Correct posture is one of those things that most people don’t think about much. It’s easy to fall into a pattern of slouching over your computer screen or cellphone without any thought about how you’re sitting. As more people transition to working outside of the workplace, it’s even more prevalent when you find yourself working in non-traditional workspaces. Learn more about why your posture matters and how to correct your posture.
Why Correct Your Posture
All those times your Mom told you to stop slouching might have been annoying, but she may have had a point. Lousy posture can impact your health more than you know. You may assume that your posture contributes to your shoulders, neck, and back pains, but it can have an enormous impact on your health. Bad posture can result in balance issues, lack of flexibility, impact your joints, problems with your spines, breathing problems, and can even affect your digestive tract.
Ways to Correct Your Posture
Realizing that your posture is a problem is just half the battle. Correcting it is the other half. Here are some tips that you can use to help work on correcting your posture.
- Work on being aware of how your body is positioned. Slouching can happen when you don’t think about how you’re sitting or standing.
- Consciously think about where your shoulders are in comparison to the rest of your body. You don’t want them forward of your body or to be rounded. Try to relax them to keep your spine aligned.
- Pay attention to ergonomics. You want to ensure that your workspace is at the right height for the chair you’re sitting in or standing. No matter if you’re chopping vegetables for dinner or working on your big presentation for work, you want to feel comfortable as you do it. Your arms should be at a 90-degree angle from your body when you’re working with your hands.
- When driving, don’t recline your seat. It’s just as essential to keep your posture behind the wheel as it is when you’re sitting behind a desk or standing.
- Move around. Switching your body to a new position where you’re not sitting in one place for long periods can help you remember to sit and stand properly.
- Your weight and level of activity can play a role in your posture. Being overweight may play a role in how you hold your body comfortably. Not being physically active can impact your weight and how your body feels.
- Your shoes matter to your posture. Sure, a high heel shoe makes a statement, but it’s not the best shoe for your posture. Opt for wearing comfortable shoes with little to no heel most days and save the heels for special occasions. Your body will thank you for it.
- When standing, you’ll want to pull your stomach in with your shoulders back while keeping your head straight ahead.
Noticing that your posture has contributed to your body’s aches and pains? Improving your posture can help, but when you’re still feeling the effects, it can be beneficial to make an appointment with your favorite chiropractor at LifeGiving Chiropractic today.