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Here's How To Reset Your Posture In Just 14 Days

26th August 2021

Fitness

26th August 2021

By Catherine Hargreaves

Do you constantly feel like your muscles are in knots that need several days worth of massage to straighten out? Quite frankly, is your back posture reminiscent of the Hunchback of Notre Dame? Slouch central?

Chances are this will have something to do with your posture. Stand taller and feel looser with these posture reviving tips.

Not sure how to improve your posture? We've got all the best posture tips for you right here. 

Make it a foam party

If you have bad posture, you're likely to find you also have unwanted tension in your back and neck. Use a foam roller to loosen up your back muscles so that you can stand tall comfortably. Place the roller on the floor and lie with your upper back on the roller and your feet flat on the ground. Roll slowly up and down, and alongside each side of your spine, to increase blood flow and help to alleviate tension. Repeat the process with a tennis ball to target trigger points.

Eyes to the sky: start looking up

Find yourself staring at more concrete than sky when you're walking? Bring that eye line up to straighten out your neck, bring your shoulders back and keep your spine straighter. This will reduce the pressure on your neck and upper back, and provide you with a much better view...

Not to mention, this will fix that bad back posture of yours in seconds. 

Don't forget to stretch

If you've been around here a while, you're probably a bit fed up of us talking about stretching. Sorry about that. (Not).

Keeping your body flexible and free of tension is key for improving posture, so ensure you're stretching your entire body before and after exercise. If you're looking to boost flexibility, make sure you're stretching after your showers as this is when your muscles are already warmed up and loose.

When searching how to improve your posture, posture tips are everywhere, which means you may get a little overwhelmed when it comes to how to complete back posture correction properly. 

For some better posture exercises, try out the below stretches:

Make sure you're using The Recover Capsules every morning and night to ensure your body has the nutrients it needs for healthy muscle recovery after exercise.

Get creative

Try out a new sport that makes you work for a straight, lengthened posture. Ballet is the best example of this, but if your tights are at the dry cleaner's, swimming, weight lifting or yoga are great too.

Start from the ground up

Make sure you're not wearing a pair of shoes to death - and look out for soles that are being worn down on one side more than the other, which suggests uneven weight distribution when you walk.

A good pair of shoes are designed to support your posture and stride, but won't last forever. So renew them when the soles wear down, and use insoles if you need them!

Double strap it

Avoid carrying heavy bags on one shoulder whenever possible - if you have to, be sure to switch across shoulders rather than punishing one. 

Desk-bound?

If you're at a desk all day, get up and have a walk around as often as socially acceptable... Have your screen as close to eye level as possible, and check out a standing desk if you want to show off how well you are to your colleagues. When sitting, keep both feet flat on the ground rather than crossing your legs, as this will ensure you are keeping your hips straight, which will translate to a straighter spine.

There are also these 6 Hip Flexor Stretches That Are Essential If You Work At A Desk that you can try...

Check them out.

Summary

If you need an extra hand improving your wellbeing, check out The Wellbeing Collection. The collection contains three of our best sellers: The Health Protein, The Detox Booster and The Recover Capsules, all of which are packed full of functional ingredients, nootropics and adaptogens, and ready to do you a world of good.

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The relationship between sex and workout performance is one that’s long been debated by scientists and fitness fanatics alike. It’s complicated and multifaceted, so answering the question of whether your sex life is affecting your training is difficult. That said, today we’re going to take a look at a variety of evidence, both academic and anecdotal, as well as several different scenarios and at least try to reduce some of the mystery around the subject. First, it helps to understand what’s actually happening to the body, both physically and psychologically, during both activities.   The Effects of Sex on the Body Sexual activity causes several changes to occur in the body:   Physical Changes That Occur During Sex During sexual activity and the lead up to it, the human body undergoes a process known as the sexual response cycle. This is the case for both males and females, though the cycle can be highly individual and may not be the same each time for each person. 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More aerobically demanding exercise will, of course, place greater emphasis on the circulatory and respiratory systems as well as causing fat to be metabolised as an energy source. Resistance training, which often relies more heavily on the lactate and creatine phosphate energy systems, instead promotes greater muscular and endocrine (hormone) activity. Note the common physical changes between sex and exercise here, as they do crossover!   Psychological Changes That Occur During Exercise The psychological changes that occur during exercise are similar to those experienced during sexual activity and are mostly related to the release of endorphins and other ‘feelgood’ hormones. These help to regulate mood, and it is common knowledge that frequent exercise and leading an active, healthy lifestyle promotes a feeling of wellbeing.   Does Sex Affect Our Workouts? This is where things become complicated. Though extensive studies have been done on the subject, the results of these have varied massively. We must also take into account the experience of individuals, and this anecdotal evidence again has huge variance. Let’s look at both:   Sex and Training: What the Science Says Scientific studies on the relationship between sex and training are contradictory at best. There’s no denying the positive benefits of both activities, particularly from a psychological perspective, but as for the effect of sex on actual performance in the gym the results are inconclusive. A study, published in April 2021, by Kirecci, Albayrak and co. examined the effects of sexual activity of 50 men in the 24 hours prior to training on lower body strength. The study measured effects by having the men perform 3 separate squat sessions, each at the same time of day. Each of these sessions occurred after participating in or abstaining from sexual activity the night before. 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The analysis concluded that ‘The results demonstrate that sexual activity within 30 min to 24 h before exercise does not appear to affect aerobic fitness, musculoskeletal endurance, or strength/power.’ This is perhaps more notable, because these studies incorporated different types of exercise and were not restricted purely to a strength/power based activity like squats.   Anecdotal Evidence: What About the Experiences of Real Gym Goers? The anecdotal evidence is, as expected, highly individualised. However, there tends to be a bias against the results of most studies, particularly in those participating in sports involving strength and aggression. For example, many fighters claim that they perform better when they abstain from sex in the days leading up to a contest. Similarly, bodybuilding forums are full of debate on this topic and many claim they note a significant decrease in motivation to train at maximum intensity after sexual activity. It has been hypothesised that this may be due to a downregulation in testosterone production after sex; during orgasm the mineral zinc is released in the body and this is also a precursor for natural testosterone production in the body and may, therefore, provide some reasoning as to the experience of many trainees.   Key Takeaways The relationship between sex and workout performance will always be a complicated one. The effects of one on the other in terms of physical fitness and, in particular, mental wellbeing, are clear, but when it comes to actual performance this appears to be highly individual. We’d advise doing what feels best for you but not worrying too much about it. Instead, prioritise your nutrition and make sure you’re fuelling your workouts properly. While you’re here, why not take a look at the Innermost range? We’re proud to be completely transparent about the ingredients in our products and we always ensure they’re of the highest quality. Check us out, and be sure to get in touch if you have any questions!
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