It is easy to have lost count of the number of times someone has told us to ‘stand up or sit straight’. If you have been experiencing constant or recurring aches on parts of your back, shoulders or neck, it could be time to start taking notice of your posture, and start making a conscious effort to “stand straight, or sit up”.
By improving your posture you can portray a better, more confident image while also improving breathing and digestion. Good posture is essential for a healthy spine.
Do You Have A Bad Posture?
To find if you have bad posture, stand with your back against the wall. Place your heels 6 inches from the wall. Your buttocks and shoulder blades should touch the wall. If there is a gap larger than 2 inches between your neck or your back and the wall, then you have bad posture and a curving spine.
Here are some of the most common bad postures
Forward Head:
This is very common in people who sit in front of a computer for most of the day. Usually for those who have Forward Head, the head's position will protrud forward in relation to the shoulder joint when they sit or stand.
Sway Back:
The other kind of b ad posture is a forward tilting of the hips, leading to a protruding belly and increased curve in the lower spine. This posture leads to numbness, tingling, weak bladder control.
Flat back:
Occurs when the spine loses the lower curve and becomes flat. This causes an imbalanced back bone and results in you leaning forward. Having Flat Back can cause difficulty while standing up straight or having constant back or leg pain.
Anterior Pelvic Tilt(APT):
Caused by the over extension of the lumbar spine (lower back), APT happens when the bottom of the spine rises. It can increase the risk of knee pain, lower back pain/injuries, and other musculoskeletal disorders.
How To Keep A Good Posture?
Essentially, good posture is a position where your body feels at ease. Here’s how you can maintain the perfect posture:
Sitting:
Keep your back straight and your shoulders back. Ideally, your spine should curve at 4 places - forward curves in neck and lower back, and backward curves in your chest and hip area, where the spine almost resembles a soft 'S' shape. Your body weight should be evenly distributed on both hips. Keep your feet flat on the floor and make sure your arms are supported.
Standing:
Keep your shoulders back and aligned. Your stomach muscles should keep your body straight, not your backbone.
Walking:
By keeping your chin parallel to the ground, and landing your heel first, you can sustain good posture.
Sleeping:
The best sleeping posture is lying on your side with one pillow either kept between your legs or under your knees for better support.
After correcting your posture, you might notice several of your aches and pains fading away. Besides this, good posture is also great for your bones and joints as they will be able to return to their natural positions. It will also increase your self-confidence, decrease the impact of stress hormones and make the body more energy efficient.
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