Short and simple. Good exercises.
January 1, 2024
Quick easy read with some great implementable routines that I have yet to do 😅
September 30, 2024
Good simple read. I wanted to give it 4 stars but I couldn’t because the depth of information wasn’t there. Good read and even better if you are new to the e subject.
December 29, 2024
Some useful info, but did not seem to be more than a summary of some materials and a selection of decent suggested exercises.
January 24, 2023
A great set of workout here on how to improve the posture. Though, at the reading I was expecting a bit more - specifically on posture on the movement; like how to walk properly and such. However, it's more towards to execises to improve general postures.
February 23, 2020
Fangen wir mal an mit dem, was mir gefallen hat. Da wäre zum einen die eigentlich triviale Erkenntnis zu Beginn, dass es schwer ist, in ein paar Minuten Training etwas auszugleichen (die Haltung nämlich), was man den ganzen restlichen Tag über falsch einübt. Und zum anderen die beiden Kurzübungsprogramme ganz am Ende - eines für morgens/abends und eines fürs Büro.
Alles andere fand ich dagegen eher enttäuschend. Bei den erklärenden Teilen habe ich mich immer ein wenig gefragt, wer die Zielgruppe sein soll. Der Aufbau des Buches ist zwar richtig, aber die Texte sind immer wieder mit Fachvokabular durchsetzt (Soll das dem Leser zeigen, wie kompetent die Autoren sind?) und häufig an den wichtigen Stellen auch zu kurz, um wirklich nützlich zu sein. So gibt es beispielsweise ein eigenes Kapitel zum Thema "Wie Sie Gewohnheiten ändern" - eigentlich eine gute Sache. Allerdings beschränkt es sich dann auf 4 1/2 Seiten und die Beobachtungen, dass man (1) wissen sollte, warum man etwas ändern will, und (2) überzeugt sein sollte, dass man es auch ändern kann. Ach, so einfach ist das? Na dann ist ja alles klar. Und leider gilt ähnliches auch für viele andere Kapitel.
Die Beschreibungen der Übungen sind oft in Ordnung, in manchen Fällen fehlen aber Fotos (oder Fotos aus der richtigen Perspektive), um wirklich zu verstehen, wie die Übung funktionieren soll.
Um es kurz zu machen: Viele Kapitel hinterließen bei mir den Eindruck, dass man dazu vielleicht gar kein Buch lesen, sondern doch lieber gleich mit einem kompetenten Trainer sprechen sollte, der einem die Übungen vormacht, beim Programm berät und Ausführungsfehler aufzeigt...
Für die Bewertung habe ich zwischen 2 und 3 Sternen geschwankt, aber bei Goodreads bedeutet 2 Sterne eben: "It was okay". Und das beschreibt es eigentlich ziemlich gut.
Alles andere fand ich dagegen eher enttäuschend. Bei den erklärenden Teilen habe ich mich immer ein wenig gefragt, wer die Zielgruppe sein soll. Der Aufbau des Buches ist zwar richtig, aber die Texte sind immer wieder mit Fachvokabular durchsetzt (Soll das dem Leser zeigen, wie kompetent die Autoren sind?) und häufig an den wichtigen Stellen auch zu kurz, um wirklich nützlich zu sein. So gibt es beispielsweise ein eigenes Kapitel zum Thema "Wie Sie Gewohnheiten ändern" - eigentlich eine gute Sache. Allerdings beschränkt es sich dann auf 4 1/2 Seiten und die Beobachtungen, dass man (1) wissen sollte, warum man etwas ändern will, und (2) überzeugt sein sollte, dass man es auch ändern kann. Ach, so einfach ist das? Na dann ist ja alles klar. Und leider gilt ähnliches auch für viele andere Kapitel.
Die Beschreibungen der Übungen sind oft in Ordnung, in manchen Fällen fehlen aber Fotos (oder Fotos aus der richtigen Perspektive), um wirklich zu verstehen, wie die Übung funktionieren soll.
Um es kurz zu machen: Viele Kapitel hinterließen bei mir den Eindruck, dass man dazu vielleicht gar kein Buch lesen, sondern doch lieber gleich mit einem kompetenten Trainer sprechen sollte, der einem die Übungen vormacht, beim Programm berät und Ausführungsfehler aufzeigt...
Für die Bewertung habe ich zwischen 2 und 3 Sternen geschwankt, aber bei Goodreads bedeutet 2 Sterne eben: "It was okay". Und das beschreibt es eigentlich ziemlich gut.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews