Good posture makes you look slimmer
As you look around the office or at passers-by on the street you will probably realise that most people do not stand or sit up straight with good posture. By having good posture not only will it help with any back pain, but standing tall will also make you instantly look slimmer and more confident.
Most of us do not have good posture! So many people have shoulders, heads, hips, knees and ankles that are rounded, drooping, forward, elevated or rotated because they are not aware of how to hold themselves. A poor posture can attribute to joint and back pain, as well as muscular imbalances. From a young age we have been taught that good posture involves ‘chest out, shoulders back, stomach pulled in tight.’ But this is not enough! Optimum posture is the balance between muscles and joints that protects the body’s support systems against injury and deformity.
Self assess
Notice how you stand, walk, sit, lift and carry your shopping. If you are tired, stiff or stressed at the end of the day, it could be the way that you hold yourself as much as how hard you work.
Correcting technique
There are several ways in which you can relieve discomfort.
Always dead lift any materials, using your leg and stomach muscles to do the work and not putting pressure on the back. To dead lift have feet hip width apart and pointing forwards bend at the knees and keep backside above knees so that the back is straight. Keep head lifted up and looking forwards. To avoid future back problems do not round spine when lifting. Carry objects close you’re your body, switching arms often. Try some resistance exercise, alternating pressing and pulling movements to avoid muscular imbalance.
Extra Advice
- Adjust the seat in your car so that you do not have to reach for the steering wheel.
- Use a hands free kit or hold your telephone to your hear with your hand rather than wedging the handset between you ear and hunched shoulder.
- It is a good idea to use a back pack rather than a shoulder bag, so that weight is distributed evenly on the body – make sure there are no muscular imbalances.
- Maintain an ideal body weight. Excess weight carried on the stomach will result in an over exaggerated curvature of the spine.
- Meditation or a massage can also help reduce tension, especially a sports massage which can help break down knots in the musculature, affecting flexibility and posture.
If you want help on achieving good posture and possibly losing any lower back pain – then give me a call.
