In order to stay healthy, a good posture is needed. Maintaining a good posture helps us move, stand, and walk in a way that places the slightest pressure on our muscles when moving and exercising. As posture is something very individual, allowing ourselves to consciously maintain a good one will help us have a strong spine and adequate muscle flexibility.
Usually, we fail to keep a good posture and we tend to move in a careless way causing back and neck pain, fatigue, and muscle strain. But certain muscles do the job for us like the hamstrings and large back muscles that contribute to the maintenance of strong position and balance during movement.
So changing our posture and keeping our spine aligned is easy. It can be very helpful in making a big difference with the way we feel. It can simply be integrated into everyday activities.
What are the benefits of a good posture?
- Helping us keep our bones and joints in the correct alignment so that our muscles can function in the correct way.
- Lowering the tension on the ligaments that keep together the spinal joints and minimizes the risk of injury.
- Enabling our muscles to function more effectively, which allows our body to require less energy and thereby avoid muscle fatigue.
- Helping us reduce muscle strain and prevent back and muscular pain.
What leads to having a poor posture?
Having a bad posture will lead to extreme muscle strain and sometimes muscle relaxation when held in certain positions for a long period of time making it hard to move. Clearly, many common factors can lead to that; like stress, obesity, pregnancy, weak postural muscles, abnormally tight muscles, and even high-heeled shoes.
How can I fix my posture?
- Sitting:
Working in an office or spending the entire day in front of a computer can be stressful and hard. That’s why it’s important to keep a straight back and prevent your shoulders from rolling over. Also, making sure that your weight should be evenly distributed on the chair and your feet being flat on the ground. Avoid sitting in the same position for a long period, it is medically advised to take a break of 10 minutes every 30 minutes and go for a walk to relieve the stress.
- Standing:
When we get busy, we tend to lean forward and hunch over. So try to keep your knees bent slightly, and your feet set apart across the shoulder-width. And bear in mind that your arms should hang naturally at your sides, and your head, shoulders, hips and knees should line up.
- Laying or lounging in bed:
When you get horizontal, avoid lying on your back with your head bent over a pillow at a wide-angle, as this puts excessive stress on your neck and shoulders. Instead, prop some pillows for some support behind your back, and flex your legs and place a pillow under your knees.
- Lifting:
In order to reduce pressure on your spine, it’s necessary to keep a straight stance and bend the knees and thighs while relaxing the abdominal muscles to lift heavy objects. Hold yourself upright as you sit down to pick it up and avoid the urge to lean into the load.
- Driving:
It’s impossible to sit straight in the driver’s seat, but you should try to sit as upright as possible. Place a lumbar pillow at the low back of your seat if that makes you comfortable, and place it so your knees are higher than your hips. Make sure to stretch every now and then to reduce pain in your back and neck.
https://acatoday.org/content/posture-power-how-to-correct-your-body-alignment
Photo de Andrea Piacquadio provenant de Pexels
