Maintaining a good posture is crucial for your health. Ensuring our skeleton is properly aligned while walking, sitting, sleeping and standing can reduce joint pain, sore muscles and other long term chronic pain.
Poor posture on the other hand, can lead to disrupted sleep, difficulty walking and even breathing problems.
As we get older, posture plays a huge role in our fall risk – which can be fatal for elderly people. That is why making sure you are practicing good posture early on, can help with your long term physical and emotional wellness.
Here are 5 ways to improve and maintain good posture:
The Perfect Posture
There is a quick way to see how your current posture looks. In front of a full-length mirror, check the following:
- Are your shoulders level?
- Is your head erect?
- Is the space between your arms and torso equal?
- Do your kneecaps face forward?
- Are your ankles straight and your feet straight forward?
Adjusting your posture in line with these things will help you gauge how you should be standing. Eventually, the new posture will feel more natural.
Sleep On Your Back
Although it might not be as comfortable as curling into a ball or sleeping on your side, laying on your back gives your body chance to realign. On your back, your spine gains the built-in support from the mattress, and your shoulders can relax into the right place. If you were to look for a physiatrist near me, you would be able to get advice on the best sleeping position for back pain depending on the type of back pain you have. Typically, your physiatrist will tell you that lying on your front is the worst choice as it adds more strain to your lower back. Sleeping on your back is usually the best for most people in pain.
You can also help reduce the strain on your back by sleeping with 1 or 2 pillows under your knees.
Do Not Sit Down for Too Long
It is easy to watch the day go by on the sofa with a few episodes of your favorite Netflix show. But this is not great for your long-term health, or your posture. Sitting for too long can cause back and neck pain as well as reducing blood flow and increasing stress.
If you do need to sit for long periods of time – for example, at work – make sure your workstation is correctly set up and you stand up and stretch when you can. You can add support to your desk with the Husband Pillow from husbandpillow.com, which will encourage you to sit back in your chair, rather than slouch over your laptop.
Take up Swimming
Swimming has a huge number of health benefits, one of which is strengthening the back and core. Practicing backstroke uses a lot of muscles across the body and can reverse the damage done by sitting at a desk all day. It also helps to pull the shoulders back and open up the chest.
Breaststroke and front crawl are also great techniques for posture.
Wear Low Heeled Shoes
Both high heels and ultra-flat shoes like ballet pumps can cause the feet to tense and as a result, strain the back and impact your posture. Wearing these types of shoes can do long-term damage to your hips, spine, ankles and knees – which you have probably noticed after a long day wearing them!
It is recommended that women who wear heels should aim for a heel no higher than 2 inches.
There are a huge number of ways to maintain good posture. These are just a few to consider while trying to make small changes that can benefit you hugely in the long term.
Photo by Dylan Sauerwein
Milo Senalle
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