Maintaining good posture takes more than just standing up straight. It’s something you need to be mindful of in every aspect of your life as good posture is crucial to your long-term well-being.
Whether you’re moving or not, holding your body in the correct position can help you prevent pain, injuries, and other health issues.
Correcting your posture may feel difficult at first because your body has been accustomed to sitting and standing in a certain manner. However, with a little practice, you’ll be able to improve your body awareness and excellent posture will become second nature.
Keep on reading to find out how to improve your posture throughout your daily life!
What is Posture?
The way you hold your body is called posture. There are two kinds:
- Dynamic posture: This refers to how you hold your own posture when moving, like walking, running or bending down to pick something up.
- Static posture: This refers to the way you hold yourself when sitting, standing or sleeping.
It is critical that you maintain appropriate dynamic and static posture to keep your musculoskeletal system in tip-top health, especially the spine.
Your spine has three natural curves: one in the neck, one in the middle back, and one in the lower back. These curves should be maintained through good posture so that you can distribute your weight evenly and minimise the wear and tear in your spine.
Generally, proper posture should ensure that the top of your shoulders is over your hips, and your head should be above your shoulders.
According to the American Chiropractic Association, several core muscles groups, such as the back and abdominal muscles, are also essential for maintaining good posture with our weight balanced evenly on both sides of the spine.
How Can Poor Posture Affect Me?
Poor posture is harmful to one’s health, potentially leading to:
- A misaligned spine
- Deterioration of spinal biomechanics, making it more vulnerable to compensation of the muscles and incorrect movement pattern.
- Pain and muscle tension in the neck, shoulders, and back
- Reduced flexibility
- Reduced range of motion in joints
- Acceleration of wear and tear of the joints
Practising Good Posture in Daily Life
Standing
When we’re tired, it’s normal to give in and slouch, especially if we’ve been in a standing posture all day. Yet, it is still necessary to keep proper posture, no matter how exhausted you are.
Stand tall with your weight on the balls of your feet, knees slightly bent, and feet about hip-distance apart. Let your arms hang freely at your sides.
It’s important to keep in mind that your legs should be straight but not locked when standing correctly. Your head, shoulders, hips, and knees should all be in a straight line.
Sitting
Many Singaporeans spend a lot of their time sitting – either at work, at school, or at home. It can be tough to sit in the ideal position all day long.
When sitting, it’s imperative to keep your back comfortably straight. Your shoulder blades should not lean forward and try not to keep your head forward to prevent text neck.
Your weight should be evenly distributed with both your feet flat on the floor. Make sure your chair’s height is set to allow your knees to bend at a natural 90-degree right angle or with your hips higher than your knees. Use a stool if needed.
Ergonomic furniture can further improve your posture as well. For example, ergonomic chairs can provide lumbar support with the potential of reduced strain acting on the spine by engaging surrounding core muscle groups.
Standing desks, on the other hand, can be utilised to break up long periods of sitting. Though to start with, it’s best to stand for no more than 30 minutes at a time to avoid fatigue and other aggravating symptoms.
Lifting
The key to avoiding damage while lifting is to reduce the tension on your spine. While it may be tempting to simply lean over and lift your load, resist the urge!
The best way to lift heavy loads is to keep an upright stance with your knees bent while tightening the abdominal muscles. You should be as close to the load as possible, as this will reduce the amount of strain on your lower back.
Before lifting, ensure that you have solid footing by assuming a wide stance. Then, tighten your stomach muscles and use your leg muscles to lift. Straighten your knees slowly and steadily.
When you move, move with your feet forward and body aligned. Do not twist at the waist. Then, keep your arms bent with the object close to your body. Take modest steps and go at a leisurely pace when carrying a heavy load.
Driving
Many automobiles’ seats are fashioned in such a way that it’s nearly hard to sit straight. However, while driving, you should strive to sit as erect as possible.
The car seat’s lumbar support should sit flush along the curvature of your back. If you find that your lower back is inadequately supported by the seatback, try using a lumbar pillow.
Next, the car seat should not be too close to nor too far away from the steering wheel. This allows the arms and shoulders to move freely as needed.
If you’re stuck in traffic, you can work in some small stretches to improve posture!
Stretching can help relieve lower back discomfort, stress, and exhaustion. These exercises can be repeated numerous times while you’re stuck in traffic:
- Turn your trunk to one side for five seconds while keeping your back straight, then rotate it to the other side
- Lean your back forward for five seconds away from your seat, then slowly return to your seat and hold for five seconds
Ensure Long-Term Health by Taking Care of Your Posture!
We hope that you have enjoyed this brief guide on maintaining good posture in your everyday activities.
If you suffer from body aches and pains or are seeking more tailored advice, book an appointment with Elite Spine Centres today!
Our dedicated chiropractors are equipped to fully understand how bad posture affects the spine and surrounding tissues, leading to health problems in other parts of the body.
This allows our chiropractors to provide customised treatment that can relieve those problems effectively, alongside advice concerning lifestyle changes and occupational safety.