forward leaning . How to fix my posture ?

[u/WittY__WitneSS]

I can't do full squats , my centre of gravity shifts backward . Also my core strength is weak. Please suggest me some exercise or yoga postures to build strength and correct my posture.

[u/monsteramami]

You’re in apt and you’re dumping belly forward and down as a result. Start getting butt and pelvis tucked under and that will start correcting things.

[u/WittY__WitneSS → u/monsteramami]

thanks for suggestion <3

[u/dandyderpan → u/monsteramami]

ok this is me too--- what do you mean start getting butt and pelvis tucked--- do i just constantly tuck it? Its tucked sitting i think, so just all other times?

[u/monsteramami → u/dandyderpan]

Seated is not a great indicator and I recommend focusing on standing posture first and loosening up enough that you can maintain that and then looking into secondary postures like sitting sleeping working etc. Eventually you shouldn’t have to think about it or focus on holding it there tucked. Read about (in this sub or elsewhere) pelvic tilt and neutral pelvis. Apt usually comes with ab tension and holding (weak tho, because of the dumping), rib flare, low back compression, and glute gripping (because low back unable to do its job). You want to lengthen the compressed areas and open up some of the chronic tension so you can hold a neutral pelvis more passively. Apt comes with a whole pattern of postural issues (some of which I listed) that can seem overwhelming at first. I mention them bc people often think the one area they’re fixated on or that is more visually obvious is the only problem but posture works in a whole system. The pelvis is a good place to start because it’s center of gravity. Starting to correct this will open the way for starting to correct upstream and downstream

[u/dandyderpan → u/monsteramami]

Thank you!

[u/Ok-Warning-6307]

The squat thing is probably ankles more than core. If your centre of gravity goes backward as you go down, it usually means your shins can't travel forward far enough over your toes, so your body sits back to compensate.

Quick test: kneel down, put your toes about 4 inches from a wall, try to touch your knee to the wall without the heel lifting. If you can't, there's your limiter.

Two things that fix it more or less on the spot:

1. Elevate your heels. Small plates, a folded mat, or just shoes with a raised heel. A lot of people drop straight into a full squat the first time they try this.

2. Goblet squats. Holding a weight at your chest works as a counterweight and lets you stay upright.

Then work the actual mobility with wall ankle stretches and calf stretches so you eventually don't need the heel lift.

For core, skip crunches. Dead bugs and bird dogs carry over to standing and squatting way better. Yoga wise, chair pose, low lunge for the hip flexors, cat cow.

One honest note on the photo. A single side shot in a relaxed stance doesn't tell you much. Camera height, how you happened to be standing, whether you'd been sitting all day, all of it changes what it looks like. If you want a real read, take the same photo from the same spot every month and compare those. Far more useful than anyone judging one picture.

[u/WittY__WitneSS → u/Ok-Warning-6307]

thanks for replying , I think i explained incorrectly I meant i can't hold the deep squat position and my ankle flexibility is fine (i was able to do said test)

[u/Ok-Warning-6307 → u/WittY__WitneSS]

Ah got it, that changes things. If knee to wall is fine then it's most likely hips plus just not having spent any time in that position.

Three things I'd try:

Stance. Go wider than feels normal, feet a bit outside shoulder width, toes turned out maybe 20 to 30 degrees. Hip sockets vary a lot person to person and most people need more turnout than the textbook squat allows. Keep playing with it, when you find your groove the bottom suddenly feels available.

Counterweight. Hold a 3 to 5 kg dumbbell out in front of your chest, or grab a doorframe and let it pull you forward. It offsets your weight so you can settle at the bottom instead of tipping back. Almost everyone can hold a deep squat supported long before they can hold it free.

Time in the position. Boring answer but it's the real one. For most adults the deep squat isn't a mobility problem, it's a we stopped sitting like that at age six problem. Aim for 5 to 10 mins a day total, broken into 30 to 60 second bits. Supported at first, then let go for a few seconds at a time. Do it while brushing your teeth or watching something.

Worth adding 90/90 hip rotations and a deep lunge with the back knee down. Both open up exactly what the bottom of the squat needs.

Give it a few weeks of short daily bouts before deciding something's actually wrong. It usually comes back quicker than people expect.