2019

8 Easy But Effective Ways to Get Perfect Posture

8 Easy But Effective Ways to Get Perfect Posture
Awareness of posture is extremely important, especially because many of us live rather sedentary lives and this can lead to a number of health problems.

Good posture reduces the abnormal wearing of the surfaces of the joints and enables the bones and joints to remain in perfect alignment so that they can work correctly. When posture is good , the potential risks of muscular or back pain will be reduced along with a lower potential for fatigue.

[caption id="attachment_19226" align="aligncenter" width="920"]Common ailments due to long working hours at a desk with bad posture - image care of LifeHacker.com[/caption]

8 Methods to Getting Perfect Posture


1. Get Up and Move


If your job involves sitting for extended periods of time, get up and move around. It is not healthy to spend long hours sitting in one position and even a few minutes up and out of the chair stretches out the muscles and joints and keeps blood circulation working well. As blood carries nutrients and oxygen to the cells of the body, good circulation is vital. The circulatory system is also responsible for removing waste products, including free radicals so, moving encourages the lymphatic system to detox as well as to revitalize tissue. It is also important for the function of the immune system keeping you healthy and free from any potential viruses and bacteria.

2. Avoid crossing legs


When it comes to posture, crossing your legs is not advised at all simply because it can lead to a rotation or tilting effect on the pelvis and this, in turn, leads to pain being experienced in the lower back. Just as importantly, if you find yourself continuing sitting and crossing your legs, you may find that your spine permanently becomes misaligned. It is easy to fall into this habit but, make a mental note of it and when you find yourself starting to cross your legs, instead, sit up straight and place your feet flat on the floor. The health of your back is too important.


3. Switch arms when carrying bags


You may not consider the way you carry a bag as being important unless the bag is so heavy that it causes aches and pains in the shoulder. However, when there is irregular or an uneven load being carried, it can cause spine misalignment issues or create a repetitive strain of the neck and shoulders. So many people do this and then wonder why they experience aches and pains. Just by developing awareness as to how bags are carried, it is possible to avoid these issues. This is so important because more and more young people are starting to suffer from pain in the back, neck, and shoulders and awareness equals prevention.

4. Avoid sleeping on your stomach


If you often sleep on your stomach, you risk straining the back and neck even if this position feels so comfortable. It can also lead to reduced sleep in the long term. This is because it is not possible to gain a neutral position while lying on your stomach and the weight is focused upon the middle of the body. It may even lead to numbing or tingling sensations. If you naturally move into this position, try to reduce the time you spend on your front and turn over.\

5. Try yoga


Yoga is a highly beneficial way to improve your posture generally because there is great emphasis on the importance of the spine and flexibility. Within each pose, alignment is all-important so, it is not about moving into an extensive pose but standing tall and making each movement count - even if flexibility is restricted. By practicing yoga regularly, this leads to an extra focus on spine health ensuring you stand, sit and move correctly although it could be deemed a whole-of-body system that improves health right down to cellular level.

yoga and stretching

6. Do deep breathing techniques


The breath is important for every aspect of life and too often, we may breathe shallowly which means not all the lungs will be exercised or health maintained. Utilizing breathing techniques such as abdominal breathing can be really useful. Breathing correctly helps to maintain heart rate and blood pressure. It can also aid biomechanics which means there is less stress placed upon the body when moving. In addition, if you sit for long periods without monitoring your position, you may find that you round the shoulders or are constantly bending the head forward and this serves to tighten the muscles around the chest. By doing so, shallow breathing occurs as it limits the expansion of the rib cage. Try incorporating a few deep breaths into your daily routine and as you do so, move your position and remember to sit or stand tall. Let this become a new healthy habit.

7. Set up an ergonomic workspace


If you spend a lot of time sitting at a desk, make sure your workspace is set up so that it is right for you. A sedentary job can place a lot of stress on the body and on posture in particular, so it makes sense to get this right. Try to work from a desktop computer rather than a laptop but if you need to, have a separate monitor so that you are not bending your head. Have your chair at the correct height and place feet flat on the floor. Awareness of your posture at work is key to the health of your back, neck, and shoulders.

[caption id="attachment_27765" align="aligncenter" width="920"]Body ergonomics infographic: improve your posture when working at a desk, using mobile devices, walking and running[/caption]

8. Squat to lift things


Lifting incorrectly can do untold damage to your back and so, always keep in mind that you must bend through the legs. If you have to lift something from the floor, do not reach over to do so, but bend and squat down so that the movement relies on the strength through the thighs. This way, there is no strain on the back. It is all too easy to injure the back and so, prevention and awareness is everything.

When you improve your posture, you are less likely to aggravate the back and to avoid muscle tension. If you want to improve your posture, you may find it a little difficult at first. It is about monitoring movement and continuously correcting posture so that in time, it becomes an integral part of the self. If pain is experienced in the back, neck or shoulders , it is likely that posture plays a part in this, so it is worth strengthening the core muscles as this also aids posture. Make posture awareness a part of everyday life and you will soon start to see and feel the difference.




 
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