Ace Your Posture
How Awareness, Control and Environment Impact Posture
Posture Month is an annual reminder to find out how your posture changed over the last year… for better or for worse.
From workplace warriors to aging boomers who want to stay active, there’s confusion about what’s posture-smart, what’s a gimmick, and what’s actionable.
1. Awareness – Forget good or bad. Posture is strong or weak, and there’s always a path to improvement. Our habits at work, when we exercise and at play shape our body. Especially as we spend more time hunched over tablets and phones texting and surfing, it’s smart to start being aware of the health impacts of our habits.
Did you know? College students are cell-phone addicts, spending 8-10 hours a day on their phones creating neck pain and loss of mobility.
2. Control – Core strength and great balance are needed for strong posture. It can be the difference between moving with confidence and being unstable risking injury.
Did you know? Standing up means using 640 muscles to balance 206 bones while not pinching 45 miles of nerves and 60,000 miles of blood vessel.
3. Environment – Are your home, work and exercise environments optimized for your body? Modify the environment around you to suit your needs and put an end to bad habits.
At work – Sit strong, but not too long. Sitting folds your body restricting breathing and circulation, impacting health nearly as much as smoking.
Pro Tip: When you sit, choose a chair that encourages an erect posture. Try a seat support or wedge that supports from beneath by gently tilting the hips forward. You can also set a reminder on your phone or computer to take frequent movement breaks.
At home – Sleep soundly. Invest in a supportive mattress that keeps your body aligned, and sleep on your side and back.
Pro Tip: Side sleeper – a pillow between your knees adds pelvic support. Back sleeper – a contoured pillow can help you breathe easily.
If you need help with your posture, a trained professional can assess your symmetry and help improve motion with exercises focused on controlled motion. Also, if motion is restricted muscle therapy can relax tight muscles, and a good chiropractor can help to unlock spinal or other joint restrictions.
We recommend watching this video, to better understand why “perfect posture doesn’t exist”
For more information, check out posturemonth.org