We stump, stoop, slouch…so much so that the quality of our everyday lives can be directly affected from these posture problems. I thought of this while sitting at the computer working, and had to stretch to relieve that nagging tightness between my shoulder blades. At the same time, I noticed a whole slew of other bad habits I was committing, and quickly set about practicing what I preach.
Why good posture is important:
Practicing good posture can improve your breathing, decrease your risk of injury, help you move more easily through the tasks of daily living, and also improve your sports performance.
Some signs you might need to improve your posture?
- Do you have one hip higher than another?
- Do you have one shoulder higher than another?
- Does one side of your body rotate slightly more to one side?
- Does your pelvis tip forward, back, or to one side when you stand?
- Does your head juts forward beyond neutral alignment?
- Do your chest and shoulders roll inward, as if your slouching, even when you’re trying not to?
- Are the arches of feet are collapsed?
9 Pointers for Improving Posture
- Check your posture throughout the day, and note some of your back habits.
- If you spend a lot of time hunched over your computer keyboard, take time to stretch your chest muscles, lower your shoulders, stretch your neck, and roll your shoulders down and back into proper position.
- If you have a habit of crossing your arms in front of you, try clasping them behind you.
- If your pelvis tips forward, try engaging your glutes. Standing in line at the grocery or a check out line is a good time to practice this, or even while driving in your car.
- Take time every day to stretch muscles that tend to be tighter for most people: chest, hip flexors, hamstrings: too much tightness in these areas can cause posture problems
- If you always sit or stand in the same position, vary your position from time to time.
- Shoulders have a tendency to creep up toward our ears…try to keep them rolled back, and down, as if your placing your shoulder blades into the back pockets of your pants.
- Consider yoga or Pilates – both help realign the body and strengthen the muscles that improve posture.
- If you continue to have problems, see a physical therapist, chiropractor, or orthopedic specialist.