Why is good posture important?
Good posture is the key to help prevent a lot of health issues, such as back pain, neck pain, muscle strain, joints stiffness, headache, and other musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs)
When you practice proper posture, you keep your bones and joints in alignment. This decreases the abnormal wearing of joint surfaces, reduces stress on the ligaments holding the spinal joints together, and allows your muscles to work more efficiently.
Your spine’s curves
A healthy back has three natural curves:
- Cervical curve. This is an inward or forward curve at the neck.
- Thoracic curve. This is an outward or backward curve at the upper back.
- Lumbar curve. This is an inward curve at the lower back.
Good posture helps maintain all these natural curves. while poor posture does the opposite , which can stress muscles, ligaments or bones.
Good standing posture
When standing, keep these tips in mind:
1. Stand straight and tall, with your shoulders back.
2. Keep your head level, and in line with your body.
3. Pull in your abdomen.
4. Keep your feet shoulder-width apart.
5. Don’t lock your knees.
6. Bear your weight primarily on the balls of your feet.
7. Let your hands hang naturally at your sides.
If you have to stand for long periods, shift your weight from your toes to your heels, or from one foot to the other.
Take the wall test
To test your standing posture, take the wall test. Stand with your head, shoulder blades, and buttocks touching a wall, and have your heels about 2 to 4 inches, that is about 5 to 10 centimeters, away from the wall. Slide your hand behind the curve in your lower back, with your palm flat against the wall.
Ideally, you’ll feel about one hand’s thickness of space, between your back and the wall. If there’s too much space, tighten your abdominal muscles to flatten the curve in your back. If there’s too little space, arch your back so that your hand fits comfortably behind you. Walk away from the wall while maintaining this posture. Keep it up throughout your daily activities.
Good sitting posture
When seated, keep these tips in mind:
1. Adjust the height of your chair, so that your feet rest flat on the floor, or on a footrest.
2. Keep your knees at, or below the level of your hips. Don’t cross your legs. Your ankles should be in front of your knees. Keep a small gap between the back of your knees, and the front of your seat.
3. Adjust your chair to support your back, or place a rolled towel, or small pillow behind your lower back.
4. Make sure the top of your monitor, is at or slightly below eye level.
5. Keep your head and neck balanced, and in line with your torso.
6. Relax your shoulders. Keep your forearms parallel to the ground.
Try not to sit in the same position for long periods.
Check out your reflection
To see if you’re keeping your shoulders straight, stand in front of a mirror, or ask someone else to evaluate your shoulder position. Aim to keep your shoulders in the same position.
Carrying a bag correctly
Carrying a shoulder bag over a single arm, can harm your posture, and not just because the weight of the bag bears down, through the strap into your shoulder muscles. An empty bag will also cause you to contract your shoulder muscles, and elevate your shoulder to keep the bag from sliding down your arm. If this is done regularly, can create posture problems.
If you use a bag with a shoulder strap, place the strap over your opposite shoulder.
Avoid looking down at your phone
Looking down at a smartphone, can cause you to flex your neck, and strain your cervical spine. This cause what we call text neck. When standing ,and looking at your phone, maintain good posture, and aim to hold your phone close to eye level. When sitting, and looking at your phone, sit upright and use armrests, or alternatively a desk, or pillow to support your arms.
It all adds up
Although good posture should be natural, you might feel stiff at first, if you’ve forgotten the sensation of sitting, and standing up straight. The key is to practice good posture all the time. You can make improvements at any age. Stretching, and core strengthening exercises can help, too.