Posture

I agree with you about furniture, Mum and I bought new sofa and chair ealier in the year, it took us a year to find what we wanted, I'm 5'10" and Mums 5'3", it was almost impossible to get anything that suited both of us. A lot of the furntiture we saw, the seat depth was so short even Mum's little legs were to long and for me I could barely fit my bottom on many of them, even the chaise type sofa's were to short. Many of them were expensive and poorly made too, it also didn't help that many shops don't keep a good range in store as it didn't seem to occur to them that people might actually want to sit in them before buying, something I think really imprtant when theres a 3 month wait for it to be made. If furniture isn't made to fit real bodies, then it's hardly surprising that its uncomfortable and causes people problems. I did look at those places that make chairs for "older people" you know the rise and recline type, but they're so expensive! I was told about 5k FOR ONE CHAIR!

I have a kneeling chair for doing computer stuff, you can slouch on them buts it's far less comfortable than sitting upright.

I have bad posture too. Since being a teenager (several decades ago), my poor posture appears to have been responsible for triggering often excruciating pain in my back and shoulders, in addition to causing a slight curvature of my spine.

When I put my mind to it, I do have the ability to stand straight and walk tall, but after a few minutes I find myself slipping back into bad habits and slouching. Some years ago, I invested in a back and shoulder brace. It wasn't the most comfortable thing to wear, but it did make it impossible for me to slouch. However, I have since read that braces intended to improve/correct posture may actually do more harm than good.

I do think changes in furniture design have contributed to an increase in poor posture. Whilst it is possible to purchase straight-backed sofas and chairs, it now seems to be the older generations that favour them. Whereas, younger generations seem to favour furniture that seems to actively encourage slouching, perhaps because it's considered to look more comfortable.

Based on things I have read and heard, the use of hand-held devices like smartphones and Kindles is contributing to an increase in problems associated with poor posture. Rather than sitting straight and holding these devices at eye-level, there is a tendency for many people to sit hunched over and look down at their devices.

Roswell said:

salmon is very good. It is the healthiest food in the world,

That comes with a boatload of caveats - mostly because farmed salmon suffers terribly from parasites and wild salmon is also very prone to worms, lice and diseases:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diseases_and_parasites_in_salmon

Salmon should always be thoroughly cooked to ensure the worms that normally live in it are cooked through - I've seem them still active in lightly grilled salmon.

I'm a big sushi fan but have stopped eating salmon (wild pacific salmon is the most common where I live)  after several occasions of finding the worms still alive in the slices of raw fish. I've not found this in any other type of raw fish oddly enough and I do check them all now.

My cousin used to run a salmon farming operation in Scotland and gave it up in the end as the fish were so infested with parasites due to their dense farming methods and food rich environmnet.

There will also be high levels of microplastics and modest levels of mercury in salmon but this is common for most fish now.

This will sound odd to you but salmon is very good. It is the healthiest food in the world, eat that regularly and I guarantee you it will help

I saw an Osteopath back in 2020 because of the lower back pain, and worsening balance,  I was experiencing .It was expensive and resulted in only short lived  improvements.

For some reason, this web chat isn’t letting me share the photos. Will keep trying

They’re a type of movement/healthcare provider, sort of like a physiotherapist but with a more holistic approach.

I certainly recommend that the youngsters sort their posture out if they are able. Mine has been awful since my teens and I'm really paying for it now. I'd need a medieval rack to stretch some of my tendons back to how they should be

One of the reasons I made this post is actually because I’ve been horse riding most of my life and still cannot seem to sit up straight on one! I’ve actually been volunteering at my local RDA for the past 2 years, I’ve thought about competing with them as well but I can’t get over my worries about ‘fairness’ etc. but it really is a great charity and I often find myself recommending it to people here too! 
I do miss doing taekwondo, I just don’t know if I’d have the time/energy at the moment to take up yet another thing. I will look into getting one of the wobble cushions though, thanks for that suggestion.

I second the changing bra size. I found when I changed the number up a size to give a looser fit I felt much more comfortable instead of feeling dragged in by the straps.

Many bra shops do fitting services, I reccomend Marks and Spencer. Haven't tried Boux Avenue but those shops seem small and quiet, I bet their service is good.

Hiya, there are these cushions you can buy with soft spikes on one side that help you sit up straight by using your core muscles - I've seen these to be helpful for some people. (looked it up on amazon, it's called a wobble cushion! They cost about £10 each) Some people also like them for the sensory feedback it gives them (can't speak for myself as I personally don't stim)

You could also buy a bar stool and sit on it instead of a chair for part of the day - that will improve posture as you need it to stay on the stool.

Personally I've found these things helpful:

Horse riding, as well as being wonderfully relaxing, is great for improving posture as you literally need it to stay on the horse! If you're worried about your posture there's stables who can give you one to one help and adult beginner lessons - check out riding for the disabled (RDA). The people who run RDA are wonderful, and based all over the UK including Wales and Scotland. Plus, when you get good at riding you can often volunteer at stables and help other people.

Martial arts. Since I took up karate people have told me I physically seem taller than I used to because my posture improved so much! Don't be embrassed about starting out, everyone starts martial arts looking a bit like baby giraffes but once you start to improve that's when the results really show. Plus you get self defence and the karate scream 'kiai' is great for releasing stress!

what is a kinesiologist ?

Bras are awkward horrible things and one of the great pleasures in life is taking it off, but that's a big part of why having one properly fitted is so important. You should feel one digging into your shoulders, and the band shouldn't restrict your movements or breathing. I can only suggest to try being fitted and see if it make a difference. It may not make a difference to your posture, but it may make a difference to your general levels of comfort.

Yes of course. I will take some photos next time I’m there, which will either be Sunday or Monday. 

The frustrating thing is I’d say I have at least ‘within average’ upper body/core strength- just tested it and I can hold a plank for 1.5 minutes, hardly spectacular but equally not so weak I should struggle to hold myself up straight. I can sit up straight all the time I’m concentrating on it with no issues, I just can’t seem to get it to become innate/second nature despite 18 years of trying.

The pilates I do is on zoom and doesn’t require a full weekly commitment, which I find really helps take the pressure off and the improvement I feel in my body is its own reward (it also really helps my anxiety because of the focus on breathing). When my knees were bad I went to a kinesiologist, two sessions later and I experience very minimal pain from them now- the kinesiologist managed to fix what 5+ drs, osteopaths & physios weren’t able to. I was very skeptical but it might be worth a try.

Would it be possible for you to let me know which muscles the machine is designed for next time you go/take a photograph? I try to do some exercises that are useful for archery but it doesn’t seem to have helped my everyday posture.

I was actually thinking of trying to get back into taekwondo, I’m just really struggling to find the time and energy with everything else I do. Past experience of yoga suggests I overdo it/contort myself too much so I find pilates a safer option! I’ll look into the Alexander technique but I’m not sure I’d qualify (no regular pain currently).  I’m not sure if getting a bra fitted would really make a difference, it’s more the constant contact around my torso/shoulders that I struggle to cope with.

I so feel for you I am the same .by the way I hate pilates so well done for going as i know it is good for bad backs.The weird thing with my back is when my Autism OCD and Anxiety is at it's worst my back is not too bad.It seems to go when i am mentally ok very odd I find this.

I also am hoping for the perfect Oesteo when my back first went 15 years ago i had a miracle fix but it has never happened since.