Say Goodbye to Slouch with These 14 Posture Fixes
Most people think that good posture only equates to standing up straight. While that’s part of it, a lot more needs to be discussed and considered when it comes to posture.
For example, good posture is needed to reduce back pain. Beyond the physical, it’s also associated with boosting one’s confidence. Though correcting bad posture won’t happen instantly, thankfully, you’d only need to make small, conscious changes in your everyday routine.
Simple adjustments, like being mindful of your sleeping position or arranging your workspace ergonomically, can improve your posture. Doing these things consistently can correct misalignments, support a healthier spine, and avoid injuries. If you’re unsure what to do first, check out this list of 14 powerful ways to improve your posture!
Sleep Tight and Sleep Right
How you position yourself when you sleep plays a significant role in your posture and overall well-being. After all, if you sleep in the wrong position, you’ll likely experience back pain.
On the flip side, if you practice going to bed in an ideal sleeping position, you achieve healthy spine alignment from your head to your hips. While the best sleeping position for you can vary depending on your needs, remember that sleeping on your stomach is one of the worst positions you could choose.
Sleeping on your back or side makes it easier to support and balance your spine. In the long run, this will help relieve the pressure on your spine, allowing your muscles to relax and recover while in deep sleep.
Stay Upright
One of the best ways to ensure good posture is to be mindful of how you position your body throughout the day. For example, you must stay upright while standing and not curve your shoulders inward.
To do this, you must relax your shoulders and keep your head level with your body. You should also pull in your abdomen while not locking your knees and ensure you’re not staring down at your phone.
By constantly practicing this, you can help your spine remain healthy. Staying upright provides much-needed back support, especially if you spend hours standing or sitting.
Stay Sharp and Don’t Slouch
In addition to staying upright, you should also avoid slouching, especially when sitting for long periods. Slouching can put pressure between your shoulder blades, flattening your back muscles.
Aside from bad posture, you may also develop neck pain and pain around your shoulders after a long day of sitting and slouching. So, to prevent back pain, spinal dysfunction, and more, make it a point to be conscious of your posture and sit properly.
Stretch and Loosen up Your Muscles
Stretching offers many benefits and can help manage stress, boost brain health, and prepare for better sleep.
However, aside from all of these, stretching is particularly important for posture. By stretching, you loosen the tight muscles in your body, which helps elongate your spine and give you better posture.
Stretching your back can help relieve back pain. Beyond this, full-body stretching can also help ease whatever tension you’re holding in your body. The Pain Medicine Group notes that stretching increases circulation, meaning your tired muscles get a better supply of fresh oxygen and nutrients.
Maintain Good Desk Posture
Unfortunately, people working in the office or those with corporate jobs don’t have much choice but to stay glued to their desks all day. This can cause many issues for our bodies, especially if we don’t maintain good desk posture.
When you have poor posture at work, you can experience chronic back pain, which can lead to more stress and repetitive injuries. This will prevent you from focusing on your job and maybe even contribute to low morale, leading to reduced productivity and other adverse effects.
Because of this, you must remain in the best possible posture no matter what you do. You should relax your shoulders and avoid slumping over your desks. Your knees and forearms must always be parallel to the floor, and you must look forward to prevent neck pain or strain.
Set up an Ergonomic Office
Try setting up an ergonomic office to help you sustain good posture at work. You can do this by equipping and designing your office space with ergonomic furniture or tools to cultivate a better working environment.
For example, you need a comfortable chair that supports your spine. It’d also be best to have access to an adjustable ergonomic desk so you can work while standing up, sitting down, or at different heights.
Ergonomic keyboards aid with posture and ensure less strain on wrists, helping you avoid carpal tunnel or other conditions. Having an ergonomic mouse will also help with this.
Avoid the Low-Rider Slump When Driving
Driving is very personal, and most people have their preferred driving positions. Unfortunately, some pick a low position, which harms their posture, especially when done for extended periods.
You need to see the road and everything around you while driving. If your head tilts up as you look down the road, your seat is positioned too low. In the same way, if your head tilts down, you need to lower your seat.
When you do not, and you make your body adjust, you can cause neck pain and bad posture. Whatever you do, remember that your head should be level to reduce neck fatigue.
Protect Yourself From ‘Text Neck'
“Text neck” syndrome is a repetitive stress injury to the neck caused by holding one’s head forward for an extended period. Clarity Physical Therapy & Wellness Center notes that this body positioning affects the curvature of the spine, neck, and shoulder muscles.
Some symptoms to watch out for include a sharp or nagging pain in the neck and shoulders. Other symptoms include intermittent or constant headaches, eye pain, nerve pain, and stiffness in the shoulders and neck, which leads to a decreased range of motion.
To avoid this, hold your mobile device at eye level. Instead of looking down on it, bring it up to your face. You should also be mindful and take breaks from your mobile device every 15 minutes or so.
Exercise and Stay Active
There are many exercises out there, and most, if not all, are good for us as a whole. However, gentle exercises would be the best option if you specifically want to target your posture.
Pilates and yoga are considered gentle exercises that can help strengthen the support muscles in your stomach and back. Consistently doing these exercises can even correct and improve your posture.
Build a Stronger Core
Pilates and yoga are also great exercises for core strengthening. Toning your abs, after all, is one of the best ways to ensure good posture.
You engage your abdominal and lower back muscles when you strengthen your core. These muscles connect to your spine and pelvis, which means they also help your torso by rotating, extending, or flexing your spine.
MS Trust also explains that core stability muscles, also called postural muscles, are embedded in our abdomen, pelvis, and back. They act as scaffolding that holds us together, so it’s essential to have strong core muscles to help us maintain good posture.
Do Breathing Exercises
Breathing is a natural part of life. However, practicing deliberate deep breathing can introduce many benefits to our health.
For example, breathing exercises lower one’s blood pressure and heart rate. They’re also associated with reduced levels of stress hormones in the blood and increased feelings of calmness.
Breathing exercises can also have physical benefits, such as helping us maintain good posture. When you practice deep breathing for several minutes, you strengthen underused muscles in your back, shoulders, and neck. In the long run, all these things work together to improve our posture as a whole.
Opt for Flats or Low-heeled Shoes
There’s no denying how beautiful high heels are and how much they can elevate your look. Unfortunately, regularly wearing high heels can change your posture and body shape.
Some of these changes included an increased arching in your back and a shift in your center of gravity. Dr. Kaliq Chang was quoted by the Atlantic Spine Center in a 2021 article, saying, “Wearing high heels regularly can cause long-term damage to the hips, knees, and especially the spine. High heels alter the spine’s natural alignment and put you at risk for back pain.”
On the flip side, when you wear flats or mostly low-heeled shoes, you get to evenly distribute your weight on the soles of both feet. This allows for a neutral spine, which helps with good posture.
Position Devices on a Stand
One of the things we use the most in our everyday lives is our phones, tablets, and laptops. However, if we don’t position these devices correctly, they can force us to look down and bend our necks for long periods.
In the long run, this may cause chronic neck and back pain. So, to avoid this and the “text neck” syndrome, we must always be conscious of how we use our phones and other devices.
For example, propping them up on phone stands could be a great help. Aside from better posture, propping your phone on a stand can help alleviate or avoid wrist pain.
Check Yourself for Any Issues
People say that prevention is always better than cure. So, instead of waiting for your neck or back pain to become chronic or something that never goes away, ensure you take the time to check yourself for any issues.
The moment you feel something off about yourself, assess whether or not it has something to do with your posture. If it does, find out the source. Once you’ve pin-pointed it, consciously try to avoid whatever it is that’s triggering your back or neck pain.
You may also opt to see a professional in the early stages to prevent any worsening. A general practitioner or a chiropractor is often the first line of treatment for these kinds of pain. If you’d like to consult someone about your posture, seeing a physiotherapist or osteopath would be best.
