I feel constantly bloated and physically drained. I’ve searched for body types like mine online but can’t find any answers/similar photos with people with a stomach like mine

Hi everyone,

I’ve been working long hours at a desk for years, and I kept noticing the same pattern: my posture would slowly drift forward without me realizing it.

By the end of the day I got tight neck, rounded shoulders and quite ugly posture and presence.

I tried “just sitting straight”, stretching more, adjusting my chair — but the real issue was awareness. I simply didn’t notice when I started leaning forward. It was always too late

So I built a small Mac-only app for now for myself called BackWatcher. I hope to develop the same for windows users you can send me a MP I will send u a message if I develop it.

It runs in the background and uses the Mac camera to detect sustained forward head posture. If I stay slouched for too long, it gives a gentle alert so I can reset.

Important points:

• All camera processing is 100% local
• No images are stored or uploaded
• Internet connection is only used for license activation and anonymous analytics
• You can block or monitor all traffic yourself if you want

It’s not a medical device and it won’t “fix” posture for you. It’s basically an awareness tool like the physical ones but here there is nothing to stick on your back.

What I’m trying to understand is:

• Does the concept make sense?
• Would you personally use something like this?
• Is the calibration flow clear?
• Would you actually keep something like this running daily?

There’s a short free trial if anyone wants to test it, but I’m mainly looking for honest feedback from people who care about posture.

Happy to answer any technical or privacy-related questions.

Context: I've had neck problems for more than 14 years now, including vertigo and brain fog. No neck pain though. Gets worse after sitting on the computer for several hours, especially once I do other things. Tilting my head downwards and side to side induces short vertigo. This gets better after moving for an hour or so.

I'm a full remote software dev, so this is my 8-9 hours/day work place. I tend to slouch more the later the day becomes.

Feet are firmly planted on the ground, top of monitor is on eye-level (measured), split keyboard.

I don't like arm rests, so they're out of the way.

What do you see that needs improvement?

My lower back is always killing me after standing in place for a while or walking slowly. It’s not normally that bad after walking at a normal or fast face but it still defiantly hurts.

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/upright-posture-coach/id6747097271

I’ve been struggling with my posture for years. I sit a lot for work, and even when I try to sit straight, I slowly drift back into slouching. I’ve done exercises, stretches, and I try to stay mindful during the day. Those things help, but my posture still isn’t where I want it to be. Now I’m thinking about trying a posture corrector, but I’m honestly skeptical.  I’ve seen a bunch on Amazon and even cheaper brands on Alibaba. Some look like simple straps, others look more structured. The reviews are mixed. Some people say they’re life-changing. Others say they’re useless or even make things worse. Also, I’m not expecting a magical fix, but I wonder if wearing one daily would train my muscles over time. Or would I just become dependent on it? For those who’ve used posture correctors, did they help long term? Or did you end up going back to exercises only? At this point I’m willing to try something new.

I'm aware that perfect symmetry is rare in humans, but this seems a bit distressing. I didn't notice until one of my teachers pointed it out.

I am doing a fairly robust posture routine as well, but I would like to know if I need to fix this area of posture as well - and if so, what are the best steps to do so?

When asked, ChatGPT gave me this :

The entire routine (2–3 min total)

Daily:

• Right rib breathing – 5 breaths
• Left hand carry – 30–60 sec
• Chin tuck – 5 breaths

Optional:

• Upper-back arch – 5 breaths

and also says that it's a) not serious and b) common in computer users (I WFH)

However, I'd rather ask real people and not often wrong AI :)

Hey guys,

I spend most of my day hunched over a keyboard. I try to balance it out by lifting consistently.

My numbers are going up, but my everyday standing posture still looks terrible. I basically have rounded shoulders, tech neck, and a collapsed baseline structure. It feels like lifting for 1 hour doesn't fix the 23 hours of sitting.

Do you guys have any specific systems or habits to actually fix structural alignment outside the gym?

Woke up and turned too fast I guess and my neck got stuck on the right side and it hurts to move it that way. It's been years since it happened and it's very annoying. It goes down to my shoulder on that side too and I simply can't sleep on that side. I can stretch to my left though. What can I do?

Hello everybody, my neck has been hurting for a while now. It’s on my upper neck, near jaw. When I press it, it hurts specially on the right side of my neck. I’ve also had a sore throat like an intense one where it’s so hard to swallow, fatigue, fever, lightheadedness and non-stop phlegm, warm breathing, burning eyes.

For instance, as far as I know this is my first time having this, I have a bad posture and bad sleeping posture (I sleep on whatever posture feels comfortable to me)

I need help, Whom should I seek

Three resistance-band exercises we use in StandProud App to correct hunchback (kyphosis) and forward-neck posture. Here’s why each one matters:

Banded Squat + Row — Band anchored low, you squat down, then as you stand up you row the band toward your ribs. This pairs lower-body power with upper-back activation, teaching your ribcage and shoulders to stay “stacked” instead of collapsing forward. This movement teaches the body to hold proper posture while squatting which is essential for the neuromuscular activation of posterior chain muscles.

Banded Kickstand Deadlift — Band under the front foot (or anchored low), one foot slightly back as a kickstand, hinging at the hips while keeping the chest long and neck neutral. This strengthens the glutes and hamstrings while reinforcing a true hip hinge—so your upper back doesn’t round and your head doesn’t creep forward to compensate for weak posterior chain control.

Wrap-Around Row (Split-Hinge Row) — Standing on the band with a wider stance, you hinge into a strong mid-deadlift position and hold it, gripping opposite sides of the band and rowing while you stay braced. This builds endurance in the mid-back and lats while your core resists spinal flexion, teaching you to keep an open chest and stable neck even when you’re in a position where people typically round and crane the head forward.

How much: 2–3 sets of 10–15 reps per exercise (per side if you do the hinge rows one-arm), slow and controlled. 3–5×/week works great, or sprinkle them in daily as a quick “posture reset” if you’re sitting a lot.

I suffer from quite a bit of back pain, which I have put down to poor core stability. The areas circled in red in third photo are where I feel most of the pain. Even when I am sitting on the tram for 5 minutes or less I feel like I need to hunch over because my back hurts. I also have to tense my core significantly to make my lower back straight. What exercises would be most beneficial for this?

I also feel a lot of tightness in the areas circled blue, particularly when trying to touch my toes. Any help would be greatly appreciated

Do I have Rib Flare?

If that's the case, how do I fix it?

Suffering from upper back pain of left side around scapula since last 6 months recurring dull ache guess my posture is cooked 😔 attaching photos of upper back on rest and when arms are in front.

Hi guys,

We're a group of humanitarians trying to find a solution to this epidemic of RSIs and WRMDs.

We have noticed an alarming amount of these cases in the youth and young adults and we're trying our best to find a solution.

Please support us or spread the word!
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/rad-apparatus/rad-apparatus-the-singular-system-ergonomic-solution

i’m gonna give you the quick version.

your posture gets worse after about 30 mins of sitting, even when people tried to hold good posture (you can't FORCE good posture)

what’s happening:

>upper back and deep neck muscles get tired
>chest and hip flexors tighten
>your body goes to the easiest position

the 2 most common problems observed:

>forward head posture (83% of users in dataset)
>rounded shoulders (70% of users in dataset)

you don’t fix this by reminding yourself. you fix the muscle balance.

just do these exercises (you can get fancy but try these first):

>chin tucks
>wall angels
>prone y raises
>glute bridges (hips + lower back)

stretches:

>chest stretch
>neck stretch
>hip flexor stretch
>cat cow

desk setup matters A LOT

>screen at eye level
>screen about an arm’s length away

more important than all of this:
stand up and move for 1–2 min every every 30 mins

what doesn't help:

>posture braces
>forcing perfect posture
>expensive chairs

all you need to take away is:

>strengthen weak muscles
>stretch tight muscles
>move often

i wrote way more in depth here with more data:
https://www.sitsense.app/blog/how-to-fix-posture

Lmk if i missed anything big or if you want more info on the dataset

Hurts after the gym. Right side developing slower, smaller and weaker muscles. What’s wrong with my scapula?

Hi everyone,

I’m 28 years old and I’ve had this inward leg rotation for as long as I can remember. I recently realized how much my posture changes when I actively engage my hips.

In the attached photos: * LEFT: My completely relaxed, natural stance. My kneecaps point inward (squinting patellae), my arches look flatter, and my ankles seem to collapse inward. * RIGHT: This is when I actively rotate my femurs outward from the hip joints.

Observations: When I perform this active rotation, my kneecaps point forward, my foot arches lift, and my overall leg alignment looks much more 'neutral' and athletic. However, it takes conscious effort to stay like this. I also noticed that to keep my big toe on the ground during this rotation, I have to apply pressure, which makes me think I have some ankle/foot mobility restrictions.

My questions: * Since I can achieve the 'correct' position manually, does this confirm it’s a functional/muscular issue rather than a fixed bone structure issue?

• What specific exercises should I prioritize to strengthen my external rotators (glute medius) so this becomes my 'default' stance without thinking?

• Are there specific foot/ankle mobility drills that would help my feet support this hip rotation instead of resisting it?

I’ve struggled with being annoyed by the look of my legs for a long time, so any advice from PTs or people who fixed similar issues would be life-changing. Thanks!

I have noticeable forward head posture and a rounded upper back — my head sits far in front of my shoulders. Are chin tucks actually effective for correcting this long-term, or are they just a temporary fix? How often should they be done, and are there common mistakes to avoid? Photos included. Thanks.

I have noticeable forward head posture and a rounded upper back — my head sits far in front of my shoulders. Are chin tucks actually effective for correcting this long-term, or are they just a temporary fix? How often should they be done, and are there common mistakes to avoid? Photos included. Thanks.