Posture may be the least of your worries when you have many responsibilities you need to do. Even if that’s the case, the way you carry yourself can affect your health. That means sitting up straight, standing up properly, and not slouching like most of us would do. Your posture goes a long way, from looking presentable to having a healthier body. How can you improve your posture? Read on to find out.
The Difference Between Good and Bad Posture
You may already have an idea as to what proper posture means. To elaborate, a proper posture means that your ligaments, joints, and muscles are aligned, giving you a neutral spine. Having a good posture can affect your bones and muscles by reducing the stress it may feel from your body’s weight.
Poor posture may easily be spotted on a person, especially when they are slouching, whether they are sitting or standing. The shoulders are not aligned with the body, the neck may be arched forward, or the spine may be hunched back. This can cause several health-related problems like back and neck pain, headaches, fatigue, jaw pain, and more.
Why Is Proper Posture Important?
Having a proper posture is crucial for your health as it ensures that your body is in good shape to perform tasks with more energy and vigour. There are a lot of reasons why maintaining proper posture is important. TheBodyPosture.com has shared reasons as to why this is vital for our health. They include:
#1 Aids Your Muscles and Joints
A good posture keeps the joints and bones aligned for the muscles to be used efficiently. This reduces the abnormal wear of the joint surfaces that may lead to joint pain and degenerative arthritis. It decreases the amount of stress on the ligaments that hold your spine together, minimizing the risks of getting an injury.
#2 Gives You a Healthy Spine
Proper posture is needed to maintain a healthy spine, preventing discomfort and back pain. In the workplace, support on the back is important, especially to those who spend many hours sitting on their office chair or even standing. Having adequate support in your spine allows you to work efficiently. A healthy spine reduces the risk of fatigue on the muscles and ligaments of your body.
#3 Removes Neck Pain and Back Pain
Your ligaments, tendons, and muscles may have too much pressure to support your weight when you have improper posture. In return, this can cause back and neck pains. Having a good posture easily supports and balances your body weight because your spine and bones are properly aligned.
#4 Improves Mental Performance and Concentration
A study made by Colorado College states that people who are sitting in a proper posture have greater performance than those who slouch. Dr. Tomi Ann Roberts, the lead author of this study, suggests that “An upright posture makes people feel more dominant and successful, which improves their ability to relax and focus on problems.”
#5 Increases Your Self-Confidence
According to Healthline.com, proper posture does not only reduce your pain and boost your energy levels, but it also increases your self-esteem. Also, a recent study has found that people who sit up straight are more likely to gain confidence in their own thoughts. It affects how we think of ourselves and of how other people perceive us.
#6 Improves your Mood
Aside from the fact that a good posture can make you feel confident, it also improves your mood. To justify this statement, a study was conducted to know if posture affects a person's mood by asking to relieve any memory. Results state that those who slouched or have slump postures are more likely to remember depressing or sad moments. Those who were sitting in an upright position, on the other hand, are more likely to remember positive and happy memories, boosting their mood.
Simple Exercises for Proper Posture
Whether sitting, standing, or lying down, there are many simple exercises that you can do every day to achieve proper posture. Here are simple exercises that can help you improve your posture:
#1 When Standing
Some people are required to stand up for long periods of time because of their jobs or simply by waiting in a long line that takes a lot of your time. You may feel fatigued, with gravity contributing to your discomfort.
There may be adverse effects in standing for too long, but that doesn't necessarily make standing a bad thing for us. Standing can also help one be more productive with work. According to WebMD, those working, especially with standing desks, are 45% more productive daily than those who sat during their shift.
In addition, sitting for quite some time can tighten your muscles and hurt your lower back, especially when you have bad posture. Standing can release the tension your back may feel from sitting for too long, easing your back pain and other strains that happen when you sit.
Here are simple exercises that you can do at any place and at any given time while standing:
a. Standing Quad Stretch
This is an easy exercise suggested by Medical News Today. While standing, slowly bend your right knee and bring your foot up behind your body.
Hold the right foot with your right hand and pull it closer to your buttocks until you can feel a stretch on your thigh and hip. Your knees should stay close together.
Hold this stretch for at least a few seconds and release by slowly lowering your foot to the floor. Repeat these steps on the other side.
b. Chest Stretch
In this exercise, you have to stand up straight. Using both of your hands, reach behind your body and interlace your fingers with your palms pointing upward.
Gently pull back and down through your shoulders while maintaining your arms and back straight. Hold this position for a few seconds, and then release.
c. Reverse High Five
A simple exercise suggested by NBC News, the first step is to stand tall. Shrug the shoulders to your ears and ease them down. Turn your palms to face the back of the room.
As reverse high fives go, press your hands back as if giving yourself a double high five. Repeat this ten times and then rest.
#2 When Sitting
If you are working, especially in the office, the chances are that you sit for long hours until your shift ends. Sitting for a long period can cause adverse impacts on your health, especially on your posture. The following are simple exercises in which you can do while sitting down:
a. Armpit Opener
Reach your arms to the side and then up. When your hands reach the top, clasp your hands together. After doing so, stretch your arms up, and bend your elbows towards the back of the room so that you can stretch your armpits and chest.
Hold to breathe, and then exhale as you straighten your arms back up. You can repeat this exercise 10 times.
b.Shoulder pull back
An exercise suggested by Healthline.com, sit in an upright position. Shift the shoulder blades to the back. Lift both of your forearms at a 90-degree angle at your sides.
After doing so, pull the shoulder blades closer to each other, as if squeezing, all the while your arms extend backward in a natural way. Complete this exercise three times.
A great tip that can greatly help your posture while working is using ergonomic furniture. To help support your spine and posture while you sit, ergonomic chairs are a recommended type of chair for you. It has support for the back, head, neck, and even armrest.
c. Switch from sitting to standing
It may not seem much of an exercise than the rest, but simply switching from sitting to standing can help ease the tension of your lower extremities as well as being aware of your posture. You can do this tip even when you are studying or working with the help of sit-to-stand desk converters, which allows you to switch from a sitting position to a standing one.
#3 When Lying Down
You can easily do these simple exercises even when in the comforts of your bed. Here are a few exercises in order to achieve proper posture:
a. Abdominal Rest
This does not take that much effort at all. Lay down on your stomach, and your body stretched out. This simple exercise helps stretch the muscles on your spine and can make you feel instant relief.
b. Flat Back Knee Pulls
To start, lie down on your back with your feet together. Lift the right knee to your core (abdomen) and hold it there for 5 to 10 seconds. Do this alternatively with your knees five times.
Conclusion
Posture is a vital aspect of ourselves that is often overlooked. Having proper posture influences our health and how we appear to other people. Having a good posture improves your health, increases self-confidence and reduces the risk of pain from your bones, joints, or muscles.
Taking care of yourself does not immediately mean that you need to make drastic changes such as working out in a gym or changing your dietary meals. And although these are great steps in taking care of your body, even the simplest exercises can help achieve your goal towards proper posture and a healthier lifestyle.
